非洲—利比里亚人期望选举会成为一个转折点

Liberians Hope Election Marks Turning Point

利比里亚人期望选举会成为一个转折点

 

Voting day Tuesday was a celebration of democracy - huge crowds waiting patiently to cast their ballots² under searing sun and occasional drops of rain.

 

For the top American official attending, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer, it marked the first step to rehabilitation³.

 

Jendayi Frazer: This election is the first step of the Liberian people to return their country to democracy, prosperity and to create a stable country here. These elections definitely mark the end of the war in Liberia.

 

But for the leading presidential candidate, former soccer star George Weah, the more definitive⁴ turning point was when tens of thousands of civil combatants agreed to disarm⁵, since the conflict ended two years ago.

 

George Weah: I was part of the disarmament team and when I spoke⁶ to them to disarm. They were willing to disarm and the only thing I said to disarm for the country, to be stable for them, to be peaceful, because if they don't disarm, they are going to go back to war. Not the politicians, because were going to jump on the next flight to go and wait after they finish killing⁷ each other. We're going to come back, we will come to rule them. So they understand that message and that's why, today, they are all ready for this change.

 

A main presidential challenger, former Finance Minister Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, told VOA she believes the turning point will come when development finally arrives in a country with many natural resources, but only 200 kilometers of paved roads, no electricity or running water.

 

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: We have always been underdeveloped, which means, over the years, we have not responded to the needs of our people adequately. We have not had a strong development agenda. We had a country that was never developed to the point of our resource capability⁸.

 

For U.N. Mission Spokesman Paul Risley, the presence of more than 15,000 peacekeepers allowed the peaceful transition to take place. He says security has been the key issue so far. But he says, in the future, ending corruption⁹ will be the priority for Liberia.

 

Paul Risley: It has been quite clear, in the past, that both officials of government and officials with special interests in Liberia have managed to continue to siphon off most of the money that has come to this country and development aid. If a new, elected government is to have a significant impact on Liberia's future; it must put a stop to corruption and must therefore be in a position to encourage the international community to provide both aid and investment.

 

For Monrovia businessman Emmanuel Miller¹⁰, Election Day was crucial. He says the most-important thing is which president comes out as winner.

 

Emmanuel Miller: I think Liberian needs a leader that the international community will be able to work with and - second of all - we need a leader with respect. We need a leader with integrity. We want a person that will have this country at his breast. In Liberian English, they say, 'your heart, my heart.' We want to see the person, that if Liberia is crying, they want to know why the Liberians are crying.

 

For her part, another Monrovia resident - Lidyah Conneh - places all her faith in the election process to save future generations from the chaos¹¹ and destruction she has known and she continues to see.

 

Lidyah Conneh: Now, in this country, the prostitution, the drug dealers¹², the rates are so high. We suffer for so long. We are just begging the people to shine their eyes and give the right vote for this country. That is why we give this election to the all mighty¹³ God. Only He can decide and I know, with His power, He is going to speak to His people. That is why nothing is impossible with God. He is going to help us.

 

Nico Colombant, VOA News, Monrovia.

 

注释：

ballot¹ [5bAlEt] n. 选举票

searing [5siEriN] adj. 灼热的

rehabilitation [5ri:(h)E7bili5teiFEn] n. 复原

combatant [5kCmbEtEnt] n. 战士

disarmament [dis5B:mEmEnt] n. 裁军

agenda [E5dVendE] n. 议程

transition [trAn5ziVEn] n. 转换，过渡

siphon off 吸纳

Monrovia [mEn5rEuviE] n. 蒙罗维亚，利比里亚首都

crucial [5kru:F(E)l] adj. 极重要的，有决定性的

integrity [in5te^riti] n. 正直，诚实

chaos [5 keiCs] n. 混乱

prostitution [7prCsti5tju:FEn] n. 卖淫

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

4 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

5 disarm   

v.解除武装，回复平常的编制，缓和

参考例句：

• The world has waited 12 years for Iraq to disarm. 全世界等待伊拉克解除武装已有12年之久。
• He has rejected every peaceful opportunity offered to him to disarm.他已经拒绝了所有能和平缴械的机会。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

9 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。

10 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

11 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

12 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

13 mighty   

adj.强有力的；巨大的

参考例句：

• A mighty force was about to break loose.一股巨大的力量即将迸发而出。
• The mighty iceberg came into view.巨大的冰山出现在眼前。