VOA慢速英语2014 AS IT IS 2014-03-27 Many Turks Fear ＂Deep State＂ 土耳其人担心“暗深势力”

 

AS IT IS 2014-03-27 Many Turks Fear ＂Deep State＂ 土耳其人担心“暗深势力”

Hello and welcome back to the program that helps you learn and improve your American English.  I’m Jim Tedder¹ in Washington.  Today we turn an ear toward Turkey to hear about what some people are calling a “deep state.”  It appears that some prison doors have been swinging open, and not everyone is happy about who is being freed.

Then we’re off to India, where voters will soon be lining² up for general elections.  This time, many of those casting ballots⁴ will be young people who are becoming more and more politically involved.

And near the end of our program, a bit of American history!  We are here every day, and we give you our world …good or bad …As It Is.

People in Turkey are talking about the release of retired⁵ military officials and organized crime group members from prison.  Some people say the release is a sign that the country’s “deep state” could return. What exactly does that mean? Jonathan Evans answers the question. 

Many were found guilty of crimes linked to what government lawyers have called deep state.  They use deep state to describe unofficial organizations of power.  Prosecutors have blamed such groups for targeted killings⁷ of political leaders or enemies of the state.

Cengiz Aktar is with the Istanbul Policy Forum⁸.  He says the prisoner releases are troubling.

"The Turkish public opinion is extremely worried now about these releases because these people might think of taking revenge in the months to come."

Among those released are people jailed for killing⁶ Hrant Dink, a leading Armenian reporter.  Government lawyers say the killers⁹ of three religious workers were also released.

Human rights groups say most “deep state” targets were activists¹⁰ fighting for the rights of Turkey’s Kurdish minority.  They say much of the violence took place during the 1990s.  That is when Turkish forces repeatedly clashed with the Kurdish rebel group PKK.

This month, Turkish nationalists attacked several offices of the People’s Democracy Party.  The group supports Kurdish rights.  

Ertugrul Kurkcu is the leader of the People’s Democracy Party.  He believes the ‘deep state’ organization was involved.  He also thinks supporters of the group are responsible for past crimes against the Kurds.

He and other observers say the government has released individuals linked to the deep state in an effort to defeat followers¹¹ of an Islamic clergyman Fetullah Gulen.  The religious leader lives in self-imposed exile in the United States.  The government accuses his followers of seeking to gain influence in Turkey’s judiciary and police.

Sinan Ulgen does not believe the government would take such a risky¹² move.  Mr. Ulgen is a visiting scholar with Carnegie Europe in Belgium.  He blames the releases on the court system.

"From the standpoint of the government this was also an unwanted development because most of Turkish society is critical about this development.  There has been a fundamental shift in the civil military relationship and that will not change."  

Cengiz Aktar agrees that Turkey has changed since the military became directly involved in politics.  But he says the country remains¹³ at risk for corruption¹⁴.

"The police and justice have been shaken and destabilized. Therefore we don’t know who will ensure the public order, with that many criminals there in the streets of the country.” 

Human rights groups accuse Turkey’s deep state of thousands of political deaths and disappearances¹⁵ during the 1990s.  I’m Jonathan Evans.

Young People May Affect Elections in India

India is making final preparations for general elections.  The voting begins next month.  About 120 million Indians will be able to vote for the first time.  Indians under the age of 25 are becoming more involved politically.  They want leaders who will deal with issues like jobs and development.  Karen Leggett takes the story from there.

In 2011, tens of thousands of young people joined anti-corruption protests in the center of India’s capital, New Delhi.  Sanjay Kharwar was among the demonstrators.  At the time, he was an engineering student at the Indian Institute of Technology.  This year, he will be voting for the first time.  But he wants to do more than mark a ballot³.  He wants to give his country a new direction.

Sanjay Kharwar is now working as a volunteer for the opposition¹⁶ Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP.  He believes the party’s candidate for prime minister would be able to deal with three issues of concern to young people.  They are good governance, faster economic growth and jobs.

Thousands of college students like him have offered to help political parties in the election campaign.  Voting for the 543 seats in parliament begins on April 7th.

India has the highest number of young people in the world.  With a total population of one-point-two billion people, half are under 26 years old. 

Political parties largely ignored young people until they began protesting corruption and the gang rape¹⁷ of a student in Delhi in late 2012.  Now parties are seeking the support of these young voters.

The ruling Congress Party hopes the image of its leading campaigner, Rahul Gandhi, will appeal to young voters.  Mr. Gandhi is 43 years old.  He has been pushing for younger candidates and speaking to young voters at campaign events.

Ravi Shankar Prasad is a top leader of the BJP.  He says his party’s attention to development issues is important to young people.

Political observers say the two main parties have failed to act on the concerns of young people.

Sanjay Kumar is with the Center for Developing Societies in New Delhi.  He wrote a book about Indian youth in politics.  He says young Indians are showing more interest in politics than they did 10 years ago. 

Some of these young men and women want to become political leaders themselves.  Others, like Sanjay Kharwar, do not.  Still, they are making time to campaign for their chosen parties.  They organize meetings, actively¹⁸ use social media websites and climb onto crowded trains to publicize their ideas before the elections.  I’m Karen Leggett.

 

And I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  Today is the birth date of the wonderful jazz singer, Sarah Vaughn.  She was born in Newark, New Jersey¹⁹, in 1924.  Don’t forget, there are more Learning English programs still to come, and world news at the beginning of the hour.  This is VOA. 

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

3 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

4 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 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。

7 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

8 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

9 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

10 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》

11 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

12 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

14 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。

15 disappearances   

n.消失( disappearance的名词复数 )；丢失；失踪；失踪案

参考例句：

• Most disappearances are the result of the terrorist activity. 大多数的失踪案都是恐怖分子造成的。 来自辞典例句
• The espionage, the betrayals, the arrests, the tortures, the executions, the disappearances will never cease. 间谍活动、叛党卖国、逮捕拷打、处决灭迹，这种事情永远不会完。 来自英汉文学

16 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

17 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。

18 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

19 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。