VOA常速英语2007年-Venezuela Defends Chavez After Spat With Spanis

Washington
12 November 2007

Venezuelan officials are blasting Spain's king after the monarch¹ told President Hugo Chavez to "shut up" at the close of the Ibero-American summit in Santiago, Chile. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Washington, the verbal spat² stole the spotlight³ from the gathering⁴ of leaders from Latin America, Spain and Portugal.

The yearly Ibero-American summit is known for generating often-bland plenary statements, not heated verbal salvos between participants. Saturday, a speech by President Chavez in which he labeled former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar a "fascist⁵" later prompted blunt words from an irate⁶ King Juan Carlos of Spain.

The king said, "Why do you not shut up?"

In Caracas Sunday, Vice⁷ President Jorge Rodriguez suggested the Spanish monarch may have forgotten that Latin America achieved its independence from Spain long ago, and said the king's words were "unacceptable".

He said, "Mr. Juan Carlos can treat his subjects in that fashion if they permit him to do so. But we Venezuelans are a free and sovereign people constructing our own future. No one can speak vulgar words to deny Venezuela's chief of state the right to speak. Nothing and no one will ever silence him [Chavez]."

President Chavez has long criticized former Prime Minister Aznar for joining with the United States in the 2003 invasion of Iraq that toppled Saddam Hussein. The current Spanish prime minister, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, also opposed Spain's participation⁸ in the Iraq campaign. But, speaking at the summit, he reminded Mr. Chavez that his predecessor⁹ was legitimately¹⁰ elected by the people of Spain -- and deserved to be spoken of with respect.

He said, "President Hugo Chavez, I believe there is a principle in dialogue and that is, to respect and to be respected, we must try not to disregard others. We can disagree entirely¹¹ with someone's ideas or behavior without insulting them."

Mr. Chavez repeatedly tried to interrupt the Spanish leader, but his microphone was turned off. It was at that point that King Juan Carlos, seated a few meters away, leaned forward and uttered his now-famous exhortation¹² to the Venezuelan leader.

The sharp words made headlines and have provoked commentary throughout the Spanish-speaking world and beyond. In a written statement published by Cuban state media, President Fidel Castro - who did not attend the summit - backed what he called President Chavez' "devastating¹³ criticisms" of Europe.

For his part, the Venezuelan leader has downplayed the controversy¹⁴. Speaking with reporters, Mr. Chavez said he did not hear King Juan Carlos' outburst at the time. Mr. Chavez added that he never meant for his choice of words to offend anybody at the summit, but that he stood by those words nonetheless.

1 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。

2 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

3 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 fascist   

adj.法西斯主义的；法西斯党的；n.法西斯主义者，法西斯分子

参考例句：

• The strikers were roughed up by the fascist cops.罢工工人遭到法西斯警察的殴打。
• They succeeded in overthrowing the fascist dictatorship.他们成功推翻了法西斯独裁统治。

6 irate   

adj.发怒的，生气

参考例句：

• The irate animal made for us,coming at a full jump.那头发怒的动物以最快的速度向我们冲过来。
• We have received some irate phone calls from customers.我们接到顾客打来的一些愤怒的电话

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

9 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

10 legitimately   

ad.合法地；正当地，合理地

参考例句：

• The radio is legitimately owned by the company. 该电台为这家公司所合法拥有。
• She looked for nothing save what might come legitimately and without the appearance of special favour. 她要的并不是男人们的额外恩赐，而是合法正当地得到的工作。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

11 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

12 exhortation   

n.劝告，规劝

参考例句：

• After repeated exhortation by his comrades,he finally straightened out his thinking.经过同志们再三劝导，他终于想通了。
• Foreign funds alone are clearly not enough,nor are exhortations to reform.光有外资显然不够，只是劝告人们进行改革也不行。

13 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

14 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。