VOA标准英语2010年-US Loosens Export Restrictions on Inte

The U.S. Treasury¹ Department has announced it will issue licenses² to companies that export instant messaging and other personal Internet services to Iran, Sudan and Cuba.  The move follows comments made earlier this year by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that Internet freedom is now a fundamental principle of American foreign policy.

Can a cell phone or computer bring down a regime?  It's a question tech watchers pose following the success of anti-government protesters in getting their message out last June following Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's re-election. 

Many Iranian youth captured video with their cell phones and used social networking sites to organize. "This is a world of 'communications.' It is no longer possible to conceal³ the truth.  It's not that easy to lie and to play around with the polls," said one Iranian.

Reports by citizen journalists gained international attention after the Iranian government blocked foreign reporters from covering anti-government rallies. .

"The role of digital media has revolutionized really the way demonstrations⁴ have been reported and for that reason it has been playing a very, very important role," said Baqer Moin, a prominent Iranian blogger in London.

The U.S. administration has taken notice. On Monday, the Treasury Department announced it will grant licenses to Internet companies to export Facebook, Twitter and other personal Internet services to Cuba, Sudan and Iran. That runs counter to strict sanctions still in place covering other trade with these nations.

"In the 21st century, expression and assembly are carried out on the Internet so we are going to continue to support those people who wish to circumvent⁵ and be able to communicate without being blocked by their own government," said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.  Her comments this week follow those she made in January, when she said Internet freedom has become a fundamental principle of American foreign policy. Obviously, so-called "closed societies" can slow and block Internet service.  But tech-saavy onlookers⁶ say not for long.

"It's too late now, the people have got used to this technology, businesses, finance, and industry are using this technology and you just can't push it back anymore," said Potkin Azarmehr of Azarmehr.Blogspot.com

"When a repression⁷ takes place in one area, the Internet will kind of skirt around that There is no central Internet motherlode. It was designed to withstand nuclear invasion," said Diane Martin, George Washington University.

The lifting of Internet restrictions⁸ follows calls in Congress for easier export of social networking services.
 

1 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

2 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

3 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

4 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。

5 circumvent   

vt.环绕，包围；对…用计取胜，智胜

参考例句：

• Military planners tried to circumvent the treaty.军事策略家们企图绕开这一条约。
• Any action I took to circumvent his scheme was justified.我为斗赢他的如意算盘而采取的任何行动都是正当的。

6 onlookers   

n.旁观者，观看者( onlooker的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A crowd of onlookers gathered at the scene of the crash. 在撞车地点聚集了一大群围观者。
• The onlookers stood at a respectful distance. 旁观者站在一定的距离之外，以示尊敬。

7 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。

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制