VOA标准英语2010年-How I Got Detained and Permanently Ban

In southern Yemen’s port city of Aden, many locals complain that the northern government ignores the south, supplying jobs and government services only to the northern provinces

About a year ago, in the weeks after I moved to Yemen, my new local friends wanted to know how long I planned to stay in the country. Was I settling down? Was I planning to marry a Yemeni man?

"I'll stay until the government kicks me out," I joked, having no desire to leave, or plans to stay forever. My friends laughed heartily¹ at the idea.

"We are all your brothers in Yemen," said one Yemeni journalist. And this is almost true. Yemen is the only place I know so friendly that people will readily declare how much they missed you - even if you never met. 
And since I was living in a nation of friends, I never really thought the government would kick me out of the country. But since I never was able to exactly follow Yemen's strict, if fluid press regulations, I figured life might become harder the longer I worked in Yemen.

Hear more of VOA's Heather Murdock's personal account:
 
Over the course of the year, I did not notice any change in the way the government treated me, even after I had published critical stories on sensitive subjects. Perhaps all the freedom made me too bold, because now, after  trying to report on the Yemeni government's least favorite topic, I am banished² from Yemen, forever.

Last month, freelance photographer Adam Reynolds and I traveled to Yaffa. The region in southern Yemen is known for rocky mountain vistas³ and political unrest. I had been reporting in Yemen for almost a year when we made the trip, both wearing black veils - both disguised as Yemeni women.

Despite Aden's beach views, and warm climate, foreign tourists are rare these days and the local economy is reeling

Locals call the area "Al-Janoob al-Har," the Free South, because the Yemeni government cannot go there. Southern flags, illegal in Yemen, are painted on mountainsides, rocks and on concrete walls. The region is ruled by sheiks and a network of outlawed⁴ separatist leaders, who head what has become known as "The Southern Movement."

Northern and southern Yemen united peacefully in 1990. Separatist leaders say they all supported the unity⁵ at first. But only four years later, the south rebelled, claiming the north was draining their resources, while denying southerners political rights and government services. The rebellion was crushed swiftly in a bloody⁶ civil war.

Since then, separatists have slowly regrouped and sporadic⁷ violence breaks out more and more often. In the past few months, about 100 people have been arrested and at least seven others have been killed in connection with separatist activities, including activists⁸ and soldiers.

Last week, there were reports that some separatists tried to kill one of Yemen's deputy prime ministers and attacked a convoy⁹ carrying a high-level defense¹⁰ official, killing¹¹ one of his guards. The Southern Movement is now arguably the single largest threat to Yemen's fragile central government.

Rebel strongholds, which include large swaths of the south, are virtually untouched by the government. Wanted separatist leaders roam freely. From time to time Internet or cell phone service is cut off, isolating¹² the region.

There has been a crackdown on the news flow from the south. Al Jazeera's equipment was recently confiscated¹³ after reporting in the south. A government official told one of my fellow journalists, "Reporters who write about the Southern Movement are not welcome in Yemen."

The Al-Ayam newspaper was the most popular of seven papers shut down last year after being accused of supporting the separatist movement

Journalists are not technically¹⁴ banned from the south, but official travel permits are never granted, on the grounds of "security," purposes. Not long after we returned from rebel-controlled lands and checked into a hotel in the government-controlled port city, Aden, our passports were confiscated. The next morning we went to the visa office and officers told us our passports would be returned shortly. They drove us to the political security detention¹⁵ center to "do the paperwork."

It soon became clear that we were not there to retrieve¹⁶ our passports. I tried to call the U.S. Embassy. A Yemeni political security officer took the phone from my hand and hung it up. He told me, "It is forbidden."

Around midnight, the first round of interrogation was finished. I tried to be vague and tell them only the names of people who were openly rebels - the ones who were safe in hiding that had asked me to publish their names. But my tangle¹⁷ of half-truths was all for naught¹⁸. Our notes, cameras, computers and radio equipment were confiscated, and we were detained.

