2007年VOA标准英语-Nepal's Interim Government Shows Signs of Frayi

By Steve Herman
Kathmandu
15 April 2007

Nepal again has been thrust into political confusion just two weeks after a landmark¹ interim² government was formed. The country's elderly prime minister was a no-show for an emergency session of his cabinet on Sunday. That prevented coalition³ leaders from holding a critical meeting to set a new date for national elections. As VOA's Steve Herman reports from Kathmandu, members of the interim government, including the Maoists, are warning of the dangers of delaying the polls.

 

A meeting of Nepal's coalition government leaders to decide a new election date did not take place Sunday. Those who gathered for the emergency meeting were stood up by the prime minister.

Former deputy prime minister Amik Sherchan

Former deputy prime minister Amik Sherchan, representing the People's Front Nepal, says those at the prime minister's office were given no reason for the absence of the ailing⁴ government leader, 85-year-old Girija Prasad Koirala.

Sherchan told reporters outside the prime minister's office that the group waited more than two hours for Mr. Koirala. But the prime minister did not come into the meeting room and nobody was able to speak with him.

An interim government, including the Maoists and seven other parties, was created April 1st and the Maoists were given relatively⁵ minor⁶ posts in the cabinet.

The Maoists have now, threatened to pull out of the interim government if the election is delayed and called for Nepal's unpopular king, Gyanendra, to be dethroned ahead of the polling.

Esteem⁷ for the royal family plummeted⁸ following a palace massacre⁹ in 2001 and the current king's attempt to seize absolute power in 2005.

The Maoists, until last year, waged a decade-long campaign to overthrow¹⁰ the monarchy¹¹. The violence claimed 14,000 lives.

Rebel leaders last November agreed to a peace deal to end their uprising and have since registered as a political party for the elections to select lawmakers for a constituent¹² assembly. That election had been scheduled for June 20 but Nepal's election commission says due to technical issues and security concerns that is much too soon for nationwide polling.

The Maoists, in recent days, have called the proposal to delay the election a political conspiracy¹³. They have threatened to resume their struggle outside government, although it is unclear whether that would mean again taking up arms. Their soldiers and weapons have been placed in camps supervised by the United Nations.

Hundreds of Maoists came out of their barracks in southern Nepal on Saturday, in violation¹⁴ of an accord signed with the U.N., to protest the delay in the election.

1 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

2 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

7 esteem   

n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• The veteran worker ranks high in public love and esteem.那位老工人深受大伙的爱戴。

8 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

10 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

11 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

12 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

13 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

14 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。