Iran says US woman arrested for spying

    TEHRAN, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Iranian border police said Saturday that they have arrested an American woman suspected of spying, local media reported, contradicting earlier reports.
    Deputy(副的) commander of state border police Ahmad Geravand said at a press conference that a 34-year-old American woman was arrested at the Jolfa border close to Azerbaijan, Fars news agency reported.
    The report said the woman entered Iran from neighboring Armenia.
    Iranian police arrested the woman at the Jolfa border who was on a mission for the Americans to film the borders with equipment, and she was then sent to the intelligence ministry¹, Geravand was quoted as saying by ISNA news agency（通讯社）.
    Saturday's reports contradicted earlier reports on Thursday.
    Farsi-language IRAN newspaper reported Thursday that Iran has arrested a 55-year-old American woman whose name is Hall Talayan on espionage² charges, saying she entered Iran without visa via Armenia border with spying equipment in her teeth and was arrested by the security guards.
    The report did not mention when the woman was arrested, but the semi-official Fars news agency later in the day quoted an unnamed informed source as saying that the woman was arrested about a week earlier.
    However, local Arabic language satellite Al-Alam TV reported later Thursday that Iran denied the earlier reports of arresting an American woman on espionage charges.
    The Al-Alam TV said the Iranian border officials prevented the American woman from entering the country via Armenia border because she did not have a visa, and she was sent back to Armenia.
    Currently, two detained U.S. hikers, Josh Fattal and Shane Bauer, are held in an Iranian prison over unlawful entry into Iran 's territory and on espionage charges. Another female U.S. hiker Sarah Shourd, once jailed in Iran with another two U.S. hikers, was released by Tehran's prosecutor³ in September on bail⁴ of 500, 000 U.S. dollars due to her health situation.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

3 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

4 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。