2006年VOA标准英语-Human Rights Activists: Xenophobia in Russia Be

By Anya Ardayeva
Moscow
14 November 2006
 
watch Russian Nationalism
 
  
  
Hundreds of ultra-nationalists and far-right demonstrators rallied in the Russian capital a week ago despite a ban imposed on their gathering¹ by the city's authorities. The march followed a state-orchestrated campaign against Georgians in Moscow, which resulted in closure of dozens of Georgian businesses and deportations of over a hundred Georgians. Human rights activists² warn of rising levels of xenophobia in Russia and say it might be getting out of control.

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Twenty-four hours -- that's how much time the Tuganidze family was given to pack up and move out of their Moscow apartment. They'd lived here for the last four years.  But the landlord ordered them to get out -- or face the prospect³ of police action.

The family called the police themselves in a bid to get their rent refunded⁴, but they say they were told that Georgians cannot now count on any protection from the authorities.

Natalya Babanashvili  
  
Natalya Babanashvili says that recently, being a Georgian in Moscow has become very uncomfortable for her. "I am afraid to speak Georgian on the street.  Maybe I am paranoid, but I have a feeling that people will look at it the wrong way, that the police will come and look at my documents.

The authorities began an anti-Georgian campaign last month in response to the arrest of four Russian officers in Tbilisi on suspicion of espionage⁵. The officers were released but Moscow continued to impose sanctions on Georgia which included severing⁶ postal⁷ and transport links with its former Soviet⁸ neighbor.

Several dozen Georgian-owned businesses were closed in Moscow and over a hundred Georgians were deported⁹, accused of being illegal immigrants.

‘Russia is for Russians and illegal immigrants must get out' -- that was the main message for the authorities from a coalition¹⁰ of Neo-Nazi¹¹, religious right and moderate nationalist organizations which participated in the so-called Russian March in Moscow on November 4th.

And even though Moscow city authorities banned the march after last year's rally gathered thousands of people who walked through the city carrying Nazi symbols and shouting nationalist slogans, it took place anyway. Up to 2,000 people gathered for the event and organizers say they expected thousands more but they were deterred¹² by the presence of some 6,500 police officers. 

 
Alexander Belov
  
Alexander Belov, head of the far-right Movement Against Illegal Immigration -- one of the organizers of the Russian march -- says the movement's popularity has been growing.

"The majority of people share our views and this is a big problem for those in power because power wants to use our slogans to prolong its existence," he says.  "You know, it's impossible to say how many people support us because daily, we receive a huge number of applications to join our movement and we simply aren't able to process them all."

Belov met us in his office located at the Russian lower house of parliament, the Duma. Even though the movement has no official representation in the house, he says it has the support of several lawmakers who allow the group to use the parliament's premises¹³.

That shocks lawmakers like Alexander Ryzhkov, one of the few remaining independent lawmakers in the Duma opposed to the Kremlin. He says the state is to blame for the rise of nationalism. 

 
Alexander Ryzhkov 
  
"In some sense the powers here are reaping what they've sown," says Ryzhkov.  "When six years ago our head of state, Vladimir Putin, ordered Chechen terrorists to be killed -- if necessary in the outhouse -- today we see that this position has become common in society. And now the government, which has provoked those nationalist tendencies, is having trouble stopping this nationalist wave."

Shortly after the nationalist march was over, another demonstration¹⁴ began in the center of Moscow -- an anti-nationalist rally. But it gathered far fewer supporters.

The Tuganidze family says most of their friends have already left Moscow. After becoming homeless in a city that was their home for 10 years, they are now also planning to leave the Russian capital for good.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

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 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

4 refunded   

v.归还，退还( refund的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Postage costs will be refunded (to you). 邮费将退还（给你）。 来自辞典例句
• Yes, it will be refunded to you at the expiration of the lease. 是的，租约期满时，押金退回。 来自无师自通 校园英语会话

5 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。

6 severing   

v.切断，断绝( sever的现在分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The death of a second parent is like severing an umbilical cord to our past. 父母当中第二个人去世，就象斩断了把我们同过去联在一起的纽带。 来自辞典例句
• The severing theory and severing method for brittle block are studied. 研究裂纹技术应用于分离脆性块体的分离理论和分离方法。 来自互联网

7 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

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 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

12 deterred   

v.阻止，制止( deter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• I told him I wasn't interested, but he wasn't deterred. 我已告诉他我不感兴趣，可他却不罢休。
• Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. 杰里米没有因这一批评而却步。 来自辞典例句

13 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

14 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。