VOA标准英语2010年-Social Networking Sites Aid Iranians T

Sam Sedaei says that identity is like an invisible man, and for him as an Iranian American, a coherent identity can be even more difficult to see. A blogger for the Huffington Post, Sedaei claims that writing served as a sort of white powder for him, which he could then throw over the invisible man and discover his shape. In his opinion, writing helps affirm identities, which makes sites such as Facebook, Twitter and other blogging sites all the more important as Iran's youth tries to shape its own identity.

"That's how I see writing," said Sedaei.  "It's not so much that it makes your identity, but that it helps you see it, and it helps you be able to define it better and understand it better. So to that extent, absolutely social networking has a big role in helping¹ Iranian youth."

In efforts to repress any revolutionary fervor² in the past few years, Iran has deemed large gatherings³ of people to be suspicious. But now with social networking, Iranians can gather by the thousands on a Facebook group, or communicate using Twitter. These new forms of communication are helping Iranian youth communicate with each other and shape their identity just as Sedaei did.

But it was not only the Iranians inside Iran who were working with new forms of communication to affirm their identities. Iranians living overseas, like Sedaei, watched Iran closer than ever before. With tools such as social networking sites, he says those Iranians became more than observers.

"Social networking allowed Iranians throughout the world to become participants in a movement that was going on, on the ground," said Sedaei.

Iranians living outside Iran started contributing to the movement and supporting the movement in more diverse ways than simply posting blog posts. Iranian art flourished outside the country as Iranians began making art pertaining⁴ to the revolution. Iranian underground musicians, such as the Iranian hip-hop musician Hich-Kas (meaning nobody in Persian), started exporting their music over the internet. This music is emotionally charged, full of political lyrics⁵ and represents another fusion⁶ of Iranian and Western identity.

However, the movement still faces greater challenges than it did last year. The same means of communication that were used to speak out are being used by the government as a way of shutting down the opposition⁷. The government controlled media outlets⁸ such as newspapers, now appear online. Blogging sites are tracked and some bloggers can even be arrested.

But is this going to be a problem for people trying to communicate in Iran? Sedaei admits that the outflow of information from Iran has subsided⁹, but he does not believe that it has stopped forever. "Is it calmer now? Are people a little less active than they were a few months ago or about a year ago? Yes. But is it going to remain that way? We don't know. It is going to have ups and downs," he said.

Iranians are moving towards a closer relationship with the rest of the world, even against their own government. While the internet and social networking sites are helping people connect with each other and breaking social barriers inside Iran, it's also giving Iranians all over the world a connection with one another, and support for each other even from thousands of miles away.

 

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 fervor   

n.热诚；热心；炽热

参考例句：

• They were concerned only with their own religious fervor.他们只关心自己的宗教热诚。
• The speech aroused nationalist fervor.这个演讲喚起了民族主义热情。

3 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

4 pertaining   

与…有关系的，附属…的，为…固有的(to)

参考例句：

• Living conditions are vastly different from those pertaining in their country of origin. 生活条件与他们祖国大不相同。
• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school. 视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。

5 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

6 fusion   

n.溶化；熔解；熔化状态，熔和；熔接

参考例句：

• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc. 黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。
• This alloy is formed by the fusion of two types of metal.这种合金是用两种金属熔合而成的。

7 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。

8 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》