2006年VOA标准英语-Singapore's Younger Lee Shows Business Sen

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Singapore
07 May 2006
  

Lee Hsien Loong  
  
With his sweeping¹ election victory Saturday, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has completed a long apprenticeship² as the son of his country's founding father, Lee Kwan Yew³. He has extensive economic experience, and has indicated that he might give Singaporeans some respite⁴ from the iron-fisted control his father exercised.

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After the victory of his People's Action Party, or PAP, was confirmed with 66.6 percent of the vote, Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong held out the possibility of freer public expression in this tightly controlled society.

"Our unity⁵ and cohesion⁶ has been one of Singapore's key strengths, and we must continue to encourage honest, open, serious debate on issues, because neither the PAP nor the government - nor, may I say, the opposition⁷ - has all the solutions and answers to all the questions and problems," he said.

Mr. Lee has been prime minister since 2004, when he was appointed to the office. Since then, he has taken very small steps toward a more liberal society.

While strict limits remain on freedom of the press and assembly, his government now allows gatherings⁸, in hotels, of more than five people. He has liberalized somewhat the ability of people born abroad to acquire Singaporean citizenship⁹.

These are not the sweeping changes the government's critics would like to see. But Sinapan Samydorai, president of the Think Centre, which promotes greater political openness in the country, speaks favorably of Mr. Lee.

"So, I think, under him, he does want to open up a little bit more, and, I think, he wants to relate with the younger generation," said Sinapan Samydorai.

The eldest¹⁰ son of Singapore's founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, was groomed¹¹ from an early age to follow in his father's footsteps.

Lee Hsien Loong was educated at Cambridge and Harvard. He returned home in 1980 to serve in Singapore's armed forces, and retired¹² as a brigadier general in 1984, when he was elected to parliament at the age of 32.

Like everything else in Singapore politics, his rise through the ranks of the ruling People's Action Party was carefully orchestrated by the elder Mr. Lee, who did not want to be seen pushing a dynastic succession.

Lee Kuan Yew stepped down as prime minister in 1990, after 31 years in power, to be replaced by Goh Chok Tong. Lee Hsien Loong became Mr. Goh's deputy prime minister, and - it was widely assumed - prime minister-in-waiting.

During his apprenticeship years, Mr. Lee gained experience in the workings of the economy, which he will need to continue his father's success in making Singapore an economic power.

He was acting¹³ minister for trade and industry in 1986. He was appointed chairman of the Monetary¹⁴ Authority of Singapore in 1998, and Minister for Finance in 2001.

Now 54-years-old, he speaks of the importance of fiscal¹⁵ responsibility.

"Our budget is important. We manage to balance our budget most years on average. We don't just spend, if we don't have money. We don't spend, if we don't need to spend. You spend only if you need to, and we make sure that we can afford it," he summarized.

Singaporeans have complained in the past that Mr. Lee comes across as stiff. But, perhaps, his troubled personal life - he overcame cancer, his first wife died, and their son is autistic - has softened¹⁶ his image. He also had a daughter with his first wife, and three children with his second.

Since becoming prime minister, he has shown a warmer and more human side than his father in speeches and campaign appearances.

Judging by the size of Mr. Lee's election victory, it would seem that, for now, at least, he has the confidence of the Singapore public.

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 apprenticeship   

n.学徒身份；学徒期

参考例句：

• She was in the second year of her apprenticeship as a carpenter. 她当木工学徒已是第二年了。
• He served his apprenticeship with Bob. 他跟鲍勃当学徒。

3 yew   

n.紫杉属树木

参考例句：

• The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
• All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。

4 respite   

n.休息，中止，暂缓

参考例句：

• She was interrogated without respite for twenty-four hours.她被不间断地审问了二十四小时。
• Devaluation would only give the economy a brief respite.贬值只能让经济得到暂时的缓解。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 cohesion   

n.团结，凝结力

参考例句：

• I had to bring some cohesion into the company.我得使整个公司恢复凝聚力。
• The power of culture is deeply rooted in the vitality,creativity and cohesion of a nation. 文化的力量，深深熔铸在民族的生命力、创造力和凝聚力之中。

7 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。

8 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

9 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

10 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

11 groomed   

v.照料或梳洗（马等）( groom的过去式和过去分词 )；使做好准备；训练；（给动物）擦洗

参考例句：

• She is always perfectly groomed. 她总是打扮得干净利落。
• Duff is being groomed for the job of manager. 达夫正接受训练，准备当经理。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

14 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

15 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

16 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。