VOA标准英语2014--俄罗斯反对派为乌克兰举行和平游行

 

Russia's Opposition¹ Holds Peace March for Ukraine 俄罗斯反对派为乌克兰举行和平游行

MOSCOW—

Opposition activists² and anti-war demonstrators marched in the Russian capital Sunday, urging peace in Ukraine and an end to Russia's military support for separatists, even though the Kremlin denies backing the rebels.

Organizers of the march said over 50,000 people took the streets in Moscow, but police claimed the number was exaggerated, putting it instead at 5,000.

It was for the second time this year that Russians demanded the Kremlin end what activists see as its military actions in Ukraine.  But many of the marchers want more than just peace in Ukraine, they also want political change in Russia.

Peace march participant Daniel says he hates to see President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin elite³ engaging in what he calls "destructive political activities."

“I think it is a big mistake.  He is taking Russia into chaos⁴, into anarchy⁵, and nationalism, fascism. And, it should not be like this,” said Daniel.

Small groups of protesters hurled⁶ abuse at the peace marchers, calling them traitors⁷ and fascists⁸ for supporting Kyiv over pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine.  But it is President Putin who is behaving most like a dictator, says opposition leader and peace march organizer Boris Nemtsov.

“He lies in revenge for Ukraine's revolution, when Ukrainians took to the streets and dethroned the corrupt⁹ thief president Yanukovych. [Putin] is afraid it could be repeated in Russia.  And, besides, he thinks if Ukraine is successful on the European path it is a threat to his own power,” said Nemtsov.

Police confiscated¹⁰ some protest banners deemed too critical of Putin and what they said were Russia's actions in Ukraine.  Although security was tight, some scuffles broke out when individuals attacked peace marchers.

Despite the show of strength, Russia's opposition activists acknowledge they are a minority voice that lost much steam from protests a few years ago when they demanded that Putin step down.

Their ranks were thinned by Kremlin repression¹¹, propaganda, and nationalism says Nemtsov.

“In reality many people are repressed and prosecuted¹². That’s number one. Number two - the good economic situation allowed Putin to muzzle¹³ those who were not satisfied with the economic situation. And the Goebbels-like, imperial hysteria he arranged in the mass media all has brought about the fall of the protest movement. And it became, to [a large] extent, a dissident movement,” says Nemtsov.

He adds Sunday's peace march could help recharge Russia's opposition movement.

“To explain our views to people we must use the only opportunity: Facebook and other social networks, and some [independent] mass media outlets¹⁴ that are still alive,” says he.

But Nemtsov, also an advisor¹⁵ to Ukrainian leaders, says a lasting¹⁶ peace in Ukraine is not only up to Russia as Kyiv needs to enact¹⁷ tough reforms to remove deep-rooted corruption¹⁸.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 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》

3 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

6 hurled   

v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂

参考例句：

• He hurled a brick through the window. 他往窗户里扔了块砖。
• The strong wind hurled down bits of the roof. 大风把屋顶的瓦片刮了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 traitors   

卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人

参考例句：

• Traitors are held in infamy. 叛徒为人所不齿。
• Traitors have always been treated with contempt. 叛徒永被人们唾弃。

8 fascists   

n.法西斯主义的支持者( fascist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists. 老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

10 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。

11 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

12 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

13 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

14 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

16 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

17 enact   

vt.制定(法律)；上演，扮演

参考例句：

• The U.S. Congress has exclusive authority to enact federal legislation.美国国会是唯一有权颁布联邦法律的。
• For example,a country can enact laws and economic policies to attract foreign investment fairly quickly.例如一个国家可以很快颁布吸引外资的法令和经济政策。

18 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。