2006年VOA标准英语-Congo's Journalists Face Election Fire

By Nico Colombant
Kinshasa
24 October 2006

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, post-war elections have been marked by violence between rival supporters and against political campaigners. Meanwhile, journalists are being attacked, sanctioned and criticized for being biased² or foreigners. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Kinshasa before the second round of presidential voting on October 29.

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U.N. troops now protecting a Bemba TV station.  
  
An official from Congo's media authority recently read out sanctions against a weekly allied³ to President Joseph Kabila and a radio station backing his election rival, Vice⁴ President Jean-Pierre Bemba.

The official again warned journalists not to incite⁵ violence, not to publish unproven allegations, and not to have live call-in shows that incite hate speech.

He said, "We are in a very critical situation because this is the first election we organize in Congo."

Luc-Roger Mbala is the editor for the independent L'Observateur newspaper.

"I think that it is time now for each journalist to see how to organize our profession. The problem of violence now, it is because media are not responsible in front of this. It is very important for journalists to know that the situation must be changed," he said.

Mobs have often targeted foreign journalists.  
  
A television close to Mr. Bemba denounces accusations⁶ made on pro-Kabila television stations that fighters for the former Uganda-backed rebel took part in acts of cannibalism⁷.

The director of programming for Canal Kin¹, another television in favor of Mr. Bemba, Deo Kongo, says she does not understand the sanctions which have targeted her television station repeatedly.

She says it seems some media are more sanctioned than others and that some sanctions are applied⁸, while others are ignored.

Canal Kin was also attacked several times, including by arsonists⁹. Its stations in other cities were also vandalized.

Meanwhile, Bemba supporters attacked the headquarters of media authorities.
 

Polydor Muboyayi  
  
Polydor Muboyayi, who heads the observatory¹⁰ of Congolese media, says his group tried to educate journalists on being more careful in their reporting and in avoiding bribes¹¹.

But he says sanctions have not been clear, with some coming from the media authority as he understood it should be and others coming directly from the Information Ministry¹².

Foreign journalists are often seen by Kabila opponents as enemies. They are sometimes roughed up during protests or angrily chased away.

Many Congolese journalists interviewed for this report say a more democratic system of government would allow media to flourish, but they say for this to happen adequate and transparent¹³ elections are needed.

Some admit they have not helped in creating an environment conducive¹⁴ for peaceful elections, and that maybe more time was needed after decades of dictatorship and war.

1 kin   

n.家族，亲属，血缘关系；adj.亲属关系的，同类的

参考例句：

• He comes of good kin.他出身好。
• She has gone to live with her husband's kin.她住到丈夫的亲戚家里去了。

2 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

3 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

6 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

7 cannibalism   

n.同类相食；吃人肉

参考例句：

• The war is just like the cannibalism of animals.战争就如同动物之间的互相残。
• They were forced to practise cannibalism in order to survive.他们被迫人吃人以求活下去。

8 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

9 arsonists   

n.纵火犯( arsonist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The factory was destroyed in a fire started by arsonists. 工厂在纵火犯引起的火灾中烧毀了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Australian Attorney-General Robert McClelland said suspected arsonists could face murder charges. 澳大利亚总检察长罗伯特麦克莱兰说，怀疑纵火犯可能面临谋杀指控。 来自互联网

10 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

11 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

12 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。

13 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

14 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。