2007年VOA标准英语-Leading Nigerian Writer Calls for New President

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
28 April 2007

One of Nigeria's best-known citizens, the writer Wole Soyinka, has given his support to calls for another presidential election.  Opposition¹ leaders and international observers have described the April 21 election as fraudulent. Gilbert da Costa has more for VOA from Abuja. 
 

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A voter casts his ballot at a polling station in Abuja, Nigeria

Nigerian-born author Wole Soyinka, winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986, is the latest to add his name to a long list of opposition and civil society groups calling for the cancellation³ of the disputed polls.
 
Soyinka says the vote was characterized by such large-scale irregularities and violence it should be cancelled and a re-run organized.  The opposition wants fresh elections to be conducted by an interim⁴ government led by the current senate president, Ken⁵ Nnamani.
 
The ruling party's candidate and outgoing President Olusegun Obasanjo's anointed successor, Umaru Yar'Adua, easily won the presidential vote.
 
In addition to charges of widespread fraud, there were reported to be more than 200 election-related killings⁶ during the polls, which have been described as the worst in the African nation's recent history.
 
But the governing Peoples Democratic Party has firmly rejected the idea of an election re-run.  Abdulahi Jalloh, an executive member of the ruling party, considers the idea of a re-run an invitation to chaos⁷ in the already volatile⁸ nation.

"Anybody that is agitating⁹ for this cancellation is just inviting¹⁰ anarchy¹¹ into this country," he said.  "The issue is, the election was credible¹² and Yar'Adua was duly elected and the votes he scored were not manufactured.  Let us wait for the tribunal to tell us whether there was rigging or not. But as far as the PDP is concerned, there was a clear and reasonable victory which our candidates won."

The main opposition parties have resolved to file a legal challenge to the polls, but analysts¹³ say some of the rigging may be difficult to prove in court.

Meanwhile, some areas where elections were cancelled are voting Saturday.  Nigeria's electoral commission is conducting elections for the governorship post in the southeastern Imo state as well as more than 100 legislative¹⁴ seats across 27 states.
 
The polls were postponed¹⁵ because of the exclusion¹⁶ of some candidates' names and party symbols during the recent general elections.
 
But the exercise has been overshadowed by growing calls for the outright¹⁷ cancellation of the controversial polls.

1 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。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

4 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。

5 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

6 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

7 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

8 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

9 agitating   

搅动( agitate的现在分词 )； 激怒； 使焦虑不安； （尤指为法律、社会状况的改变而）激烈争论

参考例句：

• political groups agitating for social change 鼓吹社会变革的政治团体
• They are agitating to assert autonomy. 他们正在鼓吹实行自治。

10 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

11 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

12 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

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 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

15 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

16 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

17 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。