VOA标准英语2009年-Activists Voice Concern Following N. Korea

American journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee are safely back home after more than four months imprisonment¹ in North Korea. But human rights activists² in South Korea are worried about what they may have left behind.
　
Former Vice³ President Al Gore⁴, from left, Laura Ling, former President Bill Clinton, and Euna Lee arrive at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank, Ca, 7 Aug 2009

Laura Ling and Euna Lee were apprehended⁵ by North Korean border guards along the Chinese border in March. They were reporting on the trafficking of North Korean women who leave their impoverished⁶ homeland behind.

Human rights activists who operate in that region are concerned that when the two American journalists were picked up, they had with them the names, contact information and video footage of defectors and aid workers they met along the way.

Tim Pieters is a missionary⁷ in Seoul who oversees⁸ aid work in northeast China. He says that some journalists put North Korean refugees at risk by interviewing them.

"To tell their story, means that they're documenting that they have knowingly and at great risk to themselves left North Korea," Pieters said. "They are putting on the record that they are against the North Korean regime and let's not forget the fact to leave North Korea without any permission, without a visa, is tantamount to a capital crime."

Most refugees change their names after leaving North Korea and many refuse to have their picture taken. That is to protect family members, who could be punished by the Pyongyang government if it discovers their relative has defected.

China forcibly repatriates⁹ North Korea it finds on its territory. According to the testimony¹⁰ of other refugees, they are sent to labor¹¹ camps as punishment.

Pieters says for now, its unclear if any of the information that Lee and Ling may have had in their possession has been put to use by the North Korean authorities.

Pieters says in the past, both the Chinese and North Korean governments have sought out and arrested aid workers who help defectors travel along the so-called underground railroad to Southeast Asia.

And the detention¹² of Ling and Lee has forced human rights groups to change the way they operate.

"It has raised so many flags in that region, without getting into specifics, it just simply means that security measures have to be redoubled," Pieters said. "This has become such a sensitive issue, that it complicates¹³ matters immensely for protecting the refugees. It's even more necessary to take things more underground and more precautions have to be taken."

Lee, Ling and Current TV, the network they report for, have not said whether the North Korean government confiscated¹⁴ any of their notes or video.

1 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

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 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。

4 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

5 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

6 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

8 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

9 repatriates   

n.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的名词复数 )v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

10 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

11 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

12 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

13 complicates   

使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• What complicates the issue is the burden of history. 历史的重负使问题复杂化了。
• Russia as a great and ambitious power gravely complicates the situation. 俄国作为一个强大而有野心的国家，使得局势异常复杂。

14 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。