2007年VOA标准英语-Former PM Announces Return to Pakistan But May

By Daniel Schearf
Islamabad
14 September 2007

The political party of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has announced she will return to the country in October to take part in elections. Ms. Bhutto is the second exiled prime minister to attempt a return to Pakistan, and she may face corruption¹ charges when she arrives. Daniel Schearf reports from Islamabad.

Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto celebrate the announcement of her return, 14 Sept. 2007

At a Friday press briefing and amid much fanfare² from supporters, the vice³ chairman of Ms. Bhutto's political party, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, announced the former prime minister will return to Pakistan in October.

"I want to give you the date," he said.  "The date is the 18th of October."

Ms. Bhutto, the first female prime minister to lead a Muslim nation in modern times, has been in self-imposed exile for eight years, because of corruption charges stemming from her time as prime minister.

Another former prime minister in exile, Nawaz Sharif, attempted a return to Pakistan earlier this week, but authorities deported⁴ him just a few hours after his arrival.

Ms. Bhutto, unlike Mr. Sharif, has been negotiating a power-sharing arrangement with Pakistan's president General Pervez Musharraf.  Under a proposed agreement, the charges against her would be dropped and she would be allowed to run for a third term as prime minister.

In exchange, she would support Mr. Musharraf in his bid to retain the presidency⁵ for another five years.

Pakistan's Minister of State for Information Tariq Azim said Friday the two sides have yet to reach an agreement. He says he doubts Ms. Bhutto will be arrested on her return, as Mr. Sharif was, but she will have to face the charges against her.

"If somebody has got cases against them, they have to come and face them, even if they are trumped-up charges or charges which are politically motivated, as she claims they were," he said.

Benazir Bhutto

As part of the negotiation⁶, Ms. Bhutto is also demanding that Mr. Musharraf give up his role as military chief and the presidential power to dismiss the prime minister, a power that was twice used against her and ended her stints⁷ as prime minister.

But Mr. Musharraf's ruling party, the PML-Q, is reluctant to share power with Ms. Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party, which is believed to be the country's most popular party and could marginalize the PML-Q.

Ms. Bhutto's party is concerned she may lose some of that popular support by striking a deal with Mr. Musharraf, who has been criticized for his failed attempt to fire the country's chief justice earlier this year.

Mr. Musharraf is also facing criticism for failing to reign⁸ in Muslim extremists.  Hundreds of people have been killed in a series of recent attacks and suicide bombings.

1 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。

2 fanfare   

n.喇叭；号角之声；v.热闹地宣布

参考例句：

• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King.嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

7 stints   

n.定额工作( stint的名词复数 )；定量；限额；慷慨地做某事

参考例句：

• He stints himself in [of] sleep. 他节制睡眠。 来自辞典例句
• She never stints herself of money to buy books for her children. 她从不吝惜掏钱让子女们买书。 来自互联网

8 reign   

n.统治时期，统治，支配，盛行；v.占优势

参考例句：

• The reign of Queen Elizabeth lapped over into the seventeenth century.伊丽莎白王朝延至17世纪。
• The reign of Zhu Yuanzhang lasted about 31 years.朱元璋统治了大约三十一年。