VOA标准英语2013--Political Cartoons Help Iranians View Election With Sense of Humor

 

Political Cartoons Help Iranians View Election With Sense of Humor

For many Iranians, the presidential campaign played out on television - one candidate after another explaining their positions on the issues.

While it didn't make for compelling viewing, it did provide plenty of fodder¹ for Iranian cartoonists. In one cartoon, the patient is telling his eye doctor the whole election process is one big blur².

Another one pokes³ fun at presidential hopeful Mohsen Rezaei, showing his evolution and that of his supporters, from conservatives to hippies.

Exiled Iranian cartoonist Nikahang Kowsar said there is a huge appetite for such humor, but pointed⁴ out that the cartoonists often are walking a very fine line.

"We have a saying in Iran. We say, 'You have freedom of speech. You don't have freedom after speech.' So if you say something, you have to pay for it afterwards," said Kowsar.

Still, repressing Iranians' sometimes caustic⁵ sense of humor is no easy feat⁶. Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Barbara Slavin said a sense of sarcasm⁷ runs deep. “The Iranians like to joke that they often have to choose between bad and worse, and this year people are joking they’re choosing between worse and even more worse.”

Iranians, like voters the world over, are tired of empty promises and hoping for a better choice next time.

1 fodder   

n.草料；炮灰

参考例句：

• Grass mowed and cured for use as fodder.割下来晒干用作饲料的草。
• Guaranteed salt intake, no matter which normal fodder.不管是那一种正常的草料，保证盐的摄取。

2 blur   

n.模糊不清的事物；vt.使模糊，使看不清楚

参考例句：

• The houses appeared as a blur in the mist.房子在薄雾中隐隐约约看不清。
• If you move your eyes and your head,the picture will blur.如果你的眼睛或头动了，图像就会变得模糊不清。

3 pokes   

v.伸出( poke的第三人称单数 )；戳出；拨弄；与（某人）性交

参考例句：

• He pokes his nose into everything. 他这人好管闲事。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Only the tip of an iceberg pokes up above water. 只有冰山的尖端突出于水面。 来自辞典例句

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 caustic   

adj.刻薄的，腐蚀性的

参考例句：

• He opened his mouth to make a caustic retort.他张嘴开始进行刻薄的反击。
• He enjoys making caustic remarks about other people.他喜欢挖苦别人。

6 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

7 sarcasm   

n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic）

参考例句：

• His sarcasm hurt her feelings.他的讽刺伤害了她的感情。
• She was given to using bitter sarcasm.她惯于用尖酸刻薄语言挖苦人。