We stayed in a hotel, conveniently placed adjacent to a political security detention center, and plain-clothed soldiers were stationed outside our rooms. The guards told me that the hotel generally houses low-security prisoners, like us, and prostitutes. Adam was thrown in a jail cell one night, but I think his dank, hot cell was a joke, meant to amuse the investigators¹⁹. Adam didn't find it very funny.

On the fourth day in custody²⁰, our prospects²¹ seemed grim, as we were transferred to central political security in Sanaa, Yemen's capital. Officers allowed me to take my sunglasses from my purse along the way, but when I tried to snatch a John Grisham novel for entertainment, it was quickly removed from my hands. Our passports were nowhere in sight.

But a few hours later, after we were re-questioned, and just as we were making friends with the armed guards, two officials from the U.S. Embassy appeared, out of the blue, and we were freed. Within an hour, we rumbled²² through the narrow cobblestone pathways of the Old City in an embassy armored car. They dropped us off in Felahi, a cozy²³ square packed with colorful shops, juice-stalls and potato-sandwich vendors²⁴, near my apartment.

Before we got out of the car, embassy officials told us we were banned from Yemen and our pictures would be added to a database at the airport. We were told we would go to prison, if we tried to go back. Get out of Yemen as soon as possible, for safety's sake, they said, and maybe you will get your equipment back.

Over the next few days, I looked over my shoulder a lot as I wandered the city, shopping and saying goodbye to friends. I changed all of my passwords and opened new email accounts.

I was wary²⁵ of calling my Yemeni friends and colleagues. I was more afraid that they would reject me for breaking the rules, than that they would be fingered for knowing me. I also thought they might be afraid to be associated with me, now persona non grata. But when I stopped into one local newspaper office, the reporters welcomed me. As always, they were in a rush, eager to make their deadlines.

They said they were saddened by the government reaction, and sorry I had to go. Like reporters all over the world, Yemeni journalists take information control personally. And in Yemen, where everyone who doesn't dislike you is your brother or sister, sympathy is easy to find. "We'll keep in close contact by email," said one journalist. "And, enshalla, we will see you again soon."
 

1 heartily   

adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很

参考例句：

• He ate heartily and went out to look for his horse.他痛快地吃了一顿，就出去找他的马。
• The host seized my hand and shook it heartily.主人抓住我的手，热情地和我握手。

2 banished   

v.放逐，驱逐( banish的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was banished to Australia, where he died five years later. 他被流放到澳大利亚，五年后在那里去世。
• He was banished to an uninhabited island for a year. 他被放逐到一个无人居住的荒岛一年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 vistas   

长条形景色( vista的名词复数 )； 回顾； 展望； （未来可能发生的）一系列情景

参考例句：

• This new job could open up whole new vistas for her. 这项新工作可能给她开辟全新的前景。
• The picture is small but It'shows broad vistas. 画幅虽然不大，所表现的天地却十分广阔。

4 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

7 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

10 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

11 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

12 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

13 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

14 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

15 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

16 retrieve   

vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索

参考例句：

• He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
• The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。

17 tangle   

n.纠缠；缠结；混乱；v.(使)缠绕；变乱

参考例句：

• I shouldn't tangle with Peter.He is bigger than me.我不应该与彼特吵架。他的块头比我大。
• If I were you, I wouldn't tangle with them.我要是你，我就不跟他们争吵。

18 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

19 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

21 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

22 rumbled   

发出隆隆声，发出辘辘声( rumble的过去式和过去分词 )； 轰鸣着缓慢行进； 发现…的真相； 看穿（阴谋）

参考例句：

• The machine rumbled as it started up. 机器轰鸣着发动起来。
• Things rapidly became calm, though beneath the surface the argument rumbled on. 事情迅速平静下来了，然而，在这种平静的表面背后争论如隆隆雷声，持续不断。

23 cozy   

adj.亲如手足的，密切的，暖和舒服的

参考例句：

• I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯，因为他们是舒适的。
• We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。

24 vendors   

n.摊贩( vendor的名词复数 )；小贩；（房屋等的）卖主；卖方

参考例句：

• The vendors were gazundered at the last minute. 卖主在最后一刻被要求降低房价。
• At the same time, interface standards also benefIt'software vendors. 同时，界面标准也有利于软件开发商。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

25 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。