2007年VOA标准英语-Ukrainians Disillusioned With Orange Revolution

By Andre de Nesnera
Washington
19 April 2007

The ongoing¹ political stalemate in Ukraine is a far cry from the heady days of the so-called "Orange Revolution" in 2004. In this report from Washington, Senior Correspondent André de Nesnera looks at the current state of Ukrainian politics.

Viktor Yushchenko, 10 Apr 2007

Ukraine's current president, Viktor Yushchenko, was elected in December 2004 after hundreds of thousands of his supporters took to the streets to protest the results of an earlier election declared fraudulent by the Ukrainian Supreme² Court and international monitors. That massive protest became known as the "Orange Revolution," named after the color worn by Yushchenko's supporters. In a second, court-ordered election, Yushchenko defeated Viktor Yanukovych, the current prime minister.

There was great euphoria in Ukraine then and confidence that the "Orange Revolution" would usher³ in a new era.

But Robert Legvold, a Ukraine and Russia expert at Columbia University in New York, says the euphoria quickly dissipated.

"And it dissipated because the 'Orange Revolution' coalition⁴ couldn't hang together, was not effective," said Robert Legvold. "Yushchenko has not been a decisive and well-organized president. He's made one mistake after another. As a result of the compromises they'd reached in order to arrive at some kind of peaceful settlement of the fall events in 2004, they created a very weak presidency⁵, a strong parliament which almost guaranteed gridlock because that had been, to an extent, the nature of Ukrainian politics even beforehand. And in that context of political gridlock, Yushchenko has shown himself to be evermore ineffective."

Viktor Yanukovych, 02 Apr 2007

Analysts⁶ say gridlock was virtually assured when Yushchenko's rival Viktor Yanukovych made a political comeback in parliamentary elections last March. His "Party of Regions" received the most votes and, in August, Yanukovych became prime minister after fashioning a governing coalition with socialists⁷ and communists.

David Marples, a Ukraine expert at the University of Alberta (in Canada), says Yanukovych's political comeback was remarkable⁸.

"But there, one has to consider again Yushchenko's actions on taking the presidency," said David Marples. "It was always one of compromise with past foes⁹ which is very commendable¹⁰, but in political life is often a passport to political suicide, because he gave Yanukovich the opportunity to come back and he made compromises at every point. Yanukovich should be dead and buried, and it was up to Yushchenko to do that, and he failed to do it quite markedly."

Experts say another reason why Ukrainians have become disillusioned¹¹ with President Yushchenko is that his administration has been tainted¹² by allegations of corruption¹³.

Margarita Balmaceda, a Ukraine expert at Seton Hall University (in New Jersey), says a glaring example is the agreement reached between Kyiv and Moscow early last year regarding Russian gas supplies.

"As more and more details of this agreement and all the corruption behind it started to come out into the press - because the press is quite free now - people really realized that you do not have a radically¹⁴ different political game now as you had before the 'Orange Revolution' [people realized there was no change in the political system]," noted¹⁵ Margarita Balmaceda. "And people see, once again, that politics are being conducted without them, that they are not sitting at the table, and people are disillusioned, and people do not feel part of this political process."

About a year ago, the Gallup Organization asked Ukrainians their views about the country's political leadership. The results indicated that only 26 percent of those questioned approved of their political leaders.

The Gallup Organization is expected to update its findings in the next few months. Analysts say it will be interesting to see whether the approval ratings are even lower.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

4 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。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 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。

7 socialists   

社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The socialists saw themselves as true heirs of the Enlightenment. 社会主义者认为自己是启蒙运动的真正继承者。
• The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. 社会党人1982年上台执政后，就把其政治信条弃之不顾。

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

9 foes   

敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They steadily pushed their foes before them. 他们不停地追击敌人。
• She had fought many battles, vanquished many foes. 她身经百战，挫败过很多对手。

10 commendable   

adj.值得称赞的

参考例句：

• The government's action here is highly commendable.政府这样的行动值得高度赞扬。
• Such carping is not commendable.这样吹毛求疵真不大好。

11 disillusioned   

a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的

参考例句：

• I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
• Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。

12 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 radically   

ad.根本地，本质地

参考例句：

• I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。
• The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。

15 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。