美国国家公共电台 NPR--Young Iranian protesters explain what keeps them going

Young Iranian protesters explain what keeps them going

Transcript¹

Working around Iran's internet blackouts, young protesters send voice memos² explaining why they're participating in anti-government protests and how they're dealing³ with the deadly crackdowns.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The people you're about to hear are speaking out at great risk to their lives, like this 19-year-old student.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: It's really dangerous for us talking. And, no, we cannot say anything.

FADEL: They live in Iran. And for more than two months, they've been among the tens, if not hundreds of thousands of people who've been protesting against the government since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, died in police custody⁴ after being arrested because her hijab was too loose. Amini was Kurdish, a marginalized community in Iran. And she was known to her friends and family by her Kurdish name, Jina.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Non-English language spoken).

FADEL: And they're still demonstrating despite a state crackdown that has left hundreds dead, despite the fact that thousands more are detained and despite the death sentences the Iranian judiciary began handing out to protesters last week on charges that include being an enemy of God and corruption⁶ on Earth. So you can understand why the people who sent us voice memos from Iran don't want us to identify them, including that student you heard. Here she explains why she protests.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: I'm a teenaged girl. And I want a future. I want happiness. I want a good life. I want a good home, good car, good - I don't know - husband, maybe. I cannot have better future in this country, in this situation. So I think it's for freedom. It's for have a better future. It's for have a better days. We don't have them. So I just want a happiness and I don't have it. No one have it.

FADEL: She switches to Persian here.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Through interpreter) If I want to describe these protests to you, it's like a war none of you have ever seen. On the news, I see my brothers and sisters are taken away, killed and raped⁸. I've seen boys and girls arrested in the most brutal⁹ way. Unfortunately, there was nothing we could do because they are the ones with the weapons.

FADEL: Every once in a while, she pauses to apologize for her cough. She's inhaled¹⁰ so much tear gas when she started demonstrating. In Isfahan, we reach a 21-year-old student who's already been arrested once for protesting.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #3: (Through interpreter) They handcuffed me from the back using plastic ties. It was so tight that I still sometimes feel a pain in my wrists. They pulled my T-shirt over my head so that I couldn't see anything. They beat me up with a baton¹¹ and with a metal stick on my legs and the sides of my body. They slapped me on the face.

FADEL: And yet, he continues. In a suburb of Tehran, we reach a 63-year-old retired¹² high school principal.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: (Through interpreter) We Iranians are protesting for this regime to go.

FADEL: They all know what they're doing could mean prison or worse. But it's prison, not death, that scares the 19-year-old most.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Through interpreter) It is so, so sad for me as a young woman to prefer to be killed by them than to be arrested, because I know what dark fate is awaiting me and what horrible things will happen to me if I am arrested.

FADEL: She says she's worried security forces will rape⁷ her if she's arrested. This type of violence against protesters is one reason they're asking for wholesale¹³ regime change, not a few reforms. It's why the retired principal is back in the streets day after day.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #4: (Through interpreter) I believe all the revolutions in the world that have happened and have been successful, it was because of unity⁵ and continuing and not giving up. I won't give up. And we'll continue until we get what we want, which is a normal life.

FADEL: Protesting comes with the constant worry of possible detention¹⁴, the concern that security forces might demand to check your phones, about government informants trying to find things out by posing as kind strangers. And hospitals, they're now dangerous places, the protesters say, places where security forces search for wounded demonstrators seeking medical treatment to detain them. And these protesters are willing to take on all the dangers they just described, hoping for change. But they have a message to the world.

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Through interpreter) I don't know how you're hearing us. I don't know how you are seeing us. And I don't know whether you really care or not. But if you do, help us any way you can. Do something so that we are not forgotten. If we don't have a voice outside of Iran, we will get killed.

FADEL: And the people amplifying¹⁵ these voices outside of Iran are part of the diaspora, like Asieh Amini. She's a poet and activist¹⁶ now living in exile in Norway. And every night, she stays up on the phone with families inside Iran so she can share their stories. The night before we speak, it was the story of a 9-year-old boy named Kian Pirfalak, who was shot and killed, that kept her up.

ASIEH AMINI: They killed Kian in a very small city in south Iran. And you know what happened after that? You asked me why I couldn't sleep at night. Leila, Kian's mother and father had to hide their baby's body with ice around the baby.

FADEL: Oh, my gosh. Asieh, I think I don't understand something, though. When you say they hid the body at home and put it on ice, they were doing that because - what would have happened if they didn't hide the body?

AMINI: The government, they don't want any ceremonies of killed people can happen because they have seen Jina's ceremony.

FADEL: Right, because Jina, there were hundreds, if not thousands of people that went to her grave.

