2007年VOA标准英语-American Academic Accused of Plotting Revolutio

By Cache Seel
Cairo
22 May 2007

A prominent Iranian-American academic, imprisoned¹ two weeks ago in Iran, has been accused by Iran's Intelligence Ministry² of plotting a revolution. Haleh Esfandiari has been barred from leaving Iran since December when she visited the country to see her aging mother.  Cache Seel has details from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.

Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson Center

A televised statement from the Iranian Intelligence Ministry accused the Iranian-American academic of "setting up a network to overthrow³ the Islamic establishment."  Haleh Esfandiari is the director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. She has lived in the United States since the 1979 Islamic revolution and has dual⁴ Iranian and American nationality.  Over the last decade she has traveled frequently to Iran to visit her 93-year-old mother.

Lee Hamilton, the Wilson Center's director, called the charges unfounded and outrageous⁵.  Other American scholars say the charges appear unreasonable⁶ since Esfandiari, 67, has invited Iranian officials to conferences she has organized in Washington. She has called for a dialogue between the United States and Iran and the normalization⁷ of relations, severed⁸ in 1980.

Iran's nuclear program and alleged⁹ support of Shi'ite militias¹⁰ in Iraq have further strained relations with the United States. 

The accusations¹¹ against Esfandiari come less than a week before high level talks are scheduled between Iranian and American officials.  The talks, on how to stabilize¹² Iraq, are to take place in Baghdad.

The timing¹³ of the incident has fueled speculation¹⁴ that Iran's government may be seeking to sabotage¹⁵ the talks before they even begin. But, Alireza Nourizadeh, a senior researcher at the London based Center for Arab and Iranian Studies, says he does not believe the arrest is a coordinated¹⁶ Iranian effort to derail the talks.  

"Those who are even talking to the Americans are the same people who are ordering the arrest of Ms. Haleh Esfandiari," he noted¹⁷.

Another theory is that Esfandiari was arrested to set the stage for a prisoner swap¹⁸. American forces in Iraq are holding five Iranians who they say were funneling¹⁹ arms to insurgents²⁰.  Iran says they are diplomats²¹.  Some analysts²² are speculating that Iran will offer to trade Esfandiari for the five men.

Nourizadeh also doubts this theory.   He says Washington has promised to release the Iranians. He adds that Esfandiari's status as an academic makes her an unlikely trade for five diplomats.  In his opinion, Iran wants to send a message to the Iranian expatriate community.

"The Iranian leadership, they do not want any expatriate, any Iranian who has kind of position whether with the international institution in Western universities, Western media, they don't want them, they want them out of Iran and when they use loophole in Iranian law and manage to get inside the country, they want to make sure that when they left they going to deliver the message to the others do not go back to your motherland," he said.  "It's not your place, if you go back you are either going to be killed or have an accident or be put in Evin Prison."

Esfandiari is being held in Evin Prison where human rights groups say a Canadian-Iranian photographer was beaten to death in 2003.  An Iranian inquiry²³ concluded the death was due to injuries sustained in a fall.

Esfandiari is reported to have been denied access to legal counsel and visits by family members.  It is not clear if she has been officially charged or what will happen if she is.

Another Iranian-American, Parnaz Azima, a journalist working for the U.S.-funded Radio Farda, has been barred from leaving Iran since January.  And a former FBI agent disappeared in March from an Iranian resort on Kish Island.

1 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

2 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。

3 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

4 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

5 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

6 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

7 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

8 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

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。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

10 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

11 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。

12 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

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 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

15 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

16 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

17 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

18 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

19 funneling   

[医]成漏斗形：描述膀胱底及膀胱尿道交接区

参考例句：

20 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

21 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

23 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。