环球英语 — 120：Amnesty International

　　Voice 1
Hello. I’m Marina Santee.
Voice 2
And I’m Ruby¹ Jones. Welcome to Spotlight² this programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
Voice 3
‘Open your newspaper - on any day of the week. You will find a report from somewhere in the world of someone being put in prison, tortured or executed. The reason? His opinions or religion are unacceptable to his government. The newspaper reader feels a sickening feeling of being powerless. People all over the world get such feelings. Imagine if they could be united into one common action. Then, we could do something very effective.’
Voice 1
These are the thoughts of Peter Benenson. He was the founder³ of the international pressure group ‘Amnesty International.’ Amnesty International works in countries all over the world. In today’s programme we look at how the organisation⁴ began.
Voice 2
It was late 1960. Peter Benenson sat on an underground train in London. He was reading the newspaper. He read about two Portuguese⁵ students. They were living under Antonio Salazar’s dictator⁶ rule. Salazar’s government sentenced them to prison. Their crime was raising their glasses to celebrate freedom. Peter Benenson was very angry when he read this! So he decided⁷ to protest outside the Portuguese embassy⁸ in London. But then, he changed his mind. Instead he left his train at Trafalgar Square. He walked to the famous church - St Martin-in-the-Fields. He needed to think. It was there that his idea formed. This idea would develop into an organisation that would influence many people across the world.
Benenson’s idea was to have a world wide human rights movement. He was a lawyer so he knew the legal system well. He said,
Voice 3
‘I started to understand that lawyers alone were not able to influence the path of justice enough - not in countries without democracy. It was necessary to think of a larger group. This group would use the desire of people all over the world. It would unite the people who were concerned to see a wider respect for human rights.’
Voice 1
Benenson discussed his idea with a friend. Together, they went to talk to the editor of the Observer newspaper. A short time later, the newspaper published Benenson’s letter - called ‘The Forgotten Prisoners.’ It suggested a ‘worldwide appeal for pardon, or “amnesty”. The appeal was to governments. It asked them to free their political prisoners - or give them a fair trial. The letter also asked people to write and show their support for the Portuguese students in prison. Together, the public could put pressure on the Portuguese government to release the students.
Voice 2
Benenson’s letter had an amazing effect. Newspapers in other countries also printed the appeal! Thousands of people wrote to the papers. It was like the world had been waiting for such an appeal! To better organise⁹ the appeal, ‘Amnesty International’ was formed. The original plan was that the appeal would last a year. But the support showed that Amnesty could do much more. It did not have to stop with one case in one country. Amnesty could do similar work in other countries. People could work together to fight for the release of ‘prisoners of conscience.’ This means people put in prison because of their race, religion, colour, language, sexuality or belief. However, this does not include people who have used or encouraged violence.
Benenson’s appeal was the beginning of a work that was to grow more than anyone imagined.
Voice 1
Today, Amnesty International is a worldwide movement. It has around two million [2,000,000] members. Together, the group fights for human rights around the world. Here is just one example of their work.
Voice 2
Hamda Fahad Jassem Al-Thani lived in the Middle East, in Qatar. In 2001, she met the man she wished to marry. His name was Sayed Saley. He was forty-two [42] - and he was divorced. Hamda’s father would not accept him. So, Hamda and Sayed left the country. They married secretly. Several days later, Qatari security services found Hamda. Reports say that the security men drugged her and put her on an airplane. They told her to choose: prison, or home. So she chose prison. She spent twelve months in prison. Then, she was moved to her parent’s home. Here, they locked her in one of their rooms for two years. Amnesty International said that Hamda appealed to them for help.
Voice 4
‘I ask you to help end my suffering and to help me return to my husband. I chose to marry this man. This is one of my God-given rights. And it is in the International Human Rights convention¹⁰.’
Voice 1
Amnesty wrote to the Qatari Human Rights Commission¹¹ about the case. As a member state of the UN, Qatar had agreed to observe and respect human rights. The commission promised a ‘good outcome¹².’ Amnesty then issued a worldwide appeal. It asked people to write directly to the ruler of Qatar.
Finally, the appeal worked! In October 2006, Hamda was able to join her husband. Hamda thanked Amnesty for their appeal.
Voice 2
Hamda is one woman in one country. Amnesty works in countries all over the world to free men and women. Amnesty says it works without expressing or exercising political or religious opinion.
Voice 1
The symbol of Amnesty International is a picture of a candle. It burns in the middle of metal barbed wire. The candle represents light. The barbed wire represents imprisonment¹³. Peter Benenson said;
Voice 3
‘When I first lit the Amnesty candle, I had in my mind the old Chinese saying: ‘Better to light a candle than curse the darkness.’
Voice 1
Benenson meant that is better to try to help in a bad situation than just to talk about how bad it is.
Voice 2
Peter Benenson died in 2005. He left behind him an organisation that has changed the lives of many people. It was not an easy job. In fact troubles within the organisation caused Peter to leave Amnesty in the end. But he continued to fight for people’s human rights. During Peter’s life time he saw great works. The International Criminal Court was established. Prisoners of consciousness¹⁴ were freed. Sadly, however, human rights problems also increased. Peter left behind him a dream shared by many. He wanted the Universal Declaration¹⁵ of Human Rights to be true for all people. Today, there are many groups working for this same dream. They offer hope in a world constantly suffering from man’s inhumanity to man.
 

1 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

4 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

5 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

6 dictator   

n.独裁者，爱发号施令的人

参考例句：

• We felt quite impotent to resist the will of the dictator.我们感到无力抗拒独裁者的意志。
• A dictator must have a firm hand.独裁者的手段是很厉害的。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 embassy   

n.大使馆，大使及其随员

参考例句：

• Large crowd demonstrated outside the British Embassy.很多群众在英国大使馆外面示威。
• He's a U.S. diplomat assigned to the embassy in London.他是美国驻伦敦大使馆的一名外交官。

9 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

10 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

11 commission   

n.委托，授权，委员会，拥金，回扣，委任状

参考例句：

• The salesman can get commission on everything he sells.这个售货员能得到所售每件货物的佣金。
• The commission is made up of five people,including two women.委员会由五人组成，其中包括两名妇女。

12 outcome   

n.结果，出口，演变

参考例句：

• The outcome of the experiment is in the lap of the gods.实验结果尚难预料。
• The outcome of the war is hard to foretell.战争胜负难以预卜。

13 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

14 consciousness   

n.意识，觉悟，知觉

参考例句：

• The experience helped to change her social consciousness.这种经验有助于改变她的社会意识。
• He lost consciousness at the first whiff of ether.他一嗅到乙醚便失去了知觉。

15 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。