2007年VOA标准英语-Guinea Capital Largely Calm Under Curfew, Marit

By Jordan Davis
Dakar
13 February 2007

Guinean military are patrolling the streets of the capital, Conakry, enforcing a 20-hour-a-day curfew declared by President Lansana Conte that is intended to end demonstrations¹ urging him to step down. From our regional bureau in Dakar, Jordan Davis reports.

Despite a curfew, some Conakry residents were seen walking in the streets. Gunfire was heard in the capital's suburbs during the morning as youth protesters were dispersed² by security forces.

But local journalist Maseco Conde says by and large the city is calm.

Conde says military vehicles are patrolling the streets and the military has set up checkpoints along major roads and intersections³.

Under a new curfew, Guineans are allowed to leave their homes for four hours during the late afternoon and early evening.

Guinea President Lansana Conte (file photo)

Mr. Conte declared martial⁴ law late Monday, ordering the military to protect the country against what he says is the risk of civil war.

Unions and opposition⁵ parties have stepped up calls for the president to resign, rejecting his appointment of Eugene Camara as prime minister on Friday.

They say Mr. Camara is too close to Mr. Conte to lead the national unity⁶ government that was promised last month to end to an 18-day general strike.

Observers say the declaration of martial law through February 23 shows Mr. Conte strongly depends on the military to stay in power, despite growing popular discontent.

Gilles Yabi, a Dakar-based analyst⁷ with International Crisis Group, says the Guinean leader has made a number of promotions⁸ within the army in recent days to secure their support.

"I think it is an obvious way of buying loyalty⁹ of the army," he said. "It seems like this strategy is still working because up to now we have seen the official hierarchy¹⁰ of the army following the president."

Many analysts¹¹ say the crisis in Guinea risks destabilizing neighboring countries, including Sierra Leone, which is still recovering from a devastating¹² civil war that ended five years ago.

Sierra Leonean President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah says he and other regional leaders are in contact with Mr. Conte and hope to find a peaceful end to Guinea's political turmoil¹³.

Political unrest in Guinea has killed more than 100 people this year, including at least several dozen since Mr. Camara's appointment.

Opponents of Mr. Conte, who is in his seventies and suffering from diabetes¹⁴, say he is becoming increasingly erratic¹⁵ in his behavior.

In January, unions called their third general strike in a little over a year to protest Mr. Conte personally intervening to release two political allies jailed in connection with a corruption¹⁶ investigation¹⁷.

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

3 intersections   

n.横断( intersection的名词复数 )；交叉；交叉点；交集

参考例句：

• Traffic lights have been placed at all major intersections. 所有重要的交叉路口都安装了交通信号灯。
• Intersections are of the greatest importance in highway design. 在道路设计中，交叉口占有最重要的地位。 来自辞典例句

4 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。

5 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。

6 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。

7 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

8 promotions   

促进( promotion的名词复数 )； 提升； 推广； 宣传

参考例句：

• All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
• He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。

9 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。

10 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

11 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。

12 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。

13 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

14 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

15 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

16 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。

17 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。