2007年VOA标准英语-South Korean President 'Might Quit' Party to Wo

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
11 January 2007

South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun has gone on live television for the second time in three days to promote his constitutional proposal on changing the length of presidential terms. Although he says he will not resign the presidency¹ early over the issue, he says he is willing to break from his own political party if it will help overcome opposition². VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul.

People at a waiting room of Seoul train station watch President Roh Moo-hyun deliver a speech, 9 Jan 2007

In a voice resonant³ with emotion, President Roh Moo-hyun defended a proposal he had unveiled two days earlier for changing the length of time a South Korean president serves.

Mr. Roh says he will consider quitting his Uri political party if it will help overcome opposition to his revision proposal.

Later Thursday, however, he dismissed speculation⁴ that he would resign office over the issue.

Mr. Roh's proposed change would allow future presidents to serve up to two four-year terms, instead of the single five-year term the constitution currently allows. He says the present moment offers the best opportunity to start a dialogue, because campaigns for presidential and legislative⁵ elections will begin soon, and will stretch over the next year and a half.

Just hours before the president's televised news conference, his second one this week, leaders of South Korea's four largest opposition parties boycotted⁶ a scheduled luncheon⁷ meeting at which he was to explain the proposal to them.

Mr. Roh lambasted the main opposition Grand National Party, or GNP, Thursday for imposing⁸ what he described as a "gag order" on the democratic process.

He says the GNP's refusal to engage in debate on the issue is similar to a rejection⁹ of democracy itself.

Mr. Roh's approval ratings hover¹⁰ at around 10 percent, amid widespread perception that he has mishandled security and economic issues. Political experts say his offer to quit the Uri Party holds little value, since most key members of the party are already expected to desert him next month to form a new political faction¹¹.

GNP spokeswoman Na Kyong-won suggests the president's insistence¹² on the issue's urgency is an attempt to revive his own prestige before leaving the presidency.

She calls on Mr. Roh to cease immediately what she calls his politically motivated discussion of the issue.

Former GNP Chairwoman Park Geun-hae, widely seen as a leading candidate to replace Mr. Roh when his term expires in early 2008, says the country cannot afford to open the debate at this time.

She says starting the debate now will draw too many political resources away from other issues of public importance.

Recent polls show many South Koreans support the basic idea of reforming the constitution. Mr. Roh's opponents, however, say the time to begin the process is after next December's presidential election.

1 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

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 resonant   

adj.(声音)洪亮的，共鸣的

参考例句：

• She has a resonant voice.她的嗓子真亮。
• He responded with a resonant laugh.他报以洪亮的笑声。

4 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

5 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。

6 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

7 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

8 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

9 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

10 hover   

vi.翱翔，盘旋；徘徊；彷徨，犹豫

参考例句：

• You don't hover round the table.你不要围着桌子走来走去。
• A plane is hover on our house.有一架飞机在我们的房子上盘旋。

11 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

12 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。