VOA标准英语2010年-Jailed Americans' Mothers Ask Iranian

Mothers of imprisoned¹ US hikers meeting with their children in a Tehran hotel

Last week, Cindy Hickey, Laura Fattal and Nora Shourd visited their three adult children, jailed in Iran for nearly 10 months after being arrested while hiking near the Iran-Iraq border.  VOA's Persian News Service has followed the mothers' efforts closely, and Monday two of the mothers sat down with VOA to discuss their trip. 

It was an emotional reunion in a Tehran hotel - between three mothers and their adult children imprisoned since July on spying charges. Sarah Shourd and the other Americans maintain they accidentally crossed into Iran while hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan. 

"We thought we would be kept here for a matter of days," said Nora Shourd. "In my wildest dreams I never thought I would still be in prison…"

Just back from their journey, Cindy Hickey and Laura Fattal thanked the Iranian authorities for allowing the trip, where Hickey learned of her son Shane Bauer's engagement to Shourd.  She says Bauer made two rings from shirt threads and proposed in the prison yard.

"They sat on the floor in front of us and announced that Shane had proposed in January and they of course asked our permission and Nora and I am very excited about this," said  Cindy Hickey. "I love Sarah very much.  She is a wonderful human being."

Shourd and Bauer plan to marry once they are freed, and they've asked Josh Fattal, the other jailed American, to be the best man.  Iran has not announced any plans for their release.

"These three individuals entered our borders illegally," said Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "They have confessed to that."

Analysts² in both countries say the case is hopelessly intertwined with overall bad relations between the U.S. and Iran over that country's nuclear program. The mothers stressed the humanitarian³ nature of their mission.  They expressed sympathy when meeting with the mothers of Iranians formerly⁴ jailed by U.S. forces in Iraq, who said their children had not been treated nearly as well.

"We really feel very sympathetic for any Iranian prisoners that are being kept in the U.S.  We talk about this constantly," said Nora Shourd. "But again, we are not politicians.  We don't have the power to do this.  We wish we did."

The American mothers have repeatedly asked Iranian authorities to free their children on humanitarian grounds, but ultimately they returned without them.

"Knowing we are traveling half-way around the world and knowing we are leaving our kids in an Iranian prison, this was a devastating⁵ terrible moment and we can only hope and we do hope that we will be re-united with Josh, Shane and Sarah very soon," said Laura Fattal.
 

1 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

4 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。