2007年VOA标准英语-South Korean Conservatives Choose Presidential

By Kurt Achin
Seoul
20 August 2007

Lee Myung-bak, waves his hand after he was elected presidential candidate in Seoul, 20 Aug 2007

South Korea's main conservative party has selected a former Seoul mayor as its candidate for president. Elections to replace current South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun take place in four months. As VOA's Kurt Achin reports from Seoul, the conservatives enjoy a strong lead in polls.

An official from the Grand National Party, or GNP, confirmed Monday what many have expected for months.

He announces that former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung-bak is the party's candidate for the South Korean presidency¹.

As a former senior executive in South Korea's Hyundai conglomerate², Lee is viewed as a pro-business leader with a knack³ for seeing projects through.

He is most readily associated with an environmental project - the Cheonggyecheon stream which runs through Seoul. As mayor, Lee overcame ridicule⁴ and bureaucratic⁵ hurdles⁶ to renew the stream, which Japanese colonial rulers covered with concrete in the early 20th century.

As supporters chanted his name at Monday's GNP convention, Lee promised an action agenda.

Lee vows⁷ to turn South Korea's economy around and unite its society.

Lee defeated his main rival, former GNP chairwoman Park Geun Hye, by a narrower margin⁸ than some expected, about 1.5 percent. Park, the daughter of the late dictator Park Chung-hee, would have been the country's first female presidential candidate.

Experts say unless there is a major shift in South Korean politics, Lee is likely to be the next president. The Uri party of President Roh Moo-hyun, whose term expires in five months, formally dissolved itself a few days ago. The party has suffered mass defections by lawmakers hoping to distance themselves from Mr. Roh, whom many voters thing has mismanaged the economy.

South Korean conservatives also say President Roh has been too generous in making concessions⁹ to North Korea. Although Seoul has given billions of dollars in aid and investment to the North, Pyongyang tested its first nuclear weapon last year. GNP candidates want the North to reciprocate¹⁰ more in their dealings.

The GNP has been sharply critical of Mr. Roh's announcement this month of a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.

GNP spokeswoman Na Kyung-won tells reporters the summit seems like a political move designed to confuse voters just months before the election.

The summit was originally planned for later this month. However, it has been postponed¹¹ until October, just two months before the presidential vote, due to flooding in North Korea.

1 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。

2 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

3 knack   

n.诀窍，做事情的灵巧的，便利的方法

参考例句：

• He has a knack of teaching arithmetic.他教算术有诀窍。
• Making omelettes isn't difficult,but there's a knack to it.做煎蛋饼并不难，但有窍门。

4 ridicule   

v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄

参考例句：

• You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
• Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

5 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

6 hurdles   

n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛

参考例句：

• In starting a new company, many hurdles must be crossed. 刚开办一个公司时，必须克服许多障碍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There are several hurdles to be got over in this project. 在这项工程中有一些困难要克服。 来自辞典例句

7 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

8 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

9 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

10 reciprocate   

v.往复运动；互换；回报，酬答

参考例句：

• Although she did not reciprocate his feelings, she did not discourage him.尽管她没有回应他的感情，她也没有使他丧失信心。
• Some day I will reciprocate your kindness to me.总有一天我会报答你对我的恩德。

11 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。