2007年VOA标准英语-Guinea's New Prime Minister Needs Help From Ins

By Nico Colombant
Dakar
02 March 2007

As tensions in Guinea subside¹ following weeks of deadly anti-government protests, the nation's newly appointed prime minister faces the arduous² task of forming a new government, improving basic services, working with an authoritarian³ president and placating⁴ angry protesters. VOA's Nico Colombant reports from Dakar.

 
Lansana Kouyate (8 Feb 2007)
"Healing the wounds will be gradual, and time will be needed to cement national and social unity⁵ in Guinea."

Those were the words of new prime minister Lansana Kouyate this week as he was sworn in.

Analyst⁶ Alex Vines, with the British-based Royal Institute of International Affairs, says balancing different interests will be the first order of the day as a national unity government is formed.

"I think [there will be] much more negotiations⁷ and discussions and positioning," he said. "It is inevitable⁸ that there will need to be some compromise at some point. This is going to be still a slow and drawn⁹ out process."

Vines says union leaders who led the recent protests as well as negotiations with the previous government, while opposition¹⁰ political leaders remained discreet¹¹, will probably keep an important role.

 "They are certainly in a powerful position. They are reflective of a swell¹² of support in the country. They have become lightning rods for discontent," he said. "So I think it is inevitable that their position will be stronger and they will try and get themselves involved in government."

 
Guinea President Lansana Conte (file photo)
Analysts¹³ say President Lansana Conte's allies will also have to be given roles.

But J. Peter Pham from the U.S-based Nelson Institute for International and Public Affairs says it is also important Mr. Conte does not undermine the prime minister as he has done in the past.

 "Otherwise all we have done is push off, moved the goal posts a little bit and within a few weeks or months, we will back to where we were just a few days ago," he said.

Before the strike-ending agreement, Guinea was under martial¹⁴ law, while most Guineans wanted the erratic¹⁵ and often sick Mr. Conte, in power since 1984, to step down.

Pham says the international community actually has a lot of leverage¹⁶ on Guinea's president.

"The United States and China, for example, have been involved in training his military forces," he said. "The international community is his biggest supporter as far as handing foreign aid. It is also the international community that maintains Guinea's economy going, especially its governmental sector¹⁷."

"Without foreign assistance from the European Union, for example, [which] several months ago released funds that had been held up for a number of years, without that, the Guinean state would not be able to pay its functionaries¹⁸ and more importantly its military, which is the structure that maintains Lansana Conte in power," he continued.

Vines says African partners have played a key role in making sure change in Guinea happens through negotiations.

"There has been a consistent background of diplomacy¹⁹ through the African Union, the regional body, the Economic Community of West African States and others trying to encourage transition and also trying to dissuade²⁰ elements within the military to stage a military coup," he said.

During several waves of rioting and weeks of work stoppage that started in early January, more than 100 people were killed in clashes between protesters and security forces.

After a day of mourning Monday, the strike action ended, but union leaders said it was just a suspension. They warned the mass protest could resume if Mr. Conte fails to uphold a series of agreements, including giving the new prime minister expanded powers.

1 subside   

vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降

参考例句：

• The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

2 arduous   

adj.艰苦的，费力的，陡峭的

参考例句：

• We must have patience in doing arduous work.我们做艰苦的工作要有耐性。
• The task was more arduous than he had calculated.这项任务比他所估计的要艰巨得多。

3 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

4 placating   

v.安抚，抚慰，使平静( placate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She pulled her face into a placating and childlike expression. 于是她装出一副稚气的想要和解的样子来。 来自飘（部分）
• Uncle Peter's voice came as from a far distance, plaintive, placating. 彼得大叔这时说话了，他的声音犹如自一个遥远的地方起来，既带有哀愁又给人以安慰。 来自飘（部分）

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 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。

7 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。

8 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

9 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

10 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。

11 discreet   

adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的

参考例句：

• He is very discreet in giving his opinions.发表意见他十分慎重。
• It wasn't discreet of you to ring me up at the office.你打电话到我办公室真是太鲁莽了。

12 swell   

vi.膨胀，肿胀；增长，增强

参考例句：

• The waves had taken on a deep swell.海浪汹涌。
• His injured wrist began to swell.他那受伤的手腕开始肿了。

13 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。

14 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。

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 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

17 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

18 functionaries   

n.公职人员，官员( functionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Indian transmitters were court functionaries, not missionaries. 印度文化的传递者都是朝廷的官员而不是传教士。 来自辞典例句
• All government institutions functionaries must implement state laws, decrees and policies. 所有政府机关极其工作人员都必须认真执行国家的法律，法规和政策。 来自互联网

19 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

20 dissuade   

v.劝阻，阻止

参考例句：

• You'd better dissuade him from doing that.你最好劝阻他别那样干。
• I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares.我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。