AMINI: Exactly.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting in non-English language).

FADEL: Ultimately, the family did bury him. And a video posted online shows hundreds of mourners gathered, chanting against Iran's supreme¹⁷ leader.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting in non-English language).

FADEL: The family blamed state security forces for his killing¹⁸. The Iranian government denies responsibility and blames an unidentified gunman.

AMINI: They want regime change. This is a very clear message from people in Iran. This is why many Iranians prefer to call these protests a revolution, because for them, the Islamic Republic has no credibility. There is separation between people in Iran and the name of Iran and the Islamic Republic.

FADEL: When you look at the protests today, do they represent the religious, the non-religious, the young, the old, women, men? I mean, how cross-representative are those that are protesting today?

AMINI: We have many different movements, worker movements, women movements, student movement. The women were the first group that experienced this discrimination and tyranny because the first order of Khomeini after revolution was hijab became mandatory¹⁹. But it's not only hijab. We have lost gradually all kind of our rights, family rights, divorce rights, economy rights, voting rights, even. You cannot leave your home without your husband's or your father's permission.

FADEL: And also, Mahsa Jina Amini, she was Kurdish, also, from a minority ethnic²⁰ group.

AMINI: Yeah. You know, this is intersectionality when you look at women in Kurdistan, in Baluchistan, in Khuzestan, because they have experienced the layers of discriminations. All people now call Iran their home.

FADEL: There has been much that the Iranian government has done in the last two months to try to shut these protests down, arrests, killing of protesters, shutting off the internet so that people cannot post about what's going on inside. The first death sentence came down for protesters. Has any of that stopped the protests?

AMINI: They have killed people because they protest, because they said no to the regime. I want to refer to one slogan. They tell that if you kill one of us, 1,000 will come to the streets.

FADEL: In the past, though, it has worked, crushing protests, right? That's what happened in 2009.

AMINI: Yeah.

FADEL: What is different?

AMINI: We have not only the last generations but also the new generation that is very brave. They don't see themselves as only Iranian citizen. They see themselves as a citizen in the world. They have contact with the free world. They want freedom of expression. And they don't afraid of mullahs from 1,400 years ago. They cannot accept that.

FADEL: You know, we also talked about how much Iranians want the world to see what they're doing, what they're dealing with - and to see the difference between the government and Iran. But also, Western powers, including the U.S., have had a bad record of meddling²¹ in Iran's affairs. And so I guess I want to understand what type of attention or help do Iranians actually want from the world? And what type of attention or help do they not want?

AMINI: They want to choose their own political destiny. They want the world not to recognize the Islamic Republic and make this possible for people to have the right to choose their regime.

FADEL: When you are staying up all these nights, what is it for? What are you trying to do with others?

AMINI: There are many activists²² and journalists who work every day because the world should know what is happening inside Iran. If you are talking to me right now, it is because of them, they who reported the numbers, the names, the news. We need to work because people in Iran need us. This is very simple answer.

FADEL: What do you see as the future of these protests?

AMINI: I can tell you just about my hope, you know? I hope that Iran, one day that is not so far, can be a home for all Iranian, with equality, with freedom and with respect to all people. This is my dream, that we can stop this circle of violence.

FADEL: Asieh Amini, thank you so much for your time.

AMINI: Thank you for asking me. And thank you for paying attention to Iran's situation. And I hope that all these news, all these talk can effect on Iran's future.

(SOUNDBITE OF TIM SCHAUFERT'S "NEW LANDS")

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 memos   

n.备忘录( memo的名词复数 )；（美）内部通知

参考例句：

• Big shots get their dander up and memos start flying. 大人物们怒火中烧，备忘录四下乱飞。 来自辞典例句
• There was a pile of mail, memos and telephone messages on his desk. 他的办公桌上堆满着信件、备忘录和电话通知。 来自辞典例句

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 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。

7 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

8 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

9 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

10 inhaled   

v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 她合上双眼，深深吸了一口气。
• Janet inhaled sharply when she saw him. 珍妮特看到他时猛地吸了口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 baton   

n.乐队用指挥杖

参考例句：

• With the baton the conductor was beating time.乐队指挥用指挥棒打拍子。
• The conductor waved his baton,and the band started up.指挥挥动指挥棒，乐队开始演奏起来。

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

14 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

15 amplifying   

放大，扩大( amplify的现在分词 )； 增强； 详述

参考例句：

• Often they use borrowed funds, amplifying their gains and losses. 他们通常会用借贷的资金交易，从而放大收益或损失。
• An amplifying type (or analog) device, as opposed to digital device. 放大器类（或模拟）器件，相对于数字器件而言的。

16 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。

17 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。

18 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

19 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

20 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

21 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

22 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》