VOA标准英语2010年-Iranian Opposition Kept Off Guard Ahea

Communication services disrupted ahead of 1979 anniversary celebration as opposition¹ activists² call for peaceful demos

Edward Yeranian | Cairo 09 February 2010

Demonstrators shout slogans and hold portraits of Iranian supreme³ leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei (C) and founder⁴ of the Islamic republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (2nd L) during a protest outside the Italian embassy in Tehran, 09 Feb 2009

With two days to go before the anniversary celebration of Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, authorities are slowing the internet and disrupting mobile phone service in what is believed to be an effort to disrupt opposition protests.  A top religious leader is also urging Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei to release prisoners.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei boasts about the country's 1979 Islamic Revolution on state TV, two days tbefore the official celebration.  Meanwhile, on several Web sites, Iran's opposition is urging supporters to turn out for a "peaceful anti-government protest."

Observers inside Iran say the government is disrupting vital communications links, including the internet and mobile-phone service in an effort to keep the opposition off guard.  Opposition activists sometimes rely on text messages and the internet to coordinate⁵ demonstrations⁶.

Several days ago, Iran's Communications Minister Reza Taghipour claimed internet speeds had been reduced "due to damage to Iran's fiber-optic network."  He also promised that repairs would be made "by next week."

Human-rights groups and Iranians living abroad say the government has detained more opposition supporters and activists, including Salah Noghrekar, the nephew of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and legal advisor⁷ to his presidential campaign.

Opposition Web site Rah-e-Sabz is reporting that Grand Ayatollah Abdul Karim Mousavi-Ardebili traveled to Tehran from the holy city of Qom to plead with Supreme Leader Khamenei to release opposition protesters in government custody⁸.
 
Iran's Deputy Police Chief Ahmad Reza Radan urged Iranians on state TV to cooperate with security forces to make Thursday's celebration of the Islamic Revolution go smoothly⁹.

"It is necessary for people to cooperate in order to make the celebration take place in a secure and organized manner.  Many people will be participating, so it is imperative¹⁰ to obey the law," he said.

Former French Ambassador to Tehran Francois Nicoullaud says that opposition leaders have urged their supporters to protest peacefully on Thursday, but he says it is not clear what will happen, since those leaders are more "figureheads," to a movement that is operating on its own.

"The leaders of the opposition have called upon their troops to go to the streets and demonstrate peacefully on the 11th of February.  So, will they be listened to?" He wondered.  "You know, [the leaders] are more figure-heads than leaders. The opposition moves through informal channels and not through hierarchical orders. This is a weakness for the opposition, because there is no central brain. But, this absence of organization makes it more difficult for the regime to develop counter-tactics," said the former diplomat¹¹.

Eyewitnesses¹² say security forces in Tehran are preparing for the worst by removing plastic trash cans that can be set ablaze¹³ and deploying¹⁴ loudspeakers in key locations to drown out opposition chanting.

 

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 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》

3 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。

4 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

5 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

6 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

7 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

8 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

9 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

10 imperative   

n.命令，需要；规则；祈使语气；adj.强制的；紧急的

参考例句：

• He always speaks in an imperative tone of voice.他老是用命令的口吻讲话。
• The events of the past few days make it imperative for her to act.过去这几天发生的事迫使她不得不立即行动。

11 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

12 eyewitnesses   

目击者( eyewitness的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
• Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。

13 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

14 deploying   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的现在分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Provides support for developing and deploying distributed, component-based applications. 为开发和部署基于组件的分布式应用程序提供支持。
• Advertisement, publishing, repair, and install-on-demand are all available when deploying your application. 在部署应用程序时提供公布、发布、修复和即需即装功能。