VOA标准英语2012--Demonstrations Planned as Racing Event Heads for Bahrain

Demonstrations¹ Planned as Racing² Event Heads for Bahrain

Tear gas and Molotov cocktails³ rained down on parts of Manama, Bahrain's capital, this week. Opposition⁴ members are stepping up their anti-government protests ahead of the Grand Prix on Sunday.

Among them, Dr. Nada Dhaif. She and 19 other medics were sentenced to 15 years in jail for allegedly aiding the demonstrations last year. She has been released pending⁵ an appeal and spoke⁶ to VOA on the phone from Bahrain.

“We will get the whole media’s attention on Bahrain and then we have the chance to show to the whole world what is the reality. Actually I’m heading now to central Manama to demonstrate there and to protest to free Abdulhadi al-Khawaja,” Dhaif said.

Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, a Bahraini-Danish human rights activist⁷, was sentenced to life in prison for trying to topple the monarchy⁸. He’s been on a hunger strike for nearly 70 days, and fellow activists⁹ say his condition is critical.

London-based human rights group Amnesty International details what it claims are continuing abuses by the Bahrain government. 

“Excessive use of force by the security services, they are using a lot of tear gas, and a number of people have died as a result. They are also making arbitrary arrests and also using torture and ill-treatment. We will be seeing a lot of human rights abuses,” said Amnesty's Said Boumedouha.

The Bahrain government denies such accusations¹⁰.

It points to the Independent Commission of Inquiry¹¹, set up by the monarchy in the wake of last year’s protests. The government insists it is making political reforms and is prosecuting¹² those guilty of rights abuses.

But Amnesty International says only 11 low-ranking officers have been put on trial.

Bahraini activist Doctor Nada Dhaif says the political changes are just cosmetic¹³.

“In reality, on the ground, nothing has been changed. There are daily protests going on, there’s daily raiding of the villages, the excessive use of force and the excessive use of tear gas,” Dhaif said.

Most Formula One drivers have stayed silent on the issue. But two-time champion Sebastian Vettel did speak out.

“The latest comment was that we are going to Bahrain to race there. If that's still the call, then I think it's safe enough to go, then we should go there and race and not worry about something that is not our business,” Vettel said.

The sport’s governing body says it is satisfied with the security situation - and insists the race will go ahead as scheduled. 

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 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

3 cocktails   

n.鸡尾酒( cocktail的名词复数 )；餐前开胃菜；混合物

参考例句：

• Come about 4 o'clock. We'll have cocktails and grill steaks. 请四点钟左右来，我们喝鸡尾酒，吃烤牛排。 来自辞典例句
• Cocktails were a nasty American habit. 喝鸡尾酒是讨厌的美国习惯。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

8 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

9 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》

10 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。

11 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。

12 prosecuting   

检举、告发某人( prosecute的现在分词 )； 对某人提起公诉； 继续从事（某事物）； 担任控方律师

参考例句：

• The witness was cross-examined by the prosecuting counsel. 证人接受控方律师的盘问。
• Every point made by the prosecuting attorney was telling. 检查官提出的每一点都是有力的。

13 cosmetic   

n.化妆品；adj.化妆用的；装门面的；装饰性的

参考例句：

• These changes are purely cosmetic.这些改变纯粹是装饰门面。
• Laughter is the best cosmetic,so grin and wear it!微笑是最好的化妆品，所以请尽情微笑吧！