Reading: Today, we are going to read two excerpts from “The Narrative of Awakening” authored by Hamid Ansari which provides “a glance at Imam Khomeini's ideological, intellectual and political biography” serves as an official account of the events before, during, and after the Islamic Revolution. The first part for today is titled “The Formation of the Islamic Government and the Position of Colonial States” (تشکیل حکومت اسلامی و جبهه گیری دُوَل استعماری), and the second is “The Second Revolution: Capture of the American Spy Nest in Iran” (انقلاب دوم، تسخیر لانه جاسوسی آمریکا در ایران).
Listening: The main listening material for today is a BBC Persian documentary that provides an overview of the events and consequences of the Islamic Revolution.
Additionally, students can also watch a second BBC Persian video focused on the slogans of the revolution. Two more short documentaries from Iran International are also included: one covering the 1979 referendum and the establishment of the new form of government, and another on the Islamic Revolutionary Committee formed shortly after the revolution.
Students are required to pay close attention to the differences in stance and language between official and oppositional accounts of the Islamic Revolution, as reflected in the materials.
Subject of Conversation: 1. What were the causes and the importance of the Islamic Revolution? 2. How did the hostage crisis affect the Iran-American diplomatic relations?
Students will discuss one or both of the assigned topics, with input and guidance from the instructor. This activity will help them actively use newly acquired vocabulary and develop their ability to express complex opinions in Persian.
Homework:
- Please read the texts of both Persian-language excerpts and study the vocabulary.
- a. Compose 15 sentences from the words you’ve learned today. b. Choose a 2-minute segment from the additional listening materials. Transcribe the excerpt and translate any unfamiliar words or expressions into English.
- Make sure to prepare for tomorrow’s discussion.
Vocabulary (Reading, First Part):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| جبهه‌گیری | jebhegiri | taking a stance, positioning |
| دول (مفرد: دولت) | doval (sing. doulat) | states, governments |
| استعماری | este‘māri | colonial |
| همانگونه | hamāngune | just as, likewise |
| دولتمرد | doulatmard | statesman |
| از دیدگاه | az didgāh-e | from the perspective of |
| گذشته از آنکه | gozašte az ānke | aside from the fact that |
| امواج (مفرد: موج) | amvāj (sing. mouj) | waves |
| ممالک (مفرد: مملکت) | mamālek (sing. mamlakat) | countries |
| بلاد (مفرد: بلد) | belād (sing. balad) | countries, regions, cities |
| متزلزل کردن | motazalzel kardan | to destabilize |
| صدور | sodur | export, issuance |
| به حرکت درآمدن | be harakat darāmadan | to get into motion |
| خیزش | xizeš | uprising, surge |
| ناگزیر | nāgozir | indispensable, inevitable; helpless |
| لشکرکشی | laškarkeši | military expedition |
| ملهم | molham | inspired |
| جنگ جهانی دوم | jang-e jahāni-ye dovvom | World War II |
| نظم | nazm | order |
| ظالمانه | zālemāne | oppressive, tyrannical |
| حکمفرما بودن | hokmfarmā budan | to dominate, to rule |
| غالب | γāleb | dominant |
| ورشو | varšou | Warsaw |
| نگهبان | negahbān | guard, protector |
| نفرت‌انگیز | nefratangiz | hateful, repugnant |
| تحول | tahavvol | development |
| خارج از | xārej az | outside of, apart from |
| وابستگی | vābastegi | relation, dependence |
| قطب | qotb | pole |
| امکان یافتن | emkān yāftan | to become possible |
| شعار | šo‘ār | slogan, motto, chant |
| مستکبر | mostakber | oppressor |
| درافتادن | dar oftādan | to engage, to oppose |
| تحمیل کردن | tahmil kardan | to impose |
| حرکت‌زا | harakatzā | movement-inducing, stimulating |
| پهنه | pahne | scene |
| به عمل آمدن | be ‘amal āmadan | to be carried out, to take place |
| معجزه | mo‘jeze | miracle |
| مانستن | mānestan | to resemble |
| عادی | āddi | ordinary |
| توده | tude | mass |
| رخداد | roxdād | event, happening |
| دخیل بودن | daxil budan | to be involved |
| واپسین | vāpasin | last |
| ناممکن دانستن | nāmomken dānestan | to consider impossible |
Vocabulary (First Documentary):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| بی‌نظیر | binazir | unparalleled, unique |
| طیف | teyf | spectrum |
| سهمگین | sahmgin | dreadful, menacing |
| مستأصل کردن | mosta‘sal kardan | to drive to extremes, to make helpless |
| تعویض | ta‘viz | replacement, compensation |
| بی‌حاصل | bihāsel | fruitless |
| به نابودی بردن | be nābudi bordan | to destroy, to annihilate |
| پشتیبانی | poštibāni | support, backing |
| انقلاب سفید | enqelāb-e sefid | White Revolution |
| یک رشته | yek rešte | a series (of) |
| اصلاحات (مفرد: اصلاح) | eslāhāt (sing. eslāh) | reforms |
| به موازات | be movāzāt | parallel to |
| سهیم کردن | sahim kardan | to make someone participate, to allocate a share |
| مالکیت | mālekiyyat | ownership, possession |
| حق رأی | haqq-e ra’y | right to vote |
| سرسخت | sarsaxt | stubborn, hardline |
| بازداشت شدن | bāzdāšt šodan | to be arrested |
| هوادار | havādār | supporter |
| متعارض | mota‘ārez | protester, opponent |
| مستشار | mostašār | advisor |
| به تندی | be tondi | sharply, harshly |
| رهایی بخشیدن | rahāyi baxšidan | to liberate, to set free |
| مستعار | mosta‘ār | transient, fictitious, metaphorical |
| زیر سؤال بردن | zir-e so’āl bordan | to question, to challenge |
| چهلم | čehelom | fortieth day (commemoration after death) |
| مرگبار | margbār | deadly |
| نوید | navid | good news |
| وحشت | vahšat | fear, panic |
| آتش‌سوزی | ātašsuzi | fire |
| به جا گذاشتن | be jā gozāštan | to leave behind |
| بدنام کردن | badnām kardan | to discredit, to defame |
| تکذیب کردن | takzib kardan | to deny |
| مقررات | moqararāt | regulations |
| حکومت نظامی | hokūmat-e nezāmi | martial law |
| اعتناء کردن | e‘tenā kardan | to pay attention |
| راهی شدن | rāhi šodan | to set off, to depart for |
| کانون | kānun | center |
| زندانی سیاسی | zendāni-ye siyāsi | political prisoner |
| رخ دادن | rox dādan | to happen, to occur |
| ارتشبد | artešbod | general (top military rank in Iran) |
| اعتصاب | e‘tesāb | strike |
| کمبود | kambud | shortage |
| مواجه شدن | movājeh šodan | to face |
| تظاهرات | tazāhorāt | protests, demonstrations |
| به راه افتادن | be rāh oftādan | to start up, to be launched |