VOA常速英语2014--Samantha Power On Civil Society 萨曼莎·鲍尔谈公民社会

 

Samantha Power On Civil Society 萨曼莎·鲍尔谈公民社会

The end of the Cold War ushered¹ in an era of unprecedented² growth in democracy and with it civil society.  But in recent years, democratic growth has stagnated³, said U.S. United Nations Ambassador Samantha Power, and the reaction against civil society has been formidable.

冷战的结束使得民主和公民社会得到了史无前例的发展。但是最近几年，美国驻联合国大使萨曼莎·鲍尔认为，民主增长已经停滞，以及对于公民社会的反应比较可怕。

Within the last five years, dozens of countries have enacted⁴ new laws or regulations aimed at restricting the activities of civil society. Ukraine's parliament approved legislation that would restrict freedom of speech and assembly, constrain⁵ independent media, broaden the definitions of libel, and hinder non-governmental organizations that receive foreign assistance.

最近的五年，数十个国家为了限制公民社会的活动实施了新的法律法规。乌克兰议会通过了一项议案，该议案会限制公民的言论和集会自由，限制独立媒体，扩宽自由的定义，阻碍有外国资助的非政府组织的发展。

The response to these restrictions⁶, said Ambassador Power, should be to strengthen civil society networks, develop new strategies, and outthink the enemies of freedom. For its part, the United States has placed support for civil society into the mainstream⁷ of its foreign policy.  Every day, American diplomats⁸ make known the United States' backing for the right of people to organize peacefully for change.

萨曼莎·鲍尔认为，对于这些限制的反应应该是加强公民社会网络，发展新的战略，以及在思想上超越自由的敌人。就其本身而言，美国对于公民社会已经在其主流外交政策中提高了支持。美国外交官每天都在宣扬其对人民和平组织追求改变的权利的支持。

The struggle to defend civil society is not carried on in support of an abstract principle; it is a struggle waged on behalf of men and women across the globe.  People like Belarusian human rights activist⁹ Ales Bialiatski who is serving a multi-year prison sentence on trumped-up charges.  And activist Sonia Garro of the peaceful Cuban pro-democracy Ladies in White Movement, who was arrested prior to the Pope's visit in 2012 and remains¹⁰ in prison along with her husband Ramon Munoz.

保卫公民社会之战不只是对抽象原则的支持；它是代表全球人类而发动的一场斗争。白俄罗斯人权活动家比亚利亚茨基，他曾因为一些凭空捏造的控诉被判多年监禁。白色运动中的古巴民主活动家索尼娅·加罗的和平女士，2012年在教皇的访问前被捕，并且一直和她的丈夫拉蒙·穆尼奥斯留在监狱中。

In Iran, authorities have detained an estimated 500 or more human rights defenders¹¹ subjecting many to torture, abuse, and violations¹² of due process.  And in China an estimated 160 peaceful activists¹³ have been arrested in the past year.  Other beleaguered¹⁴ civil society defenders reside in countries such as Nigeria, Bahrain, and Sudan.  And in North Korea, the most extreme case, there is no civil society at all.

在伊朗，当局已经拘留了大约500个人权保卫者，让他们屈从于酷刑、虐待和违反正当程序。在中国，去年大约有160位和平积极分子被捕。其他一些陷入困境的公民社会保卫者主要发布在像尼日利亚、巴林和苏丹这样的国家。在朝鲜，是最为极端的地区，毫无公民社会可言。

 

The United States remains committed to supporting and defending civil society worldwide and calling out countries that seek to silence the freedom of expression, online and offline, and to restrict civil society’s ability to organize and assemble.

美国一直致力于支持和保卫世界范围内的公民社会，并且呼吁那些企图沉默线上、线下表达自由、限制公民组织和集会权利的国家加入。

1 ushered   

v.引，领，陪同( usher的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The secretary ushered me into his office. 秘书把我领进他的办公室。
• A round of parties ushered in the New Year. 一系列的晚会迎来了新年。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

3 stagnated   

v.停滞，不流动，不发展( stagnate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句
• His mind has stagnated since his retirement. 他退休后头脑迟钝了。 来自辞典例句

4 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

5 constrain   

vt.限制，约束；克制，抑制

参考例句：

• She tried to constrain herself from a cough in class.上课时她竭力忍住不咳嗽。
• The study will examine the factors which constrain local economic growth.这项研究将考查抑制当地经济发展的因素。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

8 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

13 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》

14 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》