VOA标准英语10月-Austria 's Far Right Leader Dies in Car Crash

Officials say Austrian politician Joerg Haider, whose far right views generated Western outrage¹, has died in a car crash. Stefan Bos reports that the 58-year-old Haider died early Saturday, reportedly while on his way to a family gathering².

Austria's national television interrupted its regular programming to announce the sudden death of Joerg Haider, one of Europe's most controversial politicians, following a car crash.
　

The wreckage3 of far right politician Joerg Haider's car is seen at the set of the accident in Lambichl near Klagenfurt, Austria, 11 Oct 2008

Investigators⁴ said the leader of the nationalist Alliance for Austria's Future Party and governor of the country's southern province of Carinthia, was driving his car early Saturday to attend the 90th birthday of his mother, when it veered⁵ off the road.

Police said the vehicle hit a concrete post, and rolled over several times before coming to a stop in the middle of the road, near the provincial⁶ capital Klagenfurt.

The incident happened apparently⁷ shortly after he passed a car. The woman driving the vehicle immediately called for help, but rescue teams were unable to safe his life.

Police and medical investigators said he suffered serious injuries to his head and chest and died on his way to hospital. Authorities stressed there were no indications of foul⁸ play, but that investigations⁹ would continue.
　

The Governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, Joerg Haider (file photo)

Haider's spokesman and the alliance's secretary-general, Stefan Petzner, told journalists the politician's death was "like the end of the world" for the party.

"This is for all of us a very difficult situation," he said, his voice trembling. "I will personally miss him, he was my best friend. Thank you Joerg, wherever you are now," he added.

His death concluded two decades in which Haider became a politician well known far beyond the borders of this small alpine¹⁰ nation. He once praised German war time leader Adolf Hitler's employment policies, and visited former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein.

In 1999, Haider received 27 percent of the vote in national elections as leader of the Freedom Party. The party's subsequent inclusion in the government led to months of European Union sanctions over Haider's statements which were seen as anti-Semitic.

Haider condemned¹¹ these steps as overblown. "To imagine that the whole world is afraid of Mr. Haider," he said.

Haider and his supporters broke away from the Freedom Party in 2005 to form the new Alliance for the Future of Austria part, meant to reflect a turn toward relative moderation.

Over the summer, he staged a comeback in national politics and helped his Alliance improve their standing¹² in September 28 national elections.

Despite the controversy¹³ over Haider, leaders of different parties praised him as a talented politician who had set the tone of politics in Austria. The country's president Heinz Fischer told Austrian television he is shocked about Haider's death.

"This is especially a human tragedy. It was difficult to believe for me that this is possible," he said.

He adds that although Haider was a controversial politician, he had many political talents, including his ability "to understand and impress" the many people who voted for him.

Haider is survived by his wife, two daughters, and his mother.

1 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

2 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

3 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

4 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 veered   

v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的过去式和过去分词 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转

参考例句：

• The bus veered onto the wrong side of the road. 公共汽车突然驶入了逆行道。
• The truck veered off the road and crashed into a tree. 卡车突然驶离公路撞上了一棵树。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

10 alpine   

adj.高山的；n.高山植物

参考例句：

• Alpine flowers are abundant there.那里有很多高山地带的花。
• Its main attractions are alpine lakes and waterfalls .它以高山湖泊和瀑布群为主要特色。

11 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。