VOA常速英语2020--古巴打击关于冠状病毒的报道

Next, an editorial reflecting the views of the U.S. government. The Communist government of Cuba continues to imprison¹, persecute², and intimidate³ journalists and their families. Indeed, the Committee to Protect Journalists considers Cuba one of the most hostile environments for the press in the world, ranking the island nation among the 10 Most Censored⁴ Countries. The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Cuba has made independent reporting even more difficult and dangerous as the Cuban government spreads disinformation about its handling of the crisis. Independent Cuban journalists are increasingly being fined under Decree 370, which penalizes⁵ Cubans who express their opinions on the internet. Approved in May 2019, the decree bans the dissemination⁶ in Cuba of “information contrary to the social interest, morals, good manners, and integrity of people” on social media networks and other digital platforms. 

接下来是一篇反映美国政府的社论。古巴共产党政府继续囚禁、迫害、恐吓记者及其家人。事实上，保护记者委员会认为古巴是世界上新闻界最恶劣的环境之一，把这个岛国列为十个受审查最多的国家之一。冠状病毒袭击古巴，随着古巴政府散布处理危机的不实信息，使得独立报道变得更加困难且危险。古巴的独立记者越来越多地因第370号法令而被罚款，该法令惩罚在互联网上发表意见的古巴人。该法令于2019年5月批准，禁止在古巴的社交媒体和其他数字平台上发布“违背社会利益以及人的道德、礼貌和诚实的信息。”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic started in Cuba, at least seven activists⁷ and journalists have been fined under Decree 370, according to Hugo Landa, director of the site CubaNet. Fellow CubaNet journalist Camila Acosta was fined in late March for publishing information about the new coronavirus on her Facebook profile. In addition to the fine of 3,000 pesos, or $120, Acosta’s cell phone was confiscated⁸. She told Radio Martí in an interview that she fears being jailed. The situation of imprisoned⁹ Cuban journalists has also become more dangerous due to the spread of COVID-19 among the prison population. The case of lawyer and journalist Roberto Qui?ones is of particular concern. He was jailed for refusing to pay a fine for committing “resistance” and “disobedience” – charges stemming from his April 22, 2019, arrest while reporting on a trial. He has served more than half of his year-long sentence, during which time he suffered escalating¹⁰ health problems. Qui?ones and other imprisoned journalists in Cuba face an elevated risk of contracting COVID-19, as they cannot isolate¹², social distance, or follow other basic health guidelines, said Natalie Southwick, Central and South America Program Coordinator¹³ of the Committee to Protect Journalists. USAID condemns¹⁴ the Cuban regime’s crackdown on the media in the “strongest possible terms,” said Acting¹¹ Administrator¹⁵ John Barsa. The United States pays tribute to the Cuban journalists who work, at great personal risk, to bring candid¹⁶ news and accurate information to the Cuban people – particularly during this pandemic. There has never been a more important time to raise awareness¹⁷ about the need to protect press freedoms. That was an editorial reflecting the views of the U.S. government

据CubaNet网站负责人雨果·兰达介绍，自COVID-19大流行病在古巴爆发以来，有至少7名活跃分子以及记者根据第370号法令被罚款。同为CubaNet记者的卡米拉·阿科斯塔在3月底因在其Facebook个人资料上发布有关新冠状病毒的信息而被罚款。除了3000比索或者120美元的罚款以外，阿科斯塔的手机也被没收。她在接受Martí电台采访时表示她很害怕被监禁。由于COVID-19在监狱人口中的传播，被监禁的古巴记者的处境也变得更加危险。律师和记者罗伯托·奎尼奥斯的案件尤其令人关注。他因拒绝支付犯“抵抗”和“不服从”罪的罚款而入狱——指控源于他于2019年4月22日在报案时被捕。他服刑一年半以上，其间健康问题不断恶化。古巴保护记者委员会中南美项目协调员娜塔莉·索思威克说，在古巴，奎尼奥斯和其他被囚禁的记者面临着更高的感染COVID-19的风险，因为他们无法隔离、社会距离或遵循其他基本健康准则。美国国际开发署代理署长约翰·巴萨表示以“强烈的措辞”谴责古巴政权对媒体的镇压。美国向古巴记者们致敬，他们冒着极大的个人风险，为古巴人民带来坦率的新闻和准确的信息-特别是在这次流行病期间。再没有比现在更重要的时间来提高人们对于保护新闻自由的必要性的认识。这是一篇反映美国政府的社论。

1 imprison   

vt.监禁，关押，限制，束缚

参考例句：

• The effect of this one is going to imprison you for life.而这件事的影响力则会让你被终身监禁。
• Dutch colonial authorities imprisoned him for his part in the independence movement.荷兰殖民当局因他参加独立运动而把他关押了起来。

2 persecute   

vt.迫害，虐待；纠缠，骚扰

参考例句：

• They persecute those who do not conform to their ideas.他们迫害那些不信奉他们思想的人。
• Hitler's undisguised effort to persecute the Jews met with worldwide condemnation.希特勒对犹太人的露骨迫害行为遭到世界人民的谴责。

3 intimidate   

vt.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• You think you can intimidate people into doing what you want?你以为你可以威胁别人做任何事？
• The first strike capacity is intended mainly to intimidate adversary.第一次攻击的武力主要是用来吓阻敌方的。

4 censored   

受审查的，被删剪的

参考例句：

• The news reports had been heavily censored . 这些新闻报道已被大幅删剪。
• The military-backed government has heavily censored the news. 有军方撑腰的政府对新闻进行了严格审查。

5 penalizes   

对…予以惩罚( penalize的第三人称单数 )； 使处于不利地位

参考例句：

• The new law penalizes the poorest members of society. 新法规对社会中最贫困者不利。

6 dissemination   

传播,宣传,传染(病毒)

参考例句：

• The dissemination of error does people great harm. 谬种流传，误人不浅。
• He was fully bent upon the dissemination of Chinese culture all over the world. 他一心致力于向全世界传播中国文化。

7 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》

8 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。

9 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。

10 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

12 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

13 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

14 condemns   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• Her widowhood condemns her to a lonely old age. 守寡使她不得不过着孤独的晚年生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The public opinion condemns prostitution. 公众舆论遣责卖淫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

15 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

16 candid   

adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的

参考例句：

• I cannot but hope the candid reader will give some allowance for it.我只有希望公正的读者多少包涵一些。
• He is quite candid with his friends.他对朋友相当坦诚。

17 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。