访谈录 2010-09-04&09-06 南非所提议的媒体法规

The same party that fought for and won freedom of speech in South Africa is now being accused of spearheading a campaign to bully¹ the media. So is the African National Congress, or ANC, really trying to push the country back into days went apartheid era laws totally muzzled² the press?
CNN editorial producer, and South African native, I just learned, Nadia Bilchik joining me on this one. Well, I want to ask you about growing up during the apartheid era momentarily, but first, this whole issue, this could potentially undermine democracy in all of South Africa. Absolutely. It's very frightening. If you think of this whole glorious time of the World Cup that we've just had, one week after the World Cup ends, the ANC government announces two things. They said we are going to have a media tribunal. This is suggested, proposed laws. And a Protection of Information Act. Now, this has already become a bill. Isn't that frightening? I mean it is post World Cup and journalists-Celebrations. Exactly. The global spotlight³ is now off. And the ANC says we want to curb⁴ the media. Now, yesterday I spoke⁵ to Ray Hartley who is the editor for of South Africa's Sunday Times. And I want have you listened to him to hear what he says these imposed law, or restrictions⁶, will actually do. What it would mean is that any information at the discretion⁷ of a senior government official can be declared classified. And that would mean you can't report on it, or be in position of it. You can't write academic articles on it at university, you can't publish anything about it. And it would carry quite a heavy jail term. Jail? A jail term. Isn't that extraordinary? Let me tell you. One of the journalists from the Sunday Times, Mazuli Ka Africa writes about corruption⁸ in Pumalonga, an area of South Africa, and the next day a whole lot of police cars arrive, eight policemen get out of the car, arrest him, detain him for eight hours without a lawyer. He's interrogated⁹ at 2:30 a.m. in the morning. And Ray Hartley says this is the worst treatment of a journalist since apartheid officially ended and the ANC government came into power in 1994. And once again, a great irony¹⁰ because, remember, I grew up during apartheid South Africa when you couldn't say the word ANC, it was banned. I grew up and we only got television in 1975 because there were such repressive media laws. So isn't it ironic¹¹ that the very government that fought apartheid is now wanting to impose these laws? Forgive me for the obvious question. But why? Why? Why? Well, this is what Jacob Zuma says. So let's take a look at what Jacob Zuma, president of the ANC, who has himself been scrutinized¹² by the South African press. I mean, you have to understand, the man has three wives. He's currently in China with his girlfriend. There has been corruption leveled against him, according to the South African press. But he says the media houses need to be regulated as they tend to go overboard at times. He also says they need to be governed themselves because at times they go overboard on the rights. And he believes that he is doing the right thing. But can you see the great irony here? What would happen if you cannot expose corruption? That is the role of the media, the watchdog. Exactly. He says, if we cannot expose corruption, corruption will grow. So it is going to be very interesting for us to look at what happens. Now you have to understand South Africa has one of the freest constitutions in the world. This will have to pass through great levels of court, and jurisdictions¹³, so we are hoping it won't happen. But if it does -- Let us know if it does. Absolutely. Stay on that. It's going to be fascinating. Let us know if it does. Also, later on this morning we're talking traffic jams in China. We'll be talking tomorrow, we will be going to traffic in China. Traffic jams in China. I'm fascinated by this story. I cannot imagine being in traffic for days. Nadia. Good to see you. You, too. Thank you.

1 bully   

n.恃强欺弱者，小流氓；vt.威胁，欺侮

参考例句：

• A bully is always a coward.暴汉常是懦夫。
• The boy gave the bully a pelt on the back with a pebble.那男孩用石子掷击小流氓的背脊。

2 muzzled   

给（狗等）戴口套( muzzle的过去式和过去分词 )； 使缄默，钳制…言论

参考例句：

• The newspapers were effectively muzzled by strict censorship laws. 严厉的新闻审查法有效地使那些报纸沉默了下来。
• Whenever in the street our dog is muzzled. 每当上街时，我们的狗总是戴上嘴套。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

5 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。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 discretion   

n.谨慎；随意处理

参考例句：

• You must show discretion in choosing your friend.你择友时必须慎重。
• Please use your best discretion to handle the matter.请慎重处理此事。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 interrogated   

v.询问( interrogate的过去式和过去分词 )；审问；（在计算机或其他机器上）查询

参考例句：

• He was interrogated by the police for over 12 hours. 他被警察审问了12个多小时。
• Two suspects are now being interrogated in connection with the killing. 与杀人案有关的两名嫌疑犯正在接受审讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 irony   

n.反语，冷嘲；具有讽刺意味的事，嘲弄

参考例句：

• She said to him with slight irony.她略带嘲讽地对他说。
• In her voice we could sense a certain tinge of irony.从她的声音里我们可以感到某种讥讽的意味。

11 ironic   

adj.讽刺的，有讽刺意味的，出乎意料的

参考例句：

• That is a summary and ironic end.那是一个具有概括性和讽刺意味的结局。
• People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school,but they were being ironic.人们中学时常把我称作“万人迷先生”，但他们是在挖苦我。

12 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

13 jurisdictions   

司法权( jurisdiction的名词复数 )； 裁判权； 管辖区域； 管辖范围

参考例句：

• Butler entreated him to remember the act abolishing the heritable jurisdictions. 巴特勒提醒他注意废除世袭审判权的国会法令。
• James I personally adjudicated between the two jurisdictions. 詹姆士一世亲自裁定双方纠纷。