VOA标准英语2013--Iran's Presidential Candidates Courting Female Vote

 

Iran's Presidential Candidates Courting Female Vote

When Iranians go to the polls on June 14, they will get to select one of eight presidential candidates - all but one older than 50 and all men. Iran's Guardian¹ Council ruled last month a woman cannot be president even though 30 women sought to be included in the race.

That worries Iranian women's rights activists³, who say Iran's clerics, led by Supreme⁴ Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, were trying to send a message.

"They think that Iranian women - they should stay at home and it's better they make them more limited than this,” said long-time activist² and lawyer Mehrangiz Kar.

But some of the candidates appear to be reaching out to women voters anyway.

When Mohammad Reza Aref, the 61-year-old university professor seen as the leading reformer in the race, registered to run, he did so with his wife.

It quickly drew comparisons to Turkey, where Islamist-leaning Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan appeared in campaigns with his wife. Iran hardliners criticize the husband/wife appearances as "Western."

Still, some of the more conservative candidates have promoted joint⁵ appearances with their wives - something current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also did when he was a candidate.

Kar said it means little.

“Sometimes you can see some women beside their husband during elections. It seems something like a propaganda for the men and not for women,” she stated. 

But some analysts⁷ say the ability of women to influence the election outcome is not out of the question. They point to Mohammad Khatami’s election in 1997, when he appealed to women and minorities.

In the last presidential election, in 2009, the four final candidates spoke⁸ on women's issues.

Analyst⁶ Geneive Abdo with the Stimson Center said this election is much different.

“Unlike last time, there are no candidates that are inspiring people,” she noted⁹.

Despite that, a hunger for inspiration, especially among women, seems to linger.

In recent weeks - this video showing former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani during his last campaign - has gone viral on Iran's social media sites.  In it, a young woman criticizes the societal status of Iran's women. The video shows Rafsanjani with tears forming in his eyes.  

But voters cannot choose Rafsanjani this time. The Guardian Council barred his candidacy during its final cut.

1 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 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》

4 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。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。