VOA慢速英语2015 自由之家:恐怖势力威胁世界民主理想

 

Freedom House: Democratic Ideals Threatened Around the World 自由之家:恐怖势力威胁世界民主理想

This week, the rights group Freedom House reported a general decline in political and civil rights around the world last year. The group said its measure of international freedom has dropped in each of the past nine years. It added that democratic ideals are now under the greatest threat in 25 years.

A Freedom House report described 2014 as an “exceptionally grim” year. It noted¹ an explosion of terrorist violence and aggressive methods worldwide. Nowhere was the loss of freedom more apparent, it said, than in the Middle East. The Islamic State militant² group killed large numbers of people as it captured parts of Iraq and Syria. Freedom House says ineffective and oppressive leadership in those countries helped “open the door” to the militants³.

Syria received Freedom House’s lowest country rating in over 10 years. Syria has been caught in civil war and terrorist violence. The new report said Tunisia was the one exception to all the unrest. It recognized Tunisia as the first Arab country to become “free” in the past 40 years.

Arch Puddington is vice⁴ president for research at Freedom House. He wrote the new report. He says the most severe losses in freedom were a result of terrorism.

“One of the most discouraging developments is this upsurge in terrorism. We have never seen in the past, ever, seen the impact of terrorism on democracy to be as significant as it was in 2014.” 

Arch Puddington says terrorist attacks have led to thousands of people being displaced. He adds that women were kidnapped or seized as prizes of war. He also noted the killing⁵ of religious minorities in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia.

Freedom House says a lack of democratic freedoms created the environment for terrorism to grow. The group says about 2.6 billion people live under what it calls “not free” conditions. That represents about a third of the world’s population.

The report notes Russia’s involvement in the violence in eastern Ukraine and its takeover of the Crimean peninsula. It criticizes Russian attacks on media as examples of the government’s disrespect for democratic standards.

The report notes the Egyptian government’s push-back on democratic gains and its suppression of the media, human rights groups, and political dissidents.

Freedom House says the government in Turkey launched an aggressive campaign against its opponents, as did the government in China.

Thomas Hughes is executive director of Article 19, a British human rights group. He says changes in the United States and its Western allies hurt democratic ideals.

“The other really worrying trend has been that in countries in Europe and North America where we’ve seen the traditional strong defenders⁶ of human rights internationally, because of their encroachment⁷ around issues such as mass surveillance, encroachment around human rights-related issues, this sets a very negative precedent⁸.” 

But he and Freedom House say civilians⁹ in Ukraine, Hong Kong and Brazil are pushing back. Thomas Hughes says recent United Nations work will help countries on issues such as human rights and freedom of expression.

“Without those standards, and without support to grass roots civil society, you cannot hold governments, lawmakers and other power brokers¹⁰ to account.” 

Freedom House says the biggest mistake democracies can make is to accept the idea that they are helpless when facing strongmen who use force or threaten others. It notes that everyday citizens have shown their willingness to challenge such rulers.

Words in the News

decline – n. weakness; a continuous loss of strength or quality

democratic – adj. based on a system of government in which citizens vote to choose leaders or to make other important decisions

violence – n. the use of force to cause injury, death or damage

rating – n. a measure of how good (fast or quick) something is

1 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。

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 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。

6 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 encroachment   

n.侵入，蚕食

参考例句：

• I resent the encroachment on my time.我讨厌别人侵占我的时间。
• The eagle broke away and defiantly continued its encroachment.此时雕挣脱开对方，继续强行入侵。

8 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分