2007年VOA标准英语-Serbians Vote in First Parliament Election in T

By Barry Wood
Belgrade
21 January 2007

ethnic1 Albanian man casts his ballot2 with his son at a polling station in Presevo, 21 Jan 2007" hspace="2" src="/upimg/allimg/070517/1045200.jpg" width="210" vspace="2" border="0" />

An ethnic Albanian man casts his ballot with his son at a polling station in Presevo, 21 Jan 2007

Citizens of Serbia are casting ballots³ in the country's first parliamentary election since neighboring Montenegro withdrew from its federation⁴ with Serbia last year. VOA's Barry Wood reports from Belgrade that good weather may be boosting voter turnout beyond the 59 percent recorded in December 2003.

In Belgrade sunny skies and warm temperatures made this election day feel more like spring than winter.

Polling stations in the capital registered a brisk early turnout, but by mid-afternoon no lines were apparent in the city center. The mood is relaxed, with some voters saying the election is unlikely to have much impact.

Several hundred international observers are monitoring the election. Voters are choosing a 250-seat parliament. More than six million people are eligible⁵ to vote at 3,000 polling stations across the country.

In the southern province of Kosovo only the minority Serbs are casting ballots.

No single party is expected to gain a majority, but analysts⁶ are watching to see which of the three largest parties will do best.

It has been expected that the nationalist Radical⁷ Party, whose leader is on trial for war crimes, would be the largest vote-getter with up to 30 percent support. But the Democrats⁸ of President Boris Tadic have been making advances and could challenge the Radicals⁹. Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica's conservative Democratic Party of Serbia is expected to get about 20 percent of the vote.

Barring a major surprise, the next government is likely to be a coalition¹⁰ comprising the president and prime minister's parties with additional support from smaller groupings.

While economic issues dominated the campaign, Kosovo's future status has loomed¹¹ large. A U.N. envoy¹² is expected to soon propose measures that could lead to independence for the territory, which is the wish of Kosovo's 90 percent ethnic Albanian majority.

All of the three major Serbian parties oppose independence, but they do not advocate military action against the NATO-led forces stationed in Kosovo.

Preliminary results from the Serbian election are expected not long after voting ends.

1 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

2 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。

3 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》

4 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

5 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

6 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。

7 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。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 loomed   

v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• A dark shape loomed up ahead of us. 一个黑糊糊的影子隐隐出现在我们的前面。
• The prospect of war loomed large in everyone's mind. 战事将起的庞大阴影占据每个人的心。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。