2006年VOA标准英语-Protesters Block Swazi-South Africa Border

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
12 April 2006

South African labor¹ unions and other organizations are forcing a slowdown in cross-border traffic at three of the country's five border posts with Swaziland.  The enforced slowdown is part of a one-day protest.

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The protest is being staged in support of Swaziland opposition² groups demanding greater democracy in the landlocked kingdom.  Swaziland has been ruled by royal decree since 1973 when the late King Sobhuza the Second suspended the constitution and outlawed³ political parties.

The current monarch⁴, Mswati the Third continues to wield⁵ overall authority, despite the adoption⁶ of a new constitution in February that proclaimed freedom of association and of speech, but did not guarantee rights of political activity.

The protest is being led by the powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions, known as COSATU, and the South African Communist Party.  Both are part of the Swaziland Solidarity⁷ Network. 

Speaking on national radio, COSATU Secretary General Zwelinzima Vavi said that the protesters are serving notice on the Swazi leaders that their brand of government no longer has any place in Africa.

"And we want to send a strong signal to the regime in Swaziland that it cannot be an island surrounded by a sea of democracies," he said.  "Swaziland is the only country where there is no free political activity in the entire SADC region and this should not be allowed and tolerated any further."

Vavi also said African leaders, including the Southern Africa Development Community, are not using their authority to protect the rights of Swazi nationals.

"Surely, we think that there has been no action whatsoever⁸, and I want to see anyone making a case that they have been putting pressure on Swaziland to democratize," he added.  "We think SADC have been paying lip service to this issue, and we think that the African Union has completely failed the people of Swaziland in terms of coming upfront to condemn⁹ dictatorship, to condemn the fact that people cannot assemble, and that political organizations are banned here and that nobody has the freedom of speech."

While there has been limited resistance in the past in Swaziland, last year there was a series of fire bombings that damaged buildings.  Sixteen members of the outlawed People's United Democratic Movement were arrested on charges of sedition¹⁰ and high treason.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 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。

3 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

4 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

5 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

6 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

7 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。

8 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

9 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

10 sedition   

n.煽动叛乱

参考例句：

• Government officials charged him with sedition.政府官员指控他煽动人们造反。
• His denial of sedition was a denial of violence.他对煽动叛乱的否定又是对暴力的否定。