VOA常速英语2007-Nepal Ponders Monarchy's Fate Amid Security Conc

By Steve Herman
Kathmandu
10 October 2007

A special session of Nepal's parliament begins Thursday. The session will consider demands by the Maoists to immediately declare the state a republic and create a proportional representation system for nationwide elections. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman in Kathmandu reports that the current political crisis enveloping¹ Nepal is raising security concerns.

Even Nepal's Maoist leaders are not expecting to get their way in the special parliamentary session. The former rebels are pressing for an end to the monarchy³ and to change the electoral system to one they believe will give them a better chance at the polls.

The communists vow⁴ to bring down Nepal's shaky interim⁵ government if their demands are not met. Their leaders also say they would then begin "agitations⁶" nationwide, but they stop short of vowing⁷ to again resort to widespread violence.

Lawmakers in the special session, dominated by the Nepali Congress Party, are unlikely to be cowed by the threats. At most, they are expected to agree to set a new date for nationwide elections - twice delayed this year and last held in 1959.

Voters, whenever they next get to the polls, are to elect a constituent⁸ assembly that would determine the fate of the nearly 240-year-old monarchy, which has been stripped of all but symbolic⁹ power.

The interim coalition¹⁰ government, which the Maoists quit last month, is also hobbled. It has little influence and virtually no presence in most of the countryside, which is considered lawless.

There is speculation¹¹ the vacuum could undermine Nepal's quest for democracy - a goal of last year's peace accord that brought the Maoists out of the jungle and into the political process, ending a decade-long civil war between the communists and pro-monarchy forces.

Some here are alarmed by comments from a leading opposition¹² political leader in India suggesting that India's army could invade to save Nepal's Hindus from the Maoists.

A Maoist leader, C.P. Gajurel, tells VOA that the official denial by India of any such military move is welcome, but does not ease the concerns.

"A very significant section of the army and the politicians [of India] are intervening in the internal situation of Nepal," he said. "So it is very much true that this type of interference is taking place in political as well as security aspects of Nepal."

There is also concern here that Nepal could once again see its army step in to preserve the Shah dynasty and its current, but unpopular monarch², Gyanendra.

One of the country's most influential¹³ civic¹⁴ voices, Himalmedia publisher Kanak Mani Dixit, doubts the army has the motivation to conduct a coup¹⁵ because its traditional leader, the king, has lost credibility among nearly all his subjects.

"So the army therefore would pull back from a coup even though individual generals in the army would feel that is a good idea," he said.

King Gyanendra seized power in early 2005, prompting a mass protest movement. The humiliated¹⁶ monarch was compelled to restore parliament the following year.

The prime minister's national advisor¹⁷, Suresh Chalise, says national elections are the "only way to extricate¹⁸ Nepal from its political morass¹⁹" but that is not going to occur this year as of yet another date for the elections will actually be kept.

1 enveloping   

v.包围，笼罩，包住( envelop的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Always the eyes watching you and the voice enveloping you. 那眼睛总是死死盯着你，那声音总是紧紧围着你。 来自英汉文学
• The only barrier was a mosquito net, enveloping the entire bed. 唯一的障碍是那顶蚊帐罩住整个床。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

4 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

5 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

6 agitations   

（液体等的）摇动( agitation的名词复数 )； 鼓动； 激烈争论； （情绪等的）纷乱

参考例句：

• It was a system that could not endure, and agitations grew louder. 这个系统已经不能持续下去了，而且噪音越来越大。

7 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

8 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

9 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

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 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。

12 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。

13 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

14 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

15 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

16 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

17 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

18 extricate   

v.拯救，救出；解脱

参考例句：

• How can we extricate the firm from this trouble?我们该如何承救公司脱离困境呢？
• She found it impossible to extricate herself from the relationship.她发现不可能把自己从这种关系中解脱出来。

19 morass   

n.沼泽，困境

参考例句：

• I tried to drag myself out of the morass of despair.我试图从绝望的困境中走出来。
• Mathematical knowledge was certain and offered a secure foothold in a morass.数学知识是确定无疑的,它给人们在沼泽地上提供了一个稳妥的立足点。