VOA慢速英语2015 伊斯兰国使用手机应用传播消息

AS IT IS 2015-03-22 Islamic State Uses App to Broadcast Message 伊斯兰国使用手机应用传播消息

The writers of a new book about the Islamic State group say it is using technology developed by an American company to spread its message.

Hassan Hassan and Michael D. Weiss wrote the book, “ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror.” Mr. Hassan told VOA the group is using a mobile software app, or computer program, called Zello.

The app is said to be relatively¹ unknown in the United States. Yet the company that developed it 10 years ago is based in Austin, Texas.

The app combines social media with telephone and radio functions. Zello is designed for use in iPhones, iPads, Android devices, BlackBerry products, computers and Windows mobile devices. It enables the user to talk with someone else who has the app.

Zello does not need a lot of radio bandwidth and uses only a small amount of battery power. That means people in areas far from electrical power supplies can use it. It also can be used with traditional two-way radios. It can be used as a telephone or to send voice messages to large groups.

Hassan Hassan says sermons from Islamic State clergymen are being sent on the app. He notes that children like using Zello, and these messages have influenced some of them to become supporters of the group.

The book tells about a 14-year-old boy working in southern Turkey. In October 2014, he entered Syria to fight with Islamic State militants². His father later said his son had been influenced to join the group after listening to sermons on Zello channels.

VOA found many Zello channels belong to supporters of the Islamic State, including one called “The State of the Islamic Caliphate.” It has more than 10,000 members. Almost 50 people help to operate the channel.

Zello is also used in other parts of the world. It is similar to other “push-to-talk” cellphone apps like Voxer or iMessage. It operates in 22 languages, including Arabic. It enables users to share messages or save them for later playback.

In some ways, Zello is like Twitter and other social media apps. It can help activists³ and protesters across the world communicate without the knowledge of their governments. It helped Venezuelans protest against their government last year. VOA’s Ukrainian Service reported last year that Zello has been popular among pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Bill Moore is the Chief Executive Officer of Zello. He told VOA he is not surprised to learn that the app is popular among protesters.

“It’s communication that works well, typically over poor networks. It’s, it’s live, like two-way radio. It’s ideal for organizing and communicating. And it’s also anonymous⁴, which is good and bad. It, it means that, you know, there’s no identity that’s been validated⁵ by Zello or anybody else, so users can have confidence, you know, that their conversations are private. And again that, you know, can be used by, by drug dealers⁶ or people, you know, fighting for democracy.”

Mr. Moore says when he learned the app was popular among Islamic State fighters, he thought “it’s terrible that Zello is used for evil.” He told VOA that his company is working to reduce its use by people he called “bad guys.” He added that he wants Zello to be used only for what he called “healthy conversations.”

Words in This Story

app – n. abbreviation for “application”; informal

function – n. the special purpose or activity for which a thing exists or is used

bandwidth – n. a measurement of the ability of an electronic communications device or system (such as a computer network) to send and receive information

sermon – n. a speech about a moral or religious subject that is usually given by a religious leader

anonymous – adj. not named or identified

validate(d) – v. to show that something is real or correct; to verify a person’s identity

reluctant – adj. feeling or showing doubt about doing something; not willing or eager to do something

1 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

2 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。

3 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》

4 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

5 validated   

v.证实( validate的过去式和过去分词 )；确证；使生效；使有法律效力

参考例句：

• Time validated our suspicion. 时间证实了我们的怀疑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The decade of history since 1927 had richly validated their thesis. 1927年以来的十年的历史，充分证明了他们的论点。 来自辞典例句

6 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。