VOA慢速英语 Russia Lists US-Supported Group as 'Undesirable'

AS IT IS 2015-08-03 Russia Lists US-Supported Group as 'Undesirable¹'

Russia has listed the American-supported National Endowment for Democracy as its first “undesirable” organization under a new law. Under the measure, the Russian government can ban some foreign non-governmental organizations when it says they endanger national security. Financing for the targeted NGOs must come from overseas.

The United States Congress provides financial support for the National Endowment for Democracy, known as NED.

Russian government lawyers announced late last month that NED is banned from operating in any way in the country. They said an investigation² found the group presented a threat to the constitutional order of Russia, its defense³ capabilities⁴ and state security.

In return, NED accused Russia of using the undesirable law to threaten and “isolate⁵” Russian citizens.

United States officials condemned⁶ Russia’s move. The U.S. Embassy in Moscow expressed concern over the ruling's wider implications for Russian civil society.

The move against NED comes several months after President Vladimir Putin approved the law. The measure gives the government extensive powers to close international organizations that it considers “undesirable.”

A few weeks ago, Russia's upper house of parliament passed a list of organizations that prosecutors⁷ said were suspect. The list included NED and several other American NGOs, including Freedom House, Open Society, and the MacArthur Foundation.

The Russian government has long accused the U.S. and Europe of using NGOs to support political unrest in countries that once belonged to the Soviet⁸ Union. It says they supported revolutions that ousted⁹ pro-Russian governments in Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, and Kyrgyzstan.

Four years ago, demonstrators filled the streets of Moscow following evidence of cheating in elections. Reports said the cheating was aimed at keeping Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party in power. During the unrest, Russian officials blamed the United States, and Western-financed Russian NGOs, for inciting¹⁰ the unrest.  

When Vladimir Putin was re-elected to the presidency¹¹ in May of 2012, new legislation was proposed. The measure required Russian NGOs to register as "foreign agents” for receiving money from overseas and taking part in what officials called "political activities."  

Leading civil society activists¹² say the term "foreign agents" is similar to being accused of treason. They have tried unsuccessfully to change the term through Russia's courts.

The Committee to Prevent Torture is a longtime, Russian human rights group. Its director, Igor Kalyapin, accused Russian officials of using the "foreign agents" law as much as possible in an effort to please the government.  

He says, "I know the history of my country and I know that when these types of repressive measures appear, there is competition."

And now, he says, the competition is to see who can find the most foreign agents.   

Words in This Story

isolate – v. to separate or remove from others

implication – n. a possible future effect or result

1 undesirable   

adj.不受欢迎的，不良的，不合意的，讨厌的；n.不受欢迎的人，不良分子

参考例句：

• They are the undesirable elements among the employees.他们是雇员中的不良分子。
• Certain chemicals can induce undesirable changes in the nervous system.有些化学物质能在神经系统中引起不良变化。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

4 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 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。

6 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

7 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

8 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

9 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

10 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。

11 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

12 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》