妇女在阿富汗大选中起到举足轻重的作用

Women Playing a Major Role in Afghan

Elections as Candidates and Voters

妇女在阿富汗大选中起到举足轻重的作用

 

Rahima Jami is a high school principal from Herat province, running for parliament in Afghanistan's first legislative¹ elections in decades.

 

Ms. Jami is an advocate for women's rights, but on this day, she is addressing an audience of men only.

 

Rahima Jami: I have tried first to get the men to listen and then the women. I noticed this brought me good results. Because in Afghan society, if a man can agree with what a woman says, this is excellent, then we all can agree.

 

Ms. Jami is one of several hundred women among some 3,000 candidates running for parliament in Sunday's elections.

 

When the Taleban regime seized power in 1996, it barred women from working and girls from studying. Women were often beaten if they went outside without wearing a head-to-toe burqa.

 

But since U.S.-led forces ousted² the Taleban government in 2001, Afghanistan has set up a democratic system of government and the lives of many women have improved. Under the new Afghan law, women are guaranteed one quarter of the 249 national assembly seats.

 

Lina Abirafeh, who works on the United Nations and Afghan government group organizing Sunday's elections, says women are already playing a more prominent role in public life.

 

Lina Abirafeh: It's important to look at how far Afghanistan has come in such a short time, there is a very progressive quota³ in place and this quota, 25 percent of the seats (in parliament) reserved for women was decided⁴ in the Afghan constitution by Afghans themselves. So there is an initiative by Afghans to promote women, to level the playing field and women understand that they have a right and a responsibility to play an active role in political life and in public life and they're doing so.

 

Still, women candidates face obstacles above and beyond those of Afghan men in this conservative Muslim society.

 

Taleban insurgents⁵ have threatened to kill women taking part in the election. On Wednesday, a female candidate in eastern Nuristan province survived an assassination⁶ attempt after attackers fired at her while she was campaigning.

 

A recent report by the rights group, Human Rights Watch, in New York says that in some Taleban stronghold provinces, several seats will remain empty because there are so few women candidates. The group warns of an "underlying⁷ climate of fear among many voters and candidates, especially in rural areas."

 

And in a country where most people are illiterate⁸, civic⁹ education officers like Emily Yelenek must teach voters their basic rights.

 

Emily Yelenek: I think people are interested but a lot of women don't understand what this election is about and what the parliament actually means. So it's our job really to explain to people what the elections are and what the parliament is, what the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House) is, what the provincial¹⁰ councils do and, you know, what their rights are fundamentally.

 

Many people, like one woman from Herat province, also complain that they do not know anything about the candidates.

 

One Woman: During the Taleban years, the country broke down, there were no schools, so people emigrated to Iran and Pakistan and other countries. Now they have just returned, some aren't even from Herat, and we don't know who these candidates are.

 

Whatever the outcome on Sunday, observers say that the elections will be a critical test of women's freedom to take part in Afghanistan's political life.

 

注释：

principal [5prinsEp(E)l] n. 负责人，校长

bar [bB:(r)] vt. 禁止

burqa 穆斯林女子在公众场合下穿的那种蒙住全身只留眼睛的长袍

prominent [5prCminEnt] adj. 显著的，突出的

obstacle [5CbstEkl] n. 障碍

conservative [kEn5sE:vEtiv] adj. 保守的，守旧的

assassination [E7sAsi5neiFEn] n. 暗杀

stronghold [5strRNhEuld] n. 要塞，据点 

Leta Hong Fincher, VOA news.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 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。

3 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。

4 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

5 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

6 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

7 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

8 illiterate   

adj.文盲的；无知的；n.文盲

参考例句：

• There are still many illiterate people in our country.在我国还有许多文盲。
• I was an illiterate in the old society,but now I can read.我这个旧社会的文盲，今天也认字了。

9 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

10 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。