2007年VOA标准英语-Arrests in Iran Seen as Warning to US

By Gary Thomas
Washington
23 May 2007

A leading Iranian-American scholar is in prison in Tehran, charged with plotting to topple the Iranian government.  Both U.S. officials and professional colleagues say Haleh Esfandiari is only a scholar and categorically deny that she is part of any U.S. effort against Iran.  But, as VOA correspondent Gary Thomas reports from Washington, even benign¹ actions by Americans are likely to be viewed with deep suspicion in the power centers of Iran.

Haleh Esfandiari, Director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson Center

The United States has budgeted $75 million for what the Bush administration calls "democracy promotion²."  Officials in Iran see the program as a plot to topple their government.

Ken³ Katzman, a Middle East analyst⁴ at the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, says the arrest of Haleh Esfandiari and other Iranian-Americans is designed to warn Iranians not to accept U.S. money or help, no matter how harmless the purpose.

"It's open money, it's all transparent⁵, it's done through publicly solicited⁶ contracts," he noted⁷.  "But the regime sees this as a U.S. overthrow⁹ effort.  And I think the regime is trying to put a brake on anybody accepting any of these funds, any Iranians or now, even Iranian-Americans or even Americans going anywhere near any of these funds."

But neither Esfandiari nor her employer, the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, has received any of those funds.  The Center director, former Democratic U.S. Congressman¹⁰ Lee Hamilton says Esfandiari and the Center have nothing whatsoever¹¹ to do with fomenting¹³ any kind of regime change in Iran.

"Haleh's work at the Wilson Center has been characterized as part of a U.S.-backed plot to foment¹² soft revolution in Iran," he said.  "There is, of course, not a shred¹⁴, not a scintilla¹⁵ of the truth to the allegations against her. Iran is trying to turn a scholar into a spy. Haleh is a scholar.  She has never been a spy."

As the director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, one of many non-governmental academic centers, Esfandiari has been a leading scholarly analyst of regional affairs, particularly those of Iran.  Esfandiari, 67, was in Iran to visit her family when she was prevented from leaving the country in December.  After months of interrogation and house arrest, she was thrown into prison May 8th. 

The Bush administration has made no secret of its desire to see regime change in Tehran, even though that term has slipped out of official pronouncements of late.  The funds for "democracy promotion" are to go to a variety of efforts, including increased radio and television broadcasting to Iran.

Bill Samii, an analyst at the Center for Naval¹⁶ Analysis, says even overt⁸, non-military U.S. actions are viewed as sinister¹⁷ in the corridors of power in Tehran.

"These are things that we see as fairly benign - you know, holding a conference, or having someone come and give a talk about developments in Iran," he said.  "That's pretty mild stuff.  But from the Iranian perspective, when they hear about so-called 'velvet¹⁸ revolutions' and so on, they'll latch¹⁹ on to anything that might be associated with that."

Ken Katzman was to go to Iran for a conference this week, but found his visa suddenly revoked²⁰.  He believes Iran may also be trying to use Esfandiari and the other detained Iranian-Americans as bargaining chips for Iranians captured by U.S. forces in Iraq.  The United States says the Iranians went to Iraq to arm and assist insurgents²¹ there.

The United States and Iran are scheduled to hold talks Monday on stabilizing²² the situation in Iraq.  But analysts²³ say the arrest of Haleh Esfandiari and other Iranian-Americans will cast a cloud over the talks.

1 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

2 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

3 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

6 solicited   

v.恳求( solicit的过去式和过去分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求

参考例句：

• He's already solicited their support on health care reform. 他已就医疗改革问题请求他们的支持。 来自辞典例句
• We solicited ideas from Princeton University graduates and under graduates. 我们从普林斯顿大学的毕业生与大学生中征求意见。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 overt   

adj.公开的，明显的，公然的

参考例句：

• His opponent's intention is quite overt.他的对手的意图很明显。
• We should learn to fight with enemy in an overt and covert way.我们应学会同敌人做公开和隐蔽的斗争。

9 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

10 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

11 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

12 foment   

v.煽动，助长

参考例句：

• The rebels know the truth and seek to foment revolution.那些叛乱者知道真相，并且想办法来挑起革命。
• That's an attempt to foment discord.这是挑拨。

13 fomenting   

v.激起，煽动（麻烦等）( foment的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They accused him of fomenting political unrest. 他们指控他煽动政治动乱。
• Three sailors were fomenting a mutiny on the ship. 三个水手正在船上煽动叛变。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 shred   

v.撕成碎片，变成碎片；n.碎布条，细片，些少

参考例句：

• There is not a shred of truth in what he says.他说的全是骗人的鬼话。
• The food processor can shred all kinds of vegetables.这架食品加工机可将各种蔬菜切丝切条。

15 scintilla   

n.极少，微粒

参考例句：

• Not a scintilla of evidence to prove it.没有一点儿证据可以证实此事。
• Novelty ignites scintilla admittedly easily,novelty always also is the prelude of the distance.新奇固然轻易点燃火花，新奇也总是距离的前奏。

16 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

17 sinister   

adj.不吉利的，凶恶的，左边的

参考例句：

• There is something sinister at the back of that series of crimes.在这一系列罪行背后有险恶的阴谋。
• Their proposals are all worthless and designed out of sinister motives.他们的建议不仅一钱不值，而且包藏祸心。

18 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

19 latch   

n.门闩，窗闩；弹簧锁

参考例句：

• She laid her hand on the latch of the door.她把手放在门闩上。
• The repairman installed an iron latch on the door.修理工在门上安了铁门闩。

20 revoked   

adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付，结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
• A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句

21 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

22 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

23 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。