VOA常速英语2007年-Georgia's Media Shutdown has Significant Impact

By Peter Fedynsky
Tbilisi
11 November 2007

Independent media were taken off the air in Georgia when President Mikhail Saakashvili declared a state of emergency in response to mass anti-government demonstrations¹ in Tbilisi. VOA Correspondent Peter Fedynsky is in the Georgian capital, where managers of the country's most popular independent television station told him the shutdown was not just a matter of turning off a switch.

Until it was forced off the air, Imedi TV was rated Georgia's most popular television station. Today, Imedi, which means "Hope" in the Georgian language, is out of business - no broadcasts, no advertising² revenue.

The station's general director, Bidzina Baratashvili, says troops barged into Imedi's studio at nine o'clock on the evening of November 7, without identification or warrants.

Baratashvili says they held guns to the heads of employees, including his own, and destroyed 90 percent of the station's equipment, cutting cables and upsetting editing suites³, studios and control rooms. He says even an irreplaceable video tape library was demolished⁴. The damage is documented on photographs taken with a cell phone camera that was not confiscated⁵ during the raid.

Baratashvili says he prefers not to believe that Georgian leaders, who declare principles of democracy and free speech, would give an order to vandalize and destroy everything that happened to be in the way.

But an American businessman from Atlanta, Georgia and chief executive officer of Imedi TV, Lewis Robertson, is less charitable. He accuses the president of ordering the raid, and the local mayor of being part of it.

Robertson represents News Corporation, a co-owner of Imedi along with billionaire businessman Badri Patarkatsishvili a declared candidate for the Georgian presidency⁶. On October 31, Patarkatsishvili gave News Corporation 100 percent control of management to avoid conflict of interest at the station. News Corps⁷, the world's largest media organization, is owned by Australian-American billionaire Rupert Murdoch.

Robertson says the company will file a suit against the Georgian government at the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg and will also sue for damages. In addition to its business interests, Robertson says News Corporation must also protect the principle of a free press.

"This is a bigger issue than Georgia, and I do not think that the government understands that," said Lewis Robertson. "And if they think that News Corporation will back down on this and say, 'OK, let us just forget it,' they are wrong, because this will happen again in another country, and another country, and another country, and pretty soon you do not have any press at all."

Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matthew Bryza arrived in Georgia calling for an end to the state of emergency and restoration of all independent media. He met on with Imedi representatives, noting theirs is not the only station affected⁸ by emergency rule.

"Viewers are smart enough, astute⁹ enough, to recognize Imedi portrays¹⁰ one view, Rustavi Two portrays another view," said Matthew Bryza. "You have to have all of those views out there in the marketplace of ideas, or you cannot argue you have a vibrant¹¹ democracy. So, all broadcasts need to be resumed."

Imedi offices remain closed. Station officials say members of the European Commission were allowed in over the weekend. Lewis Robertson says they reported the premises¹² were too clean, with a lingering scent¹³ of cleaning solution and desks arranged so neatly¹⁴ as to suggest no work had ever been done there.

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

3 suites   

n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓

参考例句：

• First he called upon all the Foreign Ministers in their hotel suites. 他首先到所有外交部长住的旅馆套间去拜访。 来自辞典例句
• All four doors to the two reserved suites were open. 预定的两个套房的四扇门都敞开着。 来自辞典例句

4 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

5 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

6 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。

7 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 astute   

adj.机敏的，精明的

参考例句：

• A good leader must be an astute judge of ability.一个优秀的领导人必须善于识别人的能力。
• The criminal was very astute and well matched the detective in intelligence.这个罪犯非常狡猾，足以对付侦探的机智。

10 portrays   

v.画像( portray的第三人称单数 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The museum collection vividly portrays the heritage of 200 years of canals. 博物馆的藏品让运河200 年的历史再现眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The film portrays Gandhi as a kind of superman. 这部电影把甘地描绘成一个超人。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

12 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。

13 scent   

n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉

参考例句：

• The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
• The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。

14 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。