VOA常速英语2016--美国发布2015年度《国际宗教自由报告》 谴责多国有违宗教自由（在线收听）

美国发布2015年度《国际宗教自由报告》 谴责多国有违宗教自由

According to the State Department's annual International Religious Freedom Report, religiously motivated persecution continues to be perpetrated by governments and by violent extremist groups, such as Boko Haram and ISIL, also known as Da'esh, around the world.

The 2015 report, released last week, highlights in particular the worrisome prevalence of blasphemy and apostasy laws, which fully one quarter of the world's countries have on the books. Governments used these laws to “tighten their regulatory grip on religious groups, particularly on minority religious groups and religions which are viewed as not traditional to that specific country.”

根据美国国务院发布的年度《国际宗教自由报告》，多国政府以及暴力极端组织依然存在对宗教进行迫害的现象。上周发布的2015年度报告尤其强调，全球四分之一的国家制定了关于亵渎神明和背叛宗教的相关法律，令人担忧。

In his introduction to the report, Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom David Saperstein noted that:

这些国家用这些法律“对各个宗教组织进行严密监控，尤其是对那些舶来的少数宗教组织”。

“The existence of these laws has been used by governments in too many cases to intimidate, repress religious minorities, and governments have too often failed to take appropriate steps to prevent societal violence sparked by accusations of blasphemy and apostasy.”

在介绍该项报告时，发言人大卫说道：很多国家经常利用这样的法律来威胁、镇压少数宗教群体。并且，当社会因不满这些法律而衍生暴力事件时，这些政府也没能采取妥善措施加以阻止。

Ambassador Saperstein explains that even if accusations of blasphemy or apostasy turn out to be untrue, governments will often fail to act to hold the accusers accountable.

大卫解释道，即便民众对这些法律的控诉有失真实，政府也无法让他们承担责任。

The purpose of this annual report is not to lecture, but to shine a light on these problems and find ways to resolve them. The report also serves as an objective and comprehensive resource for NGOs, civil society groups, media, and foreign governments.

此年度报告的目的并不是说教，而是阐释问题，并想办法解决问题。对于非政府机构、民间组织、媒体和国外政府来说，此报告还可以作为内容全面的研究素材。

“The protection and promotion of religious freedom remains a key foreign policy priority for the United States. As daunting as the many challenges are that we face across the globe, we will not be deterred in the work that we do,” said Ambassador Saperstein. “This report is at once vivid testimony for the many whose plight might otherwise receive scant attention and a document – a blueprint – of what must be addressed to bring us closer to the day when religious freedom will thrive for all.”

保护和促进宗教自由依然是美国主要的外交政策。大卫还表示，虽然我们面临来自全球的诸多挑战，但我们的工作不会受到影响。 “此报告可以为那些境遇鲜为人知的人们提供鲜活的证据，也可以作为为宗教自由到来而努力的蓝本文件”。

Ambassador Saperstein added that U.S. government officials, including at the highest level, speak out regularly against abuses and violations of religious freedom, and raise these concerns directly with governments that fail to protect religious freedom.

大卫补充说，美国官员无论职位高低，都会定期对有违宗教自由的现象进行谴责，并与那些没有维护宗教自由的国家直接交涉。