VOA标准英语2010年-Mothers Appeal for Release of Sons Hel

This has been a bittersweet week for Cindy Hickey, the mother of Shane Bauer, the American hiker who became engaged to Sarah Shourd during their prison stay.

On the one hand, Hickey said she is thrilled by Tuesday's news that Shourd, who suffered severe health problems while in prison, had been released after posting $500,000 bail¹. At the same time, her son Shane and another hiker, Josh Fattal, still languish² behind bars, accused of crimes they say they did not commit.?

"That makes us very sad," said Hickey. "We want Shane and Josh to be released also. They need to be reunited with their families."

Josh Fattal's mother, Laura Fattal, stressed the positive.

"We are hoping the compassion³ of the Supreme⁴ Leader [as well as] President Ahmadinejad, and all the branches of the Islamic Republic of Iran's government, will work together and with the compassion they showed to Sarah, please, please let them extend it to my son, and his good friend Shane," said Fattal.

"Yes, we are very happy that Sarah is home, but now we need Shane and Josh home and we need them home now," said Hickey. "It is time for their release. We need to get Shane out so we can continue those wedding plans."

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to be in New York to address the United Nations next week. The mothers hope he will release their children as a gesture of good will. Mr. Ahmadinejad has said that he has "no influence" over his nation's judiciary.
 

1 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

2 languish   

vi.变得衰弱无力，失去活力，（植物等）凋萎

参考例句：

• Without the founder's drive and direction,the company gradually languished.没有了创始人的斗志与指引，公司逐渐走向没落。
• New products languish on the drawing board.新产品在计划阶段即告失败。

3 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。