2007年VOA标准英语-Iran Charges 3 Iranian-Americans With Spying

By Cache Seel
Cairo
29 May 2007

Iran announced that three Iranian-Americans have been formally charged with endangering national security and espionage¹. Cache Seel has details from our Middle East bureau in Cairo.

The two academics and one journalist are citizens of both the United States and Iran. Iran does not recognize dual² nationality and the three will be tried as Iranian citizens.

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

Haleh Esfandiari, a 67-year-old grandmother, is the director of the Middle East program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C. She was arrested on May 8. She has been prevented from leaving Iran since December. She traveled to the country frequently to visit her ailing³ mother, who is over 90 years old.

Parnaz Azima, a journalist with the U.S.-funded Radio Farda, was also in Iran to visit a sick relative. She is not being detained, but her passport was confiscated⁴ and she has been barred from leaving Iran since January.

The announcement of formal charges was the first admission by the Iranian government that they were holding Kian Tajbaksh. Tajbaksh works for the George Soros' Open Society Institute and is believed to have been held since May 11.

The announcement of formal charges comes only one day after American and Iranian officials held rare, high-level talks in Baghdad to discuss the security situation in Iraq. The United States and Iran severed⁵ diplomatic relations following the 1979 Iranian revolution. Mark Fitzpatrick is an Iranian analyst⁶ with the London based International Institute for Strategic Studies. He says the charges could be connected to the recent talks. "I think it's related in that the government in Tehran wants to keep an absolute monopoly on dealing⁷ with the United States," he said.

There has been a good deal of speculation⁸ over the possible motives⁹ behind the detentions¹⁰, but Fitzpatrick says it is likely the arrests are just what the intelligence ministry¹¹ says they are. "There's a great deal of repression¹² and expansion of the state security system's grip on society right now. So it's partly in wanting to control the contacts with the West but it also it reflects a sense of concern, actually paranoia¹³, that the United States is seeking to foment¹⁴ a velvet¹⁵ revolution in Iran so the government is responding by cracking down on any signs of social discontent or evidence, any perceived evidence, no matter how trumped¹⁶ up of Americans seeking to promote … pluralistic society," he said.

Some analysts¹⁷ believe that a lack of evidence will lead to the quick release of the detainees. However, Fitzpatrick is doubtful about that, given the high profile of the case and the nature of the charges. "These sound very serious, the Iranian judicial¹⁸ system has imposed very serious penalties for less drastic crimes. Iran has executed people without any charges. The judicial system there is not one that always reflects a logical progression from evidence, to charges, to punishment. At any stage along the way, matters can be changed or created out of thin air. I think it is possible that the individuals unfortunately held by Iran could be released, but I'm not counting on it, I fear for them," he said.

At least one of the detainees, Haleh Esfandiari, is being held at Evin Prison where human rights groups say a Canadian-Iranian photographer was beaten to death in 2003. An Iranian inquiry¹⁹ concluded the death was due to injuries sustained in a fall.

At the U.S. State Department, deputy spokesman Tom Casey said the United States had not been formally notified of the charges against the three. But he said all three are individuals with family ties to Iran who had been doing independent research for many years. Casey said they posed no threat to the Iranian government, and the U.S. government believes they should be released as soon as possible.

In addition to the three Iranian Americans who have been charged with espionage, the United States has also been seeking information about the fate of a former FBI agent who disappeared in March from an Iranian resort on Kish Island.

1 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

2 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

3 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

4 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

5 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

9 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

10 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

13 paranoia   

n.妄想狂，偏执狂；多疑症

参考例句：

• Her passion for cleanliness borders on paranoia.她的洁癖近乎偏执。
• The push for reform is also motivated by political paranoia.竞选的改革运动也受到政治偏执狂症的推动。

14 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。

15 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。

16 trumped   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• That woman trumped up various baseless charges against him. 那个女人捏造种种毫无根据的罪名指控他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Several of his colleagues trumped up a complaint to get him removed from the job. 他的几位同事诬告他，使他丟掉了工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 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。

18 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

19 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。