2007年VOA标准英语-Senegal's President Wade Seeks First Round Vict

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
21 February 2007
 

On Sunday, Senegal will hold a presidential election, pitting incumbent¹ Abdoulaye Wade² against a crowded field of opposition³ candidates. The peaceful country is often described as having one of the best democratic systems in West Africa, despite its economic underdevelopment. As Nico Colombant reports from Dakar, President Wade is favored to win but he faces a  boisterous⁴ opposition from several former close allies.

Senegal is a mostly barren land, burdened by grinding poverty.

Its infrastructure⁵, despite high government taxes, is woefully inadequate⁶ -- and minimum standards of sanitation⁷ are not met in most places.

But the presidential campaign, as is customary, is a time of promises and hope for a new beginning.

Signs for President Abdoulaye Wade's campaign are all around Dakar

Incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade is running on a platform of change as he did seven years ago when he ended four decades of Socialist⁸ party rule.

His supporters chant "Sopi", "Sopi" which means change in the local wolof language.

Mr. Wade says he needs more time to implement⁹ the changes he has set in motion.

Despite being in his 80s, his campaign style is bold.

At every stop, he promises to build new factories, new roads, new monuments to local heroes.

In this speech, he vowed¹⁰ to win more than 50 percent of the vote Sunday, thereby¹¹ assuring a first round victory.

But his detractors are many, like these supporters of a former Prime Minister Idrissa Seck who say a generational change is needed.

The campaign has been marked by recurrent clashes and scuffles, sparking fears that tranquil¹² Senegal is in danger of losing some of its stability.

Senegal is the only country in West Africa never to have experienced a military coup¹³.

Another former prime minister and close ally, Moustapha Niasse, is also running against Mr. Wade. 

There are 14 opposition candidates and it is difficult to tell if combined they will be able to force a second round.

One opposition activist¹⁴, Mbaye Seck, certainly hopes so. "The actual regime added to all sorts of problems and all sorts of difficulties, and to the natural and social problems that we (have). now. That is why all Senegalese have one desire, to (end with) this government and to elect another one."

Senegal has a very young voting age population.  Many of the country's two million new voters are barely 18, though many of those who participated in rallies are not of voting age.

With opinion polls banned in Senegal, it is difficult to tell  which group will still be celebrating after votes are counted.

1 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 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。

4 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

5 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

6 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

7 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

8 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

9 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

10 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

11 thereby   

adv.因此，从而

参考例句：

• I have never been to that city,,ereby I don't know much about it.我从未去过那座城市，因此对它不怎么熟悉。
• He became a British citizen,thereby gaining the right to vote.他成了英国公民，因而得到了投票权。

12 tranquil   

adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的

参考例句：

• The boy disturbed the tranquil surface of the pond with a stick. 那男孩用棍子打破了平静的池面。
• The tranquil beauty of the village scenery is unique. 这乡村景色的宁静是绝无仅有的。

13 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。

14 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。