VOA标准英语10月-Maldives Holds Its First Democratic Presidential

Maldives is holding its first-ever democratic presidential election. The historic vote pits President Mamoun Abdul Gayoom, who has ruled the country for 30 years, against five opponents, including the head of the country's pro-democracy movement. From New Delhi, Anjana Pasricha has a report.
　

Maldivian President Mamoun Abdul Gayoom, center, and his wife Nazreena Ibrahim wait for their turn to vote at a polling station in Male, Maldives, 08 Oct 2008

Heavy rain did not deter¹ thousands of voters from waiting in long lines to cast ballots² across the tiny Indian Ocean islands that make up Maldives.

It was the first time they had a choice to make. President Gayoom - Asia's longest-serving ruler - has won six previous elections as the only candidate.

There were complaints of voting irregularities - many opposition³ supporters said their names were missing from electoral rolls. Officials called them minor⁴ problems in the country's first-ever multi-party poll.

Wednesday's vote was held after Mr. Gayoom began a reform program in 2004 in the face of large-scale street protests.

The election was held after a hard campaign. President Gayoom has hopped⁵ in planes across the hundreds of corals islands that make up the country. The opposition has focused on the capital Male.

The president's supporters say he has turned the nation into South Asia's richest, by building a huge tourism industry on the scenic⁶ islands. They say he needs more time to build its economy and complete the nation's transition to democracy.

His opponents accuse him of jailing his opponents, suppressing dissent⁷ and handing out favors to friends and family.

An expert in international affairs at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, Professor A.K. Pasha, says critics blame the President Gayoom for ruling like a dictator.

"For the last few years, he has seen growing opposition, they are accusing Gayoom of having muzzled⁸ opposition and creating structures conducive⁹ for his authoritarian¹⁰ rule in the garb¹¹ of democratic elections," Pasha said.

The president's main rival is the head of the Maldivian Democratic Party, Mohamed Nasheed, who has been jailed several times on charges that human-rights groups say are politically motivated. He says the country needs a new leadership that will root out corruption¹².

The election on the chain of islands is being watched by many countries, partly because of fears that fundamentalist Islamic groups are gaining a presence in the country. Maldives suffered a terror attack a year ago, with Islamic militants¹³ blamed for a bombing in Male.

Diplomats¹⁴ hope that the election will be an example of peaceful transition to democracy in a country with a Muslim-majority population.

The results are expected late Thursday. If no candidate wins an outright¹⁵ majority, the two candidates with the most votes will face off in another election.

1 deter   

vt.阻止，使不敢，吓住

参考例句：

• Failure did not deter us from trying it again.失败并没有能阻挡我们再次进行试验。
• Dogs can deter unwelcome intruders.狗能够阻拦不受欢迎的闯入者。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

5 hopped   

跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
• He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车，向市区开去。

6 scenic   

adj.自然景色的，景色优美的

参考例句：

• The scenic beauty of the place entranced the visitors.这里的美丽风光把游客们迷住了。
• The scenic spot is on northwestern outskirts of Beijing.这个风景区位于北京的西北远郊。

7 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

8 muzzled   

给（狗等）戴口套( muzzle的过去式和过去分词 )； 使缄默，钳制…言论

参考例句：

• The newspapers were effectively muzzled by strict censorship laws. 严厉的新闻审查法有效地使那些报纸沉默了下来。
• Whenever in the street our dog is muzzled. 每当上街时，我们的狗总是戴上嘴套。

9 conducive   

adj.有益的，有助的

参考例句：

• This is a more conducive atmosphere for studying.这样的氛围更有利于学习。
• Exercise is conducive to good health.体育锻炼有助于增强体质。

10 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

11 garb   

n.服装，装束

参考例句：

• He wore the garb of a general.他身着将军的制服。
• Certain political,social,and legal forms reappear in seemingly different garb.一些政治、社会和法律的形式在表面不同的外衣下重复出现。

12 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。

13 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

14 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 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。