2006年VOA标准英语-Indian Court Lifts Ban on Bombay's Famous

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
16 April 2006
 

Dance bar girls listen to the speakers during a demonstration¹ against the government decision to ban dance bars in Bombay
(File photo - May 3, 2005)   
  
An Indian court has lifted a ban imposed on dancing-girl bars in the western city of Bombay. The bars were an integral part of nightlife in Bombay, the city that is home to India's entertainment industry.

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A year ago, the Maharashtra state government brought the curtains down on more than 600 dance bars in Bombay, where tens of thousands of girls used to sway to popular numbers from Indian films as customers showered them with money.

These ritzy bars were a longtime feature of Bombay's vibrant² nightlife. But the state government ordered them shut, saying they were hubs for prostitution and crime, and were corrupting³ youth.

But angry bar owners, bar girls, and women's rights activists⁴ rejected the government's contention⁵ and launched a bitter fight. They said the bars provided clean entertainment to the middle classes.

The dance bars' supporters argued that they were tame by the standards of many similar establishments across the world. The girls remained fully⁶ clothed during performances and customers were prohibited from touching⁷ the dancers.

Nearly 75,000 dancing girls were thrown out of work by the ban, which shut down bars across the state. In the past year, many of the dancers had to leave Maharashtra in search of alternate work and women's activists have expressed fears that some may have been forced into prostitution.

Now the dancing girls have reason to cheer again. This week, the Bombay High Court overturned the ban, calling it unconstitutional and saying it violated the dancing girls' right to choose their employment.

Varsha Kale heads the Bar Girls Union, which, along with the bar owners, has waged the legal battle to have the ban lifted.

Kale says the girls did not get any alternative work, despite government promises to provide them with jobs. She says they faced unemployment, but had confronted the hardship with great fortitude⁸.

One of the dancing girls, Vandana, told local television news channels that she hopes the court order will enable her to work again.

Vandana says she danced to earn a living for her family. She says it was a respectable occupation and she worked hard like anyone else to earn an income.

The bar owners are getting ready to open their shutters⁹ - but the fight is not completely won yet. The Bombay High Court says the state government can appeal against its verdict to the Supreme¹⁰ Court within two months. The authorities say they may do just that.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 vibrant   

adj.震颤的，响亮的，充满活力的，精力充沛的，(色彩)鲜明的

参考例句：

• He always uses vibrant colours in his paintings. 他在画中总是使用鲜明的色彩。
• She gave a vibrant performance in the leading role in the school play.她在学校表演中生气盎然地扮演了主角。

3 corrupting   

（使）败坏( corrupt的现在分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• It would be corrupting discipline to leave him unpunished. 不惩治他会败坏风纪。
• It would be corrupting military discipline to leave him unpunished. 不惩治他会败坏军纪。

4 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》

5 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

6 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。

7 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

8 fortitude   

n.坚忍不拔；刚毅

参考例句：

• His dauntless fortitude makes him absolutely fearless.他不屈不挠的坚韧让他绝无恐惧。
• He bore the pain with great fortitude.他以极大的毅力忍受了痛苦。

9 shutters   

百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 )； （照相机的）快门

参考例句：

• The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
• The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。

10 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。