VOA标准英语2018--New Sanction Imposed on Iran

 

As part of the United States' new comprehensive strategy to counter Iran's malign¹ behavior, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. will apply “unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime:”

“This sting of sanctions will be painful if the regime does not change its course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen to one that rejoins the League of Nations. These will indeed end up being the strongest sanctions in history when we are complete.”

To that end, the U.S. Treasury² Department in May imposed sanctions on the head of Iran's central bank and other entities³ that were funneling⁴ money to the IRGC's Qods Force, Hezbollah and other terrorist organizations. It also sanctioned five members of the IRGC over their efforts to support Yemen's Houthi militants⁵ who are firing missiles into Saudi Arabia. In addition, nine individuals and firms accused of procuring⁶ jet engines and airplane parts for Iranian airlines previously⁷ designated for their support for terrorist entities were also sanctioned.

The latest round of sanctions announced by the Treasury Department May 30 targets the perpetrators of human rights abuses against the Iranian people. They include the Ansar-e Hizbullah organization that has been involved with the violent suppression of Iranian citizens, including acid attacks against women in Isfahan. Three individuals associated with the organization were also sanctioned.

Evin prison, where the Iranian regime holds many dissidents and prisoners of conscience, was sanctioned as well for subjecting prisoners to brutal⁸ torture and abuse.

And in recognition of the regime's attempts to monitor and censor⁹ Iranian citizens and to deny them access to the free flow of information, the Treasury Department designated the Hanista Programming Group, two government officials involved in limiting Iranians' freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and the director of the IRIB, the state broadcasting organization.

The actions taken by the Treasury Department against these rights violators show that the United States will not allow the regime's repression¹⁰ to remain in the shadows. “America stands with the people of Iran,” U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement, “and Treasury is taking action to hold the Iranian regime accountable for ongoing¹¹ human rights abuses, censorship, and other despicable acts it commits against its own citizens.”

1 malign   

adj.有害的；恶性的；恶意的；v.诽谤，诬蔑

参考例句：

• It was easy to see why the cartoonists regularly portrayed him as a malign cherub.难怪漫画家总是把他画成一个邪恶的小天使。
• She likes to malign innocent persons.她爱诋毁那些清白的人。

2 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

3 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

4 funneling   

[医]成漏斗形：描述膀胱底及膀胱尿道交接区

参考例句：

5 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

6 procuring   

v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的现在分词 )；拉皮条

参考例句：

• He was accused of procuring women for his business associates. 他被指控为其生意合伙人招妓。 来自辞典例句
• She had particular pleasure, in procuring him the proper invitation. 她特别高兴为他争得这份体面的邀请。 来自辞典例句

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

8 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

9 censor   

n./vt.审查，审查员；删改

参考例句：

• The film has not been viewed by the censor.这部影片还未经审查人员审查。
• The play was banned by the censor.该剧本被查禁了。

10 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。

11 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。