VOA标准英语2009年-Fear Supports Russian Culture of Impunity

Russia's "Memorial" human rights organization has suspended its activities in Chechnya following last week's murder of its local representative, journalist Natalya Estemirova. Human rights activists² have blamed Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and President Dmitri Medvedev for maintaining a culture of permissiveness and impunity³ that led to Estemirova's death.
　
Moment of silence is held for Natalya Estemirova (standing l-r: Oleg Orlov, Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Alexander Filippenko, Vladimir Lukin

Memorial's Chechen branch has issued a statement saying the health and safety of its members are under a serious threat. The statement adds that Chechen authorities exhibit undisguised hostility⁴ toward any independent civic⁵ initiative and also complete lack of understanding of civil society, insofar as senior government officials equate⁶ human rights activists with terrorists.

Russian President Dmitri Medvedev last week sent a telegram to Memorial's Chechen office saying he has been deeply shaken by the murder of Natalya Estemirova. He pledged a thorough investigation⁷ and promised the perpetrators will be punished.
　
Russian Human Rights Commissioner⁸ Vladimir Lukin

But Russian Human Rights Commissioner Vladimir Lukin says promises are almost never fulfilled in his country when the murder victims are human rights activists, journalists and lawyers.

Lukin says investigations⁹ always begin with a promise that everything will be quickly resolved and that it is a matter of honor. Then, the case drags on for about ten years. During that time, he says, the public is informed four or five times that the case in almost resolved and everything will be fine after one final effort. But after ten years, he adds, the case recedes¹⁰ in memory and is superseded¹¹ by others.

Lukin spoke¹² at a news conference in Moscow Thursday that was packed with scores of journalists from around the world. The head of the Moscow Helsinki Group, Lyudmila Alexeyeva, asked representatives of Russian media to raise their hands.
　
Lyudmila Alexeyeva, Head of the Moscow Helsinki Group

Alexeyeva indignantly noted¹³ Russian journalists were in a clear minority. She said everyone understands why, and that it is not news for the human rights community.

The veteran activist¹ said she received many calls from international media asking her to comment on the Estemirova murder, but not a single inquiry¹⁴ from a Russian journalist. She indicated Russian media shows little interest in the murder of journalists, lawyers and human rights activists.

The head of Memorial, Oleg Orlov, acknowledged receiving a few calls about his murdered colleague, but noted the Estemirova case is just the tip of an iceberg¹⁵ of crimes perpetrated by Russian officials. He said fear keeps ordinary Russians from protesting to authorities when their relatives disappear.
　
Orlov Alexeyeva and Lyudmila Alexeyeva

According to Orlov, people begin to protest after a long time and only when hope fades. He said that later, if a tortured kidnap victim is released by the grace of God -- that is it -- everyone forgets, and even the victim asks others not to complain, and relatives request return of their protest letters.

Activists say the number of kidnappings in Chechnya has risen dramatically, from 35 in 2007 to 42 in 2008, and more in the first six months of this year than the combined total of the two previous years.

Russian actor Alexander Filippenko joined the Memorial news conference to read an excerpt¹⁶ from a 1974 essay by Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn entitled "Live not by Lies."
　
Russian Actor Alexander Filippenko reads Solzhenitsyn

Solzhenitsyn, as read by the actor, said Russians have been so hopelessly dehumanized that for today's modest ration¹⁷ of food they are willing to abandon all their principles, their souls, and all the efforts of their predecessors¹⁸ and all opportunities for descendants so long as no one disturbs their fragile existence. The author also asked if the time has not come for honest people to reject the violence concealed¹⁹ by lies and the lies that exist only through violence.

Human Rights Commissioner Lukin spoke of enclaves of permissiveness in the Caucasus and said they could spread to all of Russia if left unchecked. He warned that politicians who tolerate such enclaves for opportunistic reasons maintain extremely dangerous positions. Lukin claimed there are too many people in Russia who think all controversial matters that have a negative personal impact should be resolved by murder.

Moreover, said Lukin, the state of Russian society is such that it is inclined toward that method of problem solving. He said it is a big and serious problem and also a separate issue.

Commissioner Lukin added that there is a deeply rooted tendency in Russia to confuse the security of the state with the security of government officials. He noted, however, that security in a lawful²⁰ country should mean the security of the people, above all journalists, lawyers and human rights activists who help protect others.

1 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。

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 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

4 hostility   

n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争

参考例句：

• There is open hostility between the two leaders.两位领导人表现出公开的敌意。
• His hostility to your plan is well known.他对你的计划所持的敌意是众所周知的。

5 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

6 equate   

v.同等看待，使相等

参考例句：

• You can't equate passing examination and being intelligent.你不能把考试及格看成是聪明。
• You cannot equate his poems with his plays.你不可以把他的诗歌和他的剧本相提并论。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

10 recedes   

v.逐渐远离( recede的第三人称单数 )；向后倾斜；自原处后退或避开别人的注视；尤指问题

参考例句：

• For this reason the near point gradually recedes as one grows older. 由于这个原因，随着人渐渐变老，近点便逐渐后退。 来自辞典例句
• Silent, mournful, abandoned, broken, Czechoslovakia recedes into the darkness. 缄默的、悲哀的、被抛弃的、支离破碎的捷克斯洛伐克，已在黑暗之中。 来自辞典例句

11 superseded   

[医]被代替的，废弃的

参考例句：

• The theory has been superseded by more recent research. 这一理论已为新近的研究所取代。
• The use of machinery has superseded manual labour. 机器的使用已经取代了手工劳动。

12 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。

13 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

14 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。

15 iceberg   

n.冰山，流冰，冷冰冰的人

参考例句：

• The ship hit an iceberg and went under.船撞上一座冰山而沉没了。
• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。

16 excerpt   

n.摘录，选录，节录

参考例句：

• This is an excerpt from a novel.这是一部小说的摘录。
• Can you excerpt something from the newspaper? 你能从报纸上选录些东西吗？

17 ration   

n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应

参考例句：

• The country cut the bread ration last year.那个国家去年削减面包配给量。
• We have to ration the water.我们必须限量用水。

18 predecessors   

n.前任( predecessor的名词复数 )；前辈；（被取代的）原有事物；前身

参考例句：

• The new government set about dismantling their predecessors' legislation. 新政府正着手废除其前任所制定的法律。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Will new plan be any more acceptable than its predecessors? 新计划比原先的计划更能令人满意吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

20 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。