VOA标准英语2012--Leaders Threaten Euro 2012 Boycott Over Alleged Ukraine Abuses

 

Leaders Threaten Euro 2012 Boycott¹ Over Alleged² Ukraine Abuses

May Day brought communist demonstrators onto the streets Tuesday in Kiev - as news of the threatened Euro 2012 boycott spread. Marchers voiced their support for Yulia Tymoshenko and for the boycott - 15-year-old Serhiy was among them.

"It is not right, of course, what they are doing with Yulia Tymoshenko," he said. "Everybody needs to sort it out, and that she is being defended by the European Union is right."

Photos show former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who is on a hunger strike, with bruises³ on her arms and stomach that she says were inflicted⁴ by prison guards - a charge the government denies. She is serving a seven-year sentence for abuse of office, charges she says are politically motivated.

The photos prompted several European leaders and ministers, among them the entire Dutch government and the president of the European Commission, to pledge a boycott of next month's Euro 2012 soccer matches in Ukraine.

Germany's Environment Minister Norbert Roettgen urged others to join.

"At the moment I do not think it is feasible for ministers or state prime ministers to take part as visitors [in Euro 2012] because I fear this poses the danger of justification⁵ of a regime, a dictatorial⁶ regime," said Roettgen.

Other European leaders, including the foreign ministers of Germany and Sweden, have rejected calls for a boycott.

Ukraine analyst⁷ Orysia Lutsevych, of the London-based research group Chatham House, says a boycott would hurt all Ukrainians.

"I think there could be better ways around sending a signal and putting pressure on the government other than a boycott," said Lutsevych. "By having so many journalists in the country and by having so many celebrities⁸ in the country we can raise an issue of human rights and democracy in another way."

As Ukraine rushes to complete its new stadiums in time for June, the government hopes Euro 2012 will be a showcase for the country with up to a million visitors expected. 

But a new report is raising concerns about the the conduct of the Ukrainian police force. 

Max Tucker of human-rights group Amnesty International points to CCTV footage posted on the Internet, allegedly showing police beating a man in a bar before forcing him to hand over $2,500. Tucker says the police service needs urgent reform.

"Police are torturing people in order to extract a confession⁹, in order to kind of extort¹⁰ money or simply because of the ethnicity or sexual orientation¹¹ of the person that they have in custody," said Tucker.

Opinion across Europe appears divided; some argue a Euro 2012 boycott would serve to raise awareness¹² of alleged abuses in Ukraine, while others say the presence of so many foreign journalists and visitors will put a spotlight¹³ on the country, perhaps leading to change. 

1 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

2 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

3 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

5 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

6 dictatorial   

adj. 独裁的，专断的

参考例句：

• Her father is very dictatorial.她父亲很专横。
• For years the nation had been under the heel of a dictatorial regime.多年来这个国家一直在独裁政权的铁蹄下。

7 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。

8 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

9 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

10 extort   

v.勒索，敲诈，强要

参考例句：

• The blackmailer tried to extort a large sum of money from him.勒索者企图向他勒索一大笔钱。
• They absolutely must not harm the people or extort money from them.严格禁止坑害勒索群众。

11 orientation   

n.方向，目标；熟悉，适应，情况介绍

参考例句：

• Children need some orientation when they go to school.小孩子上学时需要适应。
• The traveller found his orientation with the aid of a good map.旅行者借助一幅好地图得知自己的方向。

12 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

13 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。