VOA常速英语2016--美国指责赞比亚限制言论自由

美国指责赞比亚限制言论自由

Many in the international community held high hopes that the 2016 elections in Zambia would signal yet another win for democracy in Africa.

国际社会的很多人都对赞比亚2016年的选举抱以厚望，希望这次选举能预示非洲民主的又一次胜利。

But the run-up to the elections, as well as the post-election environment, were marred¹ by violence, intimidation², and an environment that tilted³ the playing field unfairly in favor of the ruling party. This included the closure of the country's most popular and one of its few independent newspapers.

然而，无论是选举前的准备阶段，还是选举后的国内环境，都因暴力、恐吓以及倾向执政党的不正义天平而蒙羞。其中包括赞比亚最受欢迎的少数独立报纸之一遭到封杀关闭。

The Post Newspaper was shut down by the government revenue service on claims of $6 million worth of unpaid⁴ taxes, while government news outlets⁵ and other entities⁶ that reportedly also owed substantial amounts to the government revenue service remained open.

赞比亚政府税收部门以赞比亚《邮报》拖欠600万税款为名将其关闭。而与之对比的是，据称同样拖欠政府税收部门大量款项的其他一些新闻机构却安然无恙。

After the election, Zambia's broadcasting regulation entity⁷, the Independent Broadcasting Authority, suspended the licenses⁸ of an additional three private media outlets, citing un-professional conduct and unspecified national security grounds. The closure of independent media outlets, without warning, on ill-defined national security grounds carries with it the potential to muzzle⁹ all non-government controlled media outlets and creates a chilling effect on freedom of speech.

赞比亚大选后，其广播监管部门——独立广播局，又以举动不专业以及安全背景不明为由，暂停了另外3家私有媒体机构的营业执照。这几家独立媒体机构毫无征兆地因安全背景不明而被关闭，或许意味着所有非政府控制的媒体机构都将要三缄其口，让自由言论唇亡齿寒。

This is not the way a multiparty democracy operates; it is not the way to help the country unify¹⁰ after a close election; is not the way to give confidence to the international community and outside investors¹¹ that the rule of law is respected and carried out in a consistent manner in Zambia.

这绝不是多党民主制国家应该有的样子；这绝不是帮助赞比亚在大选之后凝聚在一起的良策；这也绝不能让国际社会以及海外投资者相信赞比亚是一个敬畏法律的国度，是一个言行始终如一的国度。

“The United States is disappointed that politically motivated violence and constraints¹² on media freedom have continued after Zambia's August 11 general election,” said State Department Spokesperson John Kirby in a written statement.

美国国务院发言人约翰在一则书面声明中这样写道，“美国对于赞比亚8月11日大选后，对媒体以政治为目的的暴力和约束依然肆虐的情况非常失望”。

“We are especially concerned about the Independent Broadcaster Association's August 22 suspension of three broadcasting licenses, which is a continuation of a troubling pre-electoral trend of restrictions¹³ on independent media voices and freedom of peaceful assembly. Zambia's proud democratic traditions are not enhanced by such restrictions, nor will they help the country to unite and move forward.”

我们对于赞比亚独立广播局8月22日暂停3家独立媒体机构营业执照之事尤为关切，赞比亚政府此举与选举前限制媒体言论与和平集会自由的前科别无两样。这种约束和管制并不能让赞比亚延续其光辉的民主历史，也不能帮助赞比亚凝聚起来，向前发展。

Zambia's election is over, and judicial¹⁴ authorities have carried out their constitutional duties to rule on the challenge to the election results. The United States Government urges the Government of the Republic of Zambia to work with the Zambian Revenue Authority and the Independent Broadcasting Authority to find a way forward that allows all media outlets to freely report.

赞比亚的选举结束了，司法部门已经开始执行其宪法义务，根据选举结果应对相应挑战。美国政府敦促赞比亚政府与赞比亚税收部门和独立广播局一道，寻求媒体自由言论的出口。

 

The free flow of information is an essential element of a democracy. The United States calls on all political actors to meet and seek reconciliation¹⁵ in a display of leadership.

信息自由流动是民主的关键因素之一。美国呼吁所有政治行动者寻求折中的解决办法，展现领导风范。

1 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

2 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

3 tilted   

v. 倾斜的

参考例句：

• Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。

4 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

5 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》

6 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

7 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

8 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

9 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

10 unify   

vt.使联合，统一；使相同，使一致

参考例句：

• How can we unify such scattered islands into a nation?我们怎么才能把如此分散的岛屿统一成一个国家呢？
• It is difficult to imagine how the North and South could ever agree on a formula to unify the divided peninsula.很难想象南北双方在统一半岛的方案上究竟怎样才能达成一致。

11 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

12 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

13 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

14 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

15 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。