VOA常速英语2007-Bhutto Pledges Return to Democracy on Eve of Hom

By Barry Newhouse
Islamabad
17 October 2007

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto says her arrival in Pakistan on Thursday will mark the country's transition from dictatorship to democracy. In a televised address from Dubai carried live on major Pakistani news channels, Ms. Bhutto also denied reaching a power-sharing deal with President Pervez Musharraf. VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad.

Speaking in Dubai, former Prime Minister Bhutto said she expects more than one-million people to greet her when she arrives in Karachi despite threats of attacks from Islamic militants¹.

"My return heralds² for the people of Pakistan, the turn in the wheel from dictatorship to democracy, from exploitation to empowerment, from violence to peace," she said.

In Karachi, police are sealing off roads and preparing bomb squads³ for Ms. Bhutto's arrival Thursday.

At a news conference in Dubai, Ms. Bhutto said any attacker would regret trying to assassinate⁴ her, because it would violate the tenets of Islam.

Politicians with fundamentalist Muslim parties have warned that Ms. Bhutto's arrival could damage efforts to end fighting in tribal⁵ areas. She has pledged to support President Musharraf's campaign against militants.

Ms. Bhutto denied allegations that her Pakistan People's Party negotiated a secret power-sharing deal with President Musharraf. His government has agreed to drop corruption⁶ charges against her, and many Pakistanis believe the PPP agreed in return not to boycott⁷ Mr. Musharraf's presidential election.

"I would like to clarify that as far as the Pakistan People's Party is concerned, we have not done any deal," she said.

She said her party had conducted what she called "negotiations⁸" for the transition to democracy. Mr. Musharraf came to power in 1999 in a military coup⁹ and he remains¹⁰ head of the army, as well as president.

The Supreme¹¹ Court is considering legal challenges to the constitutionality of her amnesty deal.

 

In a separate case challenging the recent deportation¹² of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, justices ordered the head of the immigration agency to explain who was involved in Mr. Sharif's expulsion.

General Musharraf ousted¹³ Mr. Sharif in 1999 and forced him into exile. Last month, he tried to return, but government officials immediately sent him back out of the country.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 heralds   

n.使者( herald的名词复数 )；预报者；预兆；传令官v.预示( herald的第三人称单数 )；宣布（好或重要）

参考例句：

• The song of birds heralds the approach of spring. 百鸟齐鸣报春到。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountain. 山雨欲来风满楼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 squads   

n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍

参考例句：

• Anti-riot squads were called out to deal with the situation. 防暴队奉命出动以对付这一局势。 来自辞典例句
• Three squads constitute a platoon. 三个班组成一个排。 来自辞典例句

4 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

5 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

6 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

7 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

8 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

9 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。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

12 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

13 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。