VOA常速英语2007年-World Leaders Condemn Bhutto Assassination

By Andre de Nesnera
Washington
27 December 2007

Leaders from around the world have condemned¹ the assassination² of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. VOA Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera has more in this report from Washington.

U.S. President George Bush described Benazir Bhutto's assassination as a cowardly act by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan's democracy. And he urged the Pakistanis to keep the country on a democratic path.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the subcontinent has lost an outstanding leader who worked for democracy and reconciliation³ in her country.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who held talks with Ms. Bhutto just hours before she was killed, said he was shocked by the development.

"I met with her this morning. I found her to be a very, very brave woman with a clear vision for her country, for Afghanistan and for the region - a vision of democracy and prosperity and peace," he said.

Ms. Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack as she left an election rally of her Pakistan's People's Party in the city of Rawalpindi.

French President Nicholas Sarkozy called the attack an odious⁴ act. And British Foreign Secretary David Milliband urged the Pakistanis to exercise restraint and work for unity⁵.

Karl Inderfurth, former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Affairs in the Clinton administration, described Ms. Bhutto as a courageous⁶ woman.

"I attended a small dinner for her in Washington just prior to her return to Pakistan in October and a good part of the conversation that we had then was about her personal safety," he said. "And she was just absolutely determined⁷ to go back, even though she knew that there were great risks involved."

Inderfurth says Ms. Bhutto represented a part of Pakistan's democratic landscape.

"She has been twice prime minister, twice removed as prime minister, there were charges of corruption⁸ and in her administration and with her husband who was a Pakistani senator. But you cannot look at Pakistan in any fashion without taking the Bhutto family and of course Benazir Bhutto, into account."

Christine Fair, a Pakistan expert with the RAND Corporation, says when talking about Benazir Bhutto, one has to look at what she represented before her death and what she represents from this day onward⁹.

Fair says before her assassination, she wasn't terribly revered¹⁰, widely respected or supported.

"Quite the contrary. During her two tenures as prime minister, she disgraced herself, both because her husband has become synonymous with corruption and greed, but she also has numerous court cases scattered¹¹ across European capitals as well as in Pakistan on various kinds of corruption. Now the Pakistani charges were dropped," said Fair.

Fair says with Ms. Bhutto's death, everything has changed.

"Now, of course, today - she's a martyr¹². She's a martyr for politics in Pakistan and she's a martyr for women. Women have borne the brunt of the Islamization of Pakistan," she added.

Ms. Bhutto was killed as she campaigned for national elections scheduled January 8. Fair says Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf needs those elections to be seen as free and fair.

"To sort of legitimize what he's done over the last several years and to provide him with political cover to continue on as president with or without,obviously without, his uniform. So I think it is going to be impossible now for Musharraf to legitimize himself and his government in what he'd like to do. I think increasingly calls from an expanding number of quarters are going to be demanding that Musharraf go," added Christine Fair.

That, says Fair is, going to place those countries who have supported Mr. Musharraf - such as the United States - in a bind¹³. Because in Fair's view, these countries have no plans in place if Pervez Musharraf were to leave the Pakistani political scene.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

3 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

4 odious   

adj.可憎的，讨厌的

参考例句：

• The judge described the crime as odious.法官称这一罪行令人发指。
• His character could best be described as odious.他的人格用可憎来形容最贴切。

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 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。

9 onward   

adj.向前的，前进的；adv.向前，前进，在先

参考例句：

• The Yellow River surges onward like ten thousand horses galloping.黄河以万马奔腾之势滚滚向前。
• He followed in the steps of forerunners and marched onward.他跟随着先辈的足迹前进。

10 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

11 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

12 martyr   

n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲

参考例句：

• The martyr laid down his life for the cause of national independence.这位烈士是为了民族独立的事业而献身的。
• The newspaper carried the martyr's photo framed in black.报上登载了框有黑边的烈士遗像。

13 bind   

vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬

参考例句：

• I will let the waiter bind up the parcel for you.我让服务生帮你把包裹包起来。
• He wants a shirt that does not bind him.他要一件不使他觉得过紧的衬衫。