2006年VOA标准英语-US Condemns Blatant Rights Abuses in Syria

By David Gollust
State Department
23 May 2006

The United States Tuesday condemned¹ what it said was the Syrian government's blatant² abuse of the rights of those peacefully seeking to express opposing views. The government of President Bashar al-Assad last week arrested at least nine democracy advocates in what was described as the biggest crackdown of its kind in years.

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The United States is deploring⁴ what it says is an atmosphere of fear being fostered by Syrian authorities, and it is calling on the Damascus government to cease the harassment⁵ of those trying to defend human rights in that country.

 

Michel Kilo (file photo)   
  

The comments by the State Department followed the arrest of Syria's leading human rights lawyer, Anwar al-Bunni, opposition⁶ activist⁷ Michel Kilo and several other critics of the Damascus government in a series of actions by security police last week.

Department Spokesman Sean McCormack said the crackdown is of great concern to the United States, and only the latest example of Syria's blatant abuse of the rights of those peacefully seeking to express opposing views:

"The Syrian government continues to implement⁸ domestic policies which distance itself from the rest of the international community," said Sean McCormack. "Arrests without warrant and sentences without evidence are not acceptable means of addressing political dissent⁹. We continue to call for the immediate¹⁰ and unconditional¹¹ release of all political prisoners in Syria."

All but one of the Syrian activists¹² arrested last week were reported to have signed a petition calling for an improvement in Syria's relations with Lebanon.

The petition, also signed by hundreds of Syrian and Lebanese intellectuals, came as the U.N. Security Council considered a resolution calling on Syria to establish diplomatic relations with Lebanon and set an mutually-agreed border with its neighbor.

The Syrian state media condemned petition signatories and said the timing¹³ of the move was suspicious given the U.N. debate. The Security Council approved the resolution sponsored by the United States, Britain and France last Wednesday in a 13 to nothing vote.

Russia and China abstained¹⁴ on the measure, which also called on Syria to fully³ implement past resolutions demanding that it cease interference in Lebanon and support the disarmament of all Lebanese militias¹⁵.

Spokesman McCormack also criticized as provocative¹⁶ a Syrian move to seek the arrest of Lebanese Druze leader and legislator Walid Jumblatt, a leading critic of Syria's role in Lebanon.

He said the Bush administration is continuing to consider additional U.S. sanctions against Syria under the Syria Accountability Act approved by Congress in 2003, but has no immediate plans to impose new measures.

President Bush banned most U.S. exports to Syria two years ago under terms of the measure, but withheld¹⁷ action on more severe steps.

1 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。

2 blatant   

adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的

参考例句：

• I cannot believe that so blatant a comedy can hoodwink anybody.我无法相信这么显眼的一出喜剧能够欺骗谁。
• His treatment of his secretary was a blatant example of managerial arrogance.他管理的傲慢作风在他对待秘书的态度上表露无遗。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 deploring   

v.悲叹，痛惜，强烈反对( deplore的现在分词 )

参考例句：

5 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 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。

8 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

9 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

10 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

11 unconditional   

adj.无条件的，无限制的，绝对的

参考例句：

• The victorious army demanded unconditional surrender.胜方要求敌人无条件投降。
• My love for all my children is unconditional.我对自己所有孩子的爱都是无条件的。

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》

13 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

14 abstained   

v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。
• They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

16 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

17 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》