VOA标准英语2014--Rare Student Protest in Myanmar

 

Rare Student Protest in Myanmar

YANGON, MYANMAR— 

Students held a second day of demonstrations¹ at Yangon University Saturday.   The rare, illegal protest is a response to legislation that centralizes control of universities and, according to civics groups, curtails² efforts to bring about autonomy for Myanmar’s institutions of higher learning.

The students marched to the locked gates of Yangon University and climbed over to let themselves in when officials did not open them.  The protestors pledged their willingness to be arrested at the modest but historic display of defiance³ against authority in a country still making the transition from an autocratic military government toward democracy.

For the first time in 26 years, activists⁴ gathered on the prohibited spot of Yangon University’s student union, which the first military junta⁵ dynamited⁶ in 1962.  The students bowed their heads in memory of earlier generations of protesters, killed by the British colonial forces and the Myanmar military regime.

Now a new generation of students is on the march, seemingly unafraid of a showdown with police.

“My parents actually worry for me and for my friends,” said Su Yadanar Myint, a Dagon University student. “But my father supports me to participate in this strike.”

Myanmar once had a reputation for the best educational standards in Southeast Asia. But that severely⁷ deteriorated⁸ under decades of authoritarian⁹ rule. The student protestors would like to see standards restored to the high levels enjoyed by their great-grandparents’ generation.

“Now Burma’s education system is the lowest (among countries) in Asia, even in Southeast Asia,” said Phyo Phyo Aung, a protest leader. “So we need to get a democratic education. We want autonomous¹⁰ universities. We want freedom of education.”

This is the same campus where on Friday President Barack Obama met with Southeast Asia student leaders. That could be why, so far, police have hesitated to break up the protests.

The students left the campus peacefully, but leaders vow¹¹ to intensify¹² their protest movement if their demands for educational reform are not met. That could lead to a confrontation¹³, reminiscent of the violent clashes with authorities of past decades.

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 curtails   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The obsequious brush curtails truth deference to the canvas which is narrow. 谄媚的画笔依从狭窄的画布把真理打了折扣。 来自互联网
• The obsequious brush curtails truth in deference to the canvas which is narrow. 阿谀的画笔顺从目光短浅的画布，真理因而被削弱。 来自互联网

3 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。

4 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》

5 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

6 dynamited   

v.（尤指用于采矿的）甘油炸药( dynamite的过去式和过去分词 )；会引起轰动的人[事物]

参考例句：

• Saboteurs dynamited the bridge. 破坏者炸毁了桥梁。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Saboteurs dynamited the dam. 破坏者炸毁了堤坝。 来自互联网

7 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

8 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

9 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

10 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

11 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

12 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

13 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。