VOA标准英语2009年-Burma's Aung San Suu Kyi Ordered to Serve

Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been sentenced to 18 more months of house arrest. The sentence drew condemnation¹ from foreign governments and human rights groups.

Security forces surrounded Insein Prison in Rangoon Tuesday as the verdict was handed down.
　
Rights activists² hold portraits of Burmese opposition³ leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest in front of Burmese embassy in Phnom Penh, Cambodia (File)

The court sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in prison. But in a move that demonstrated the supremacy⁴ of the ruling military, the home minister shortly announced that the country's top general, Than Shwe, had ordered the sentence commuted⁵ to one-and-a-half years under house arrest.

The 64-year-old has been imprisoned⁶ at Insein since she was charged of violating her house arrest in May when American John Yettaw swam to her lakeside house and stayed there for two days. Shortly after the verdict, she was returned to her home.

Critics say the charges against Aung San Suu Kyi were fabricated and her punishment aimed at preventing her from participating in elections scheduled next year.

Debbie Stothard is coordinator⁷ of the rights group Alternative Asean Network on Burma in Bangkok.

"Because of international pressure, they [the military government] made it a lighter⁸ sentence but it doesn't change the fact that Aung San Suu Kyi has been unjustly detained for more than 14 years already," said Stothard.

In a statement Tuesday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said he was "saddened and angry" at the verdict and called the sentence "purely⁹ political." The European Union, Australia and France have also condemned¹⁰ the sentence.

Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won elections in 1990 but the military never allowed it to govern. State-owned newspapers Tuesday warned supporters of the Nobel Peace laureate against riots and said only the law could decide who is qualified¹¹ to run in the election.

Bo Kyi, secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners in Burma in Mae Sot, Thailand, says the sentence could spark anti-government actions.

"I expect more domestic pressure," Bo Kyi said. "People in Burma are really angry and they want to show their desire for release of Aung San Suu Kyi. Therefore, the military regime is also afraid of mass mobilizations."

In September 2007, government forces violently ended anti-government marches led by monks¹² across Burma.

Western governments including the United States and Britain have imposed sanctions on Burma's government. The pressure has yet to result in reforms in the isolated¹³ state or brought Aung San Suu Kyi's freedom. Her conviction on Tuesday brought new calls for tougher sanctions.

John Yettaw was sentenced to seven years in prison, including four years in hard labor¹⁴ for immigration offenses¹⁵ and for "swimming in a non-swimming area." Two women who live in the house with Aung San Suu Kyi also were convicted and sentenced to three years, which was reduced to 18 months.

1 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

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 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。

4 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

5 commuted   

通勤( commute的过去式和过去分词 )； 减（刑）； 代偿

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。
• The death sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment. 死刑可能減为无期徒刑。

6 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。

7 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

8 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

9 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

10 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。

11 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

12 monks   

n.修道士，僧侣( monk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The monks lived a very ascetic life. 僧侣过着很清苦的生活。
• He had been trained rigorously by the monks. 他接受过修道士的严格训练。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

14 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。

15 offenses   

n.进攻( offense的名词复数 )；（球队的）前锋；进攻方法；攻势

参考例句：

• It's wrong of you to take the child to task for such trifling offenses. 因这类小毛病责备那孩子是你的不对。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Thus, Congress cannot remove an executive official except for impeachable offenses. 因此，除非有可弹劾的行为，否则国会不能罢免行政官员。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法