VOA标准英语2013--俄罗斯反同性恋法案引发激烈反应

 

Russia's Anti-Gay Law Sparks Backlash 俄罗斯反同性恋法案引发激烈反应

Russia will host the Winter Olympics in Sochi six months from now, the World Cup in 2018 and is bidding for the World Expo in 2020. But a new law banning expressions of support for gay rights has generated a worldwide backlash.

A gay activist¹ is attacked in front of Moscow's State Duma (parliament) earlier this year. Six more are detained in July after attempting to stage a protest outside a children's library in the Russian capital.

Homophobic violence and stigma² are rampant³ in Russia, even as support for same-sex marriage has steadily⁴ increased in the West.

St. Petersburg's "gay propaganda" ban, adopted nationally and signed by President Vladimir Putin in June, was authored by Russian lawmaker Vitaly Milonov.

"Without a doubt, we will demand that law enforcement employees defend us, defend our children who came here with us, and stop propaganda of sodomy and pedophilia of children," said Milonov.

The law is supposed to protect minors⁵ by banning public discussion of "non-traditional sexual relationships." But critics say it's really an attempt to criminalize homosexuality and Russia's fledgling gay-rights movement.

The legislation is part of a broad attack on civil society groups in Russia, says British human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell.  

"We're seeing journalists, human rights defenders⁶, lawyers and political opposition⁷ activists⁸ being harassed⁹, arrested, and, in some cases, framed on trumped¹⁰ up charges. So that's the context of this new law. Its part of a creeping authoritarianism," said Tatchell.

And that has not gone unnoticed. In the West, gay bars have dumped Russian vodka and there have been calls for a boycott¹¹ of the Sochi Games.

On Saturday, thousands in London and other major cities protested against the anti-gay law. British actor Stephen Fry urged athletes competing at the Olympics to show solidarity¹² with Russia's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community with a simple gesture.

"They just need to show some form of solidarity at the games, because the games are going to happen. They can't chop their arms off before you get into the Olympic village, so just do that [crossing his arms to form an X," said Fry.

President Obama weighed in last week.

"Nobody's more offended than me by some of the anti-gay and lesbian legislation that you've been seeing in Russia," said President Obama.

Russians overwhelmingly support the gay propaganda ban. Peter Tatchell says the country's social conservatism plays into Putin's hands.

"In Russia, the Putin far-right regime, in alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church, is turning homosexuality into a litmus test of Russian identity and culture.It's a very, very good diversionary tactic¹³, and I think Putin and his party are deliberately¹⁴ exploiting it in order to win political advantage and deflect¹⁵ criticism from their own failures," said Tatchell.

Russian officials, including U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin - confronted by protesters in New York last week - say the law does not ban homosexuality but was written to protect children.

Gay rights advocates say it can be used to arrest anyone who appears to support LGBT rights.

1 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。

2 stigma   

n.耻辱，污名；(花的)柱头

参考例句：

• Being an unmarried mother used to carry a social stigma.做未婚母亲在社会上曾是不光彩的事。
• The stigma of losing weighed heavily on the team.失败的耻辱让整个队伍压力沉重。

3 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

4 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

5 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 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》

9 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

10 trumped   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• That woman trumped up various baseless charges against him. 那个女人捏造种种毫无根据的罪名指控他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Several of his colleagues trumped up a complaint to get him removed from the job. 他的几位同事诬告他，使他丟掉了工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

13 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

14 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

15 deflect   

v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向

参考例句：

• Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
• They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。