美国国家公共电台 NPR--The Taliban government bans all Afghan women from attending universities

The Taliban government bans all Afghan women from attending universities

Transcript¹

The Taliban has banned women in Afghanistan from attending private and public universities — in its latest edict cracking down on women's rights and freedoms.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

On Tuesday evening, Afghanistan's Taliban made a dreaded² announcement.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

They have banned women from receiving higher education with immediate³ effect. With that, the highest grade of schooling⁴ most Afghan girls can now reach is grade six, the final year of primary school.

FADEL: To talk about this, we have NPR's Diaa Hadid on the line. She covers Afghanistan from her base in neighboring Pakistan. Hi, Diaa.

DIAA HADID, BYLINE⁵: Good morning, Leila.

FADEL: So give us some context here. What has schooling for women looked like under the Taliban up until now?

HADID: Right. It's actually been a hodgepodge since the Taliban seized power over a year ago. Girls can go to primary school up to grade six. But they've largely been prevented from continuing on to high school. Informally, though, some girls in distant provinces are still going. And others were going to these private tuition centers that were giving them an informal high school education. And this is key. Girls could still attend some universities under very strict conditions.

FADEL: And now all that changed yesterday.

HADID: All that changed yesterday with an edict that was issued by the ministry⁶ of higher education, which said it was suspending all women from private and public higher education. This morning, security forces fanned out to some universities. And they ordered female students home at gunpoint.

FADEL: Wow.

HADID: And then we heard something else, that they also went to some of these private tuition centers where girls get an informal education. And they ordered those girls home. And so what looks like is happening is that these avenues for girls to get an education beyond grade six are shutting down.

FADEL: And how are women and girls reacting to all this?

HADID: They're devastated⁷...

FADEL: Yeah.

HADID: ...Including their educators, like Zainab Mohammadi (ph). She runs a free-of-charge tuition center. She's educating more than a thousand girls. Have a listen to her.

ZAINAB MOHAMMADI: Last night, I didn't get to sleep at all. All the girls, they called me. And I promised them I would be there for them.

HADID: The line's crackly. But she's saying she promises to stand by her students. And she's waiting for the Taliban to decide if she can keep her center open. Her students fully⁸ cover, including their faces. And they follow strict segregation⁹ rules. You know, and other female university students told me they were distraught, even too angry to cry. The timing¹⁰, Leila, was cruel. Many of them were about to do their final exams, like Spogmai (ph). And listen to her voice message that she sent.

SPOGMAI: I was getting preparation for tomorrow's exam when my friend told me about the closure of university. I'm feeling sad and wondering, will I be allowed to study again and go to university or not?

FADEL: I mean, this is all really hard to hear. In the few seconds we have left - I mean, the Taliban had promised this more open approach, a respect for fundamental human rights. And yet, here we are. Can you tell us why?

HADID: It's because the supreme¹¹ leader of the Taliban, Hibatullah Akhundzada, is an ultraconservative. And he has the final say. Doesn't really matter if everyone beneath him is a moderate, he ultimately decides the shape and form of how Afghanistan is governed.

FADEL: NPR's Diaa Hadid, thank you so much.

HADID: Thank you, Leila.

(SOUNDBITE OF SHOW ME A DINOSAUR'S "RED RIVER")

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 dreaded   

adj.令人畏惧的；害怕的v.害怕，恐惧，担心( dread的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The dreaded moment had finally arrived. 可怕的时刻终于来到了。
• He dreaded having to spend Christmas in hospital. 他害怕非得在医院过圣诞节不可。 来自《用法词典》

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 schooling   

n.教育；正规学校教育

参考例句：

• A child's access to schooling varies greatly from area to area.孩子获得学校教育的机会因地区不同而大相径庭。
• Backward children need a special kind of schooling.天赋差的孩子需要特殊的教育。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

7 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

8 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

9 segregation   

n.隔离，种族隔离

参考例句：

• Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
• They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

10 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

11 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。