VOA慢速英语2013 Venezuela Mourns President Hugo Chavez

 

Venezuela Mourns President Hugo Chavez

From VOA Learning English, this is IN THE NEWS in Special English.

Venezuelans are remembering President Hugo Chavez, who died after a heart attack earlier this week. The president had not been seen in public since December.

For the past two years, Hugo Chavez battled pelvic cancer. He returned to Venezuela last month following medical treatment in Cuba. He was unable to attend swearing-in ceremonies for another term in office in January. 

On Tuesday, Venezuelan Vice¹ President Nicolas Maduro announced the death of President Chavez. 

"We're going to miss him until the last day of our lives but we carry on his legacy² here and we will carry it on with strength. May our people know that the democratic, revolutionary, anti-imperialist and socialist³ legacy of our Comandante is carried on with firmness, with absolute loyalty⁴.''   

Mr. Maduro said the leader’s body will be treated so people can see it for many years to come. He accused Venezuela’s enemies of attacking the president with cancer. He did not say how that could have been done.

Hugo Chavez dreamed of playing major league baseball in the United States, but instead chose to join the Venezuelan army. He was jailed in 1992 for leading an unsuccessful attempt to oust⁵ then-president Carlos Andres Perez.

In 1998, Hugo Chavez was himself elected president after promising⁶ to end poverty and corruption⁷. 

To help finance social programs, he nationalized, or seized control of, major businesses, including oil companies. Millions of Venezuelans loved him for using the country’s oil wealth to provide low-cost food, free medical care and other programs. However, the United States and much of Latin America criticized President Chavez for his social policies and for nationalizing companies. They also disapproved⁸ of his ties with Cuba, Iran and Libya. 

Mr. Maduro will lead Venezuela until new elections are held.

Observers are wondering what will happen to relations between Venezuela and the United States in the coming months. After the Venezuelan leader’s death, President Obama said the United States was re-confirming its support for the Venezuelan people. President Chavez repeatedly accused the United States of working against his socialist revolution. In 2002, the Bush administration supported an effort to oust the Venezuelan leader. The overthrow⁹ attempt failed.

Over the years, Venezuela has remained a major supplier of oil to the United States. It also provides free heating oil to poor Americans through a non-profit group.

Philip Brenner is with American University in Washington. He says relations between the nations would be better if the United States recognized Venezuela’s actions and not symbolic¹⁰ speech. 

"I think the important thing to remember about Venezuela is that they have never even threatened to cut off our oil. Venezuela has done nothing to actually harm U.S. interests except to challenge U.S. dominance."

Shortly after the death of President Chavez, Vice President Maduro announced the expulsion of two American diplomats¹¹. He said they were planning to weaken the Venezuelan government. The United States has rejected his claim. 

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

3 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

4 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

5 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

6 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

7 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。

8 disapproved   

v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

10 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

11 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》