VOA标准英语2013--阿富汗媒体担忧社论失去独立性

 

Afghan Media Fears Loss of Editorial Independence 阿富汗媒体担忧社论失去独立性

KABUL — The independence of Afghan journalists and editors is increasingly at risk in Afghanistan and a proposed new media law could make conditions even tougher, activists² say.

喀布尔,活动人士说阿富汗的记者和编辑的独立性越来越危险。

Afghanistan’s fledgling independent media are under threat.

A draft media law to create a government watchdog committee opens the door to censorship, activists and journalists say.

Saleha Soadat reports for Tolo News, owned by Afghan media tycoon³ Saad Mohseni.  Even under existing laws she has come under pressure from powerful political leaders.

"The brother of a former lawmaker raped⁴ and killed a girl.  I talked to the girl's brother and lawyer, but the accused refused to be interviewed.  After that I got a letter from the existing commission saying I would be questioned," said Soadat.

Afghanistan has dozens of papers, radio and TV stations, some independent, others owned by political and warlord factions⁵.

Those pushing for government oversight⁶ say the media is inciting⁷ instability in the country, a claim activists reject.

Activist¹ Abdul Mujeeb Khalvatgar is in meetings with lawmakers. He admits the 12-year-old media sector⁸ has failings. But he says more government control is not the answer.

"They want to mimic⁹ or they want to imitate what Iranians are doing and what Chinese are doing.  It is not acceptable for us," said Khalvatgar.

Earlier this year gunmen burst into these offices of the daily Hasht-e-Subh after the newspaper published an expose of land grabs.

Editor Parwiz Kawa, whose paper is partially¹⁰ funded with U.S. aid, says things are at a critical point.

"So right now we are definitely in a fight.  And in the frontline of this fight is the independent media.  We fight for the democracy in this country, we fight for the civil society, we fight for the human rights, we fight for many other values, internationally accepted values," said Kawa.

The concern is that press freedoms will further erode¹¹ after international forces leave in 2014 and international attention seeps¹² away. And that in turn will affect reporters like Soadat.

"These pressures are getting increased on both men and women.  And the figures we have it shows that female staff of the newspapers, the radios, the TVs, they are trying to leave their jobs, and look for some other alternatives to work," said Kawa.

Journalists, editors and advocates for now are meeting in private to discuss ways to force a review of the law.  But, they say if they have to, they will take their fight to the streets. 

1 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。

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 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

4 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

5 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

6 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

7 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

8 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

9 mimic   

v.模仿，戏弄；n.模仿他人言行的人

参考例句：

• A parrot can mimic a person's voice.鹦鹉能学人的声音。
• He used to mimic speech peculiarities of another.他过去总是模仿别人讲话的特点。

10 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

11 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

12 seeps   

n.（液体）渗( seep的名词复数 )；渗透；渗出；漏出v.（液体）渗( seep的第三人称单数 )；渗透；渗出；漏出

参考例句：

• Water seeps through sand. 水渗入沙中。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Water seeps out of the wall. 水从墙里沁出。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》