2006年VOA标准英语-Peruvian Populist Leads Presidential Opini

By Michael Bowman
Lima
06 April 2006

In Peru, a left-leaning populist firebrand has surged to the top of public opinion polls before Sunday's presidential vote. In the first of a two-part series from Lima, VOA's Michael Bowman examines the candidacy of Ollanta Humala, a man who has drawn¹ comparisons to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

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To the sound of Andean folk music, Ollanta Humala took to a dazzlingly glitzy stage in downtown Lima. Thousands of near-delirious supporters roared.

Ollanta Humala greets supporters during a rally for his presidential campaign in Puerto Maldonado   
  

Sporting his trademark² red T-shirt and jeans, Humala paced back and forth³, punctuating⁴ an ear-splitting oratory⁵ with broad hand gestures.

"We need a new foundation for the republic, to build a new society: an egalitarian society where everyone is equal under the law," he said, "and where the law does not favor the rich over the poor; a new society based on solidarity⁶ and dignity. Because, quite simply, in Peru we have a dictatorship of economic powers allied⁷ with trans-national interests."

Humala pledged to terminate tax breaks designed to draw foreign investment, and to wage an all-out battle against corruption⁸. He said politicians have failed the country, and the time has come for change.

"The only ones who should fear change are those who are benefiting economically from the catastrophic situation in which Peru finds itself," he said. "They fear change, the people do not."

Most polls project pro-business candidate Lourdes Flores as the likely second-place finisher in Sunday's vote. A Flores spokesman, Luis Felipe Arizmendi, notes that Peru has logged solid economic growth for four consecutive⁹ years. He admits the country's poor have yet to feel the benefits of an expanding economy, but says Humala's plan is the wrong solution.

"Economic conditions have improved, with greater foreign and domestic investment," he said. "So, radically¹¹ changing the economic and political model could bring irreversible and very dangerous results."

Yet, drastic change is precisely¹² what Lima slum-dweller Roberto Contreras says he wants.

"I would like the person we elect to change the direction of the country, which is going from bad to worse, so that the poor do not become poorer and there is more justice for everyone. A radical¹⁰ change," he said.

Asked what kind of leader he wants, Contreras says, "authoritarian¹³."

Peruvian public-opinion pollster Alfredo Torres says Contreras is not alone in stressing results over the democratic process, a trend that has boosted Ollanta Humala's standings in the polls.

"Humala, as a former military man, is perceived as authoritarian, and there is a segment of the population that wants a president, who exercises more authority," he said. "Behind all of this is a great mistrust of the political class, a feeling that congress does not represent the people. This creates a desire for a strongman who will defend the poor."

But Lima engineering student Carlos Gonzalez says he wants nothing of Humala's populist platform.

"I am concerned about employment and preserving the free market, not interfering¹⁴ with it," he said.

Ollanta Humala  
  
Allegations have surfaced of human rights abuses committed by Humala as an officer during Peru's bloody¹⁵ battle against leftist Shining Path guerrillas. Humala has denied the charges and accused political opponents of smear¹⁶ tactics. He professes¹⁷ admiration¹⁸ for Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, but describes himself as a "populist democrat," not a socialist¹⁹. Nevertheless, Peru's stock market plunged²⁰ recently, when polls showed him pulling ahead of center-right candidate Lourdes Flores.

In a field of some 20 presidential candidates, it appears unlikely that anyone will secure more than 50 percent of the vote needed to avoid a run-off contest. Some political analysts²¹ are predicting, in a second round of balloting²², many smaller parties would band together in opposition²³ to the fiery²⁴ Humala.

1 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

2 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

3 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

4 punctuating   

v.（在文字中）加标点符号，加标点( punctuate的现在分词 )；不时打断某事物

参考例句：

• Finally, it all came to a halt, with only Leehom's laboured breathing punctuating the silence. 最后，一切静止，只剩力宏吃力的呼吸，打破寂静。 来自互联网
• Li, punctuating the air with her hands, her fingernails decorated with pink rose decals. 一边说着，一边用手在空中一挥，指甲上还画了粉红玫瑰图案。 来自互联网

5 oratory   

n.演讲术；词藻华丽的言辞

参考例句：

• I admire the oratory of some politicians.我佩服某些政治家的辩才。
• He dazzled the crowd with his oratory.他的雄辩口才使听众赞叹不已。

6 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

7 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

8 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。

9 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

10 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

11 radically   

ad.根本地，本质地

参考例句：

• I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。
• The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。

12 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

13 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

14 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

15 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

16 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

17 professes   

声称( profess的第三人称单数 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉

参考例句：

• She still professes her innocence. 她仍然声称自己无辜。
• He professes himself to be sad but doesn't look it. 他自称感到悲伤，但外表却看不出来。

18 admiration   

n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕

参考例句：

• He was lost in admiration of the beauty of the scene.他对风景之美赞不绝口。
• We have a great admiration for the gold medalists.我们对金牌获得者极为敬佩。

19 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。

20 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

21 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

22 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

23 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

24 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。