2007年VOA标准英语-Opposition Leader Says Zimbabwe's Economic Melt

By Tendai Maphosa
London
22 June 2007

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of Zimbabwe's opposition¹ Movement for Democratic Change, said that the collapsing² economy in Zimbabwe would force Mr. Mugabe to allow free and fair elections. From London, Tendai Maphosa has this report.

Morgan Tsvangirai during a Harare press conference, 13 June 2007

In remarks while in London, Zimbabwe's main opposition party leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, described the situation in Zimbabwe as "life threatening."

 

"People have no jobs and people have no health and education delivery is almost collapsing," he said. "We are determined³ to continue with the resistance against the regime until our goal of democratic change is achieved."

Zimbabwe's inflation, which is now above 4,000 percent, is the highest in the world.

 

Tsvangirai spoke⁴ after making his first public appearance outside Zimbabwe with rival Movement for Democratic Change faction⁵ leader Arthur Mutambara, at a news conference here Friday.

The opposition leaders are on a Western European tour to build international support and show that the opposition is united after months of infighting.

Tsvangirai's comments followed similar remarks from the outgoing United States ambassador to Zimbabwe, Christopher Dell, who says the country's disastrous⁶ economic situation could lead to the fall of the government.

 

Dell is quoted in London's Guardian⁷ newspaper this week as saying Zimbabwe's inflation will reach more than a million percent by the end of the year.

 

Robert Mugabe (file)

The resultant disruption and instability, he added, could drive President Robert Mugabe from power. He told the Guardian that the government was "committing regime change on itself."

 

The diplomat⁸ was speaking against the backdrop of the latest collapse⁹ of the Zimbabwe dollar against the major currencies.

In the previous week, the dollar has crashed by close to a hundred percent on the parallel market. He said prices were going up twice every day. Mr. Mugabe blames the economic meltdown on sanctions imposed by the West as punishment for his sometimes-violent land reform program. However, Dell, in past statements, has blamed the situation on what he called the voodoo economics of the government.

 

University of Zimbabwe economist¹⁰ Tony Hawkins says things could still get much worse in the country before they get better.

 

"I don't understand what people mean when they talk about economies collapsing, if you look at African economies as diverse as Rwanda, Ghana, Uganda, Mozambique, Angola, DRC, these economies have been through usually associated with war but not always very tough times and economies never collapse as such," he said. "It's very difficult to tell when economic decline will translate into political change or regime change Mr. Dell may well be right but I don't think anyone can predict that in advance."

Negotiators for Zimbabwe's ruling party and the main opposition in Harare have agreed on an agenda to enable crucial talks to continue in neighboring South Africa. The talks are aimed at helping¹¹ Zimbabwe emerge from its political and economic crisis.

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 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

6 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

7 guardian   

n.监护人；守卫者，保护者

参考例句：

• The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
• The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。

8 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

9 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

10 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

11 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。