VOA标准英语2010年-Analysts Say Iran's Revolutionary Guar

Iran is reacting sharply to U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's remarks that the Persian state is becoming a military dictatorship. Iran's supreme¹ leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, accuses Clinton of spreading "lies" and the United States of turning the region into a so-called "arms depot²." But several Washington-based analysts³ on Iran back Clinton's assertions.

Iran's Revolutionary Guard was formed in 1979 to protect the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini's Islamic Revolution from the Shah's army.

Now U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Guard is leaving Iran vulnerable to proposed U.S. sanctions against Iran for pressing ahead with its uranium enrichment program.  Clinton spoke⁴ to VOA during her recent visit to the Persian Gulf⁵.

"It appears as though the space of decision making for the clerical and political leadership is shrinking and that for the Revolutionary Guard seems to be growing," said Secretary Clinton.

The Guard has accumulated considerable political and economic power in recent years.  Most of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's cabinet is made up of Revolutionary Guard members.

Some analysts on Iran in the United States say the Guard has gained more influence because of its recent role in suppressing protests against Mr. Ahmadinejad's reelection.

"Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps⁶ have been the winners of this post election violence," said Journalist Afshin Molavi of the New America Foundation in Washington.  "In many ways the Revolutionary Guard Corps have been rising in power over the past ten years or so."

Secretary Clinton added this perspective.

"They are deeply involved in the commercial, business and investment activities of Iran," said Clinton.  "They own major institutions like the airport for example. So there is a lot they are doing which is very troubling."

But Ken⁷ Katzman of the Congressional Research Service does not currently see the Guard as a serious threat. He says the Guard just follows the orders of the Ayatollah.

"They did everything the Supreme Leader wanted them to," said Katzman.  "There was no evidence that they were going off the reservation and doing anything the Supreme Leader does not want done."

Afshin Molavi agrees.  He says the Guard's current leadership is aligned⁸ with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader. But he says possible cracks within the Guard will determine Iran's future.

"Will there be members of the Revolutionary Guard who will stand up to the current leadership?" asked Molavi.  "That kind of institutional cleavage could be very important in a game-changing for the future of Iran."

Some analysts predict the Revolutionary Guard will consolidate⁹ its power, and the final showdown may be between the Guard and the millions of frustrated¹⁰ children of the 30-year old Islamic revolution, now 60 percent of the population of Iran.

 

1 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。

2 depot   

n.仓库，储藏处；公共汽车站；火车站

参考例句：

• The depot is only a few blocks from here.公共汽车站离这儿只有几个街区。
• They leased the building as a depot.他们租用这栋大楼作仓库。

3 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。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 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.

8 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。

9 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

10 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》