VOA慢速英语2011-Tunisians Mourn Losses in Jasmine Revolut

Tunisia is observing three days of mourning for people killed in the revolution that ousted¹ the president a week ago. As many as one hundred people may have died since the start of the uprising in December.

The former president, Zine el-Abidene Ben Ali, held power for twenty-three years.

A temporary government has offered a general pardon to political prisoners and agreed to recognize banned political parties. The acting² prime minister, Mohammed Ghannouchi, has also removed all restrictions³ on the media.

The interim⁴ government promises to hold elections. And it has arrested members of Mr. Ben Ali's family for investigation⁵ of corruption⁶.

But protesters in Tunis and elsewhere continued to demand the removal of any officials from the old ruling party.

(SOUND)

On Friday, the first day of national mourning, protesters in Tunis welcomed police officers who joined them for the first time.

A soldier stands with flowers in the barrel of his gun as Tunisians protest outside the headquarters of the ousted president's party in Tunis this week

Still, the situation calmed enough this week for the government to announce that schools and universities will reopen next week.

The protests grew out of anger over high unemployment and food prices, which are currently reaching new highs on world markets. The question now is how much the events in Tunisia will influence people in other countries, like this man in Algeria.

MAN (TRANSLATED): "Our problem is not to do with cooking oil, sugar or semolina. Our problem is with the injustice⁷, the plundering⁸ of wealth and oppression."

Maha Azzam is a North Africa expert at Chatham House, a research organization in London.

MAHA AZZAM: "Over the next few months leading up to the presidential elections, if we see protests on the streets in Egypt then we are underway to some very serious change in a key country in the region."

In Cairo, a protester set himself on fire outside the parliament building. People have also burned themselves in other countries -- all reminders⁹ of the act of resistance that started the revolution in Tunisia. Mohamed Bouazizi, a vegetable seller, became so tired of abusive officials that he set himself on fire and later died.

The events in Tunisia are being called the Jasmine Revolution after the national flower. But Tunisia is in many ways an exception in the Arab world.

Former Tunisian president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali making a speech on Tunisian TV earlier this month

It has a solid middle class built by an economy not tied to oil production. It has a high level of education and more equal rights between men and women. And it has a popular army that has largely stayed out of politics.

One political expert says even the corruption was different, limited mainly to the former president and his family.

This week, Arab leaders held an economic summit meeting in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak called for investment in young people.

(SOUND)

Employment is a major priority, he said, along with education, economic growth and social and human development.

Arab League Secretary General Amr Moussa told the leaders that -- in his words -- "the Arab soul is broken." He warned them that "the Tunisian revolution is not far from us."

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. You can share comments, and read what other people are saying, at voaspecialenglish.com and on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I'm Steve Ember.

1 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 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

4 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

8 plundering   

掠夺，抢劫( plunder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The troops crossed the country, plundering and looting as they went. 部队经过乡村，一路抢劫掳掠。
• They amassed huge wealth by plundering the colonies. 他们通过掠夺殖民地聚敛了大笔的财富。

9 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。