VOA标准英语10月-S. African Opposition Dismayed by Dissolution of

In South Africa, opposition¹ leaders are reacting with dismay to the dissolution of an elite² crime fighting unit that targeted organized crime and corrupt³ public officials. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.

South African opposition leaders lamented⁴ the overwhelming passage Thursday night of two bills disbanding the special anti-crime and corruption⁵ unit known as the Scorpions⁶.

The leader of the opposition Independent Democrats⁷ party, Patricia De Lille, called it a sad day in an interview on South African television's E-News.

"The battle to dissolve the Scorpions has been won and the war against crime certainly has been lost because the police and the Scorpions complemented⁸ each other," she said.

The Inkatha Freedom Party called it a day that will live in infamy⁹ and the Democratic Alliance called it a political act to protect members of the ruling African National Congress.

Parliament passed bills disbanding the Scorpions by an 80 percent majority thanks to the dominance of the ANC in the legislative¹⁰ body.

Another opposition leader, Bantu Holomisa of the United Democratic Movement, said he hoped voters in elections next year would reduce the two-thirds majority that allows the ANC to pass laws at will.

"Never again should this country put all their eggs in one basket because this one-party state must be blamed squarely on the voters," he said. "And I hope they have learned a lesson in the last twelve months."

Under the bills, the Scorpions are to be incorporated into the national police under a special directorate for Priority Crime Investigation¹¹.

The government's Safety and Security Minister Nathi Mthethwa, defended the bills saying they would end rivalry¹² between the Scorpions and the police and bring greater efficiency to law enforcement.

"Through the establishment of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation we have established a sharper instrument to stab the heart of organized crime," he said.

The powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions Friday praised the parliamentary vote.

The Scorpions were founded nine years ago to strengthen the fight against corruption and organized crime. A study said it made two thousand arrests and enjoyed a 90 percent conviction rate.

The unit reportedly dismantled¹³ several dozen crime syndicates. And it obtained a prison sentence for fraud against the former ANC chief whip in parliament and targeted several dozen lawmakers for making personal trips on official travel funds.

Critics said the Scorpions were used selectively and to bring down political rivals of powerful officials.
　

African National Congress president Jacob Zuma at Parliament in Cape14 Town, South Africa (File)

The Scorpions were seeking to prosecute¹⁵ ANC leader Jacob Zuma who is the leading candidate to become president in elections next year.

A court last month threw out corruption charges against Zuma on a technicality in a ruling that implied political interference by former President Thabo Mbeki.

The ruling led the ANC leadership, which is controlled by Zuma allies since a party congress last December, to oblige Mbeki to resign some six months before the end of his term.

The resignation has led to the defection of several prominent Mbeki allies who, led by former Defense¹⁶ Minister Mosiuoa Lekota, are preparing to launch a new party.

Lekota has been staging rallies around South Africa. On Thursday a rally by Lekota in an impoverished¹⁷ community outside Johannesburg was disrupted by Zuma supporters.

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 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

3 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

4 lamented   

adj.被哀悼的，令人遗憾的v.（为…）哀悼，痛哭，悲伤( lament的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• her late lamented husband 她那令人怀念的已故的丈夫
• We lamented over our bad luck. 我们为自己的不幸而悲伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 scorpions   

n.蝎子( scorpion的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• You promise me that Black Scorpions will never come back to Lanzhou. 你保证黑蝎子永远不再踏上兰州的土地。 来自电影对白
• You Scorpions are rather secretive about your likes and dislikes. 天蝎：蝎子是如此的神秘，你的喜好很难被别人洞悉。 来自互联网

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 complemented   

有补助物的，有余格的

参考例句：

• The excellent menu is complemented by a good wine list. 佳肴佐以美酒，可称完美无缺。
• In vitro analysis must be complemented by studies of the virus replication cycle in plants. 体外的分析必须辅之以植物体内病毒复制周期的研究。

9 infamy   

n.声名狼藉，出丑，恶行

参考例句：

• They may grant you power,honour,and riches but afflict you with servitude,infamy,and poverty.他们可以给你权力、荣誉和财富，但却用奴役、耻辱和贫穷来折磨你。
• Traitors are held in infamy.叛徒为人所不齿。

10 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

11 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

12 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

13 dismantled   

拆开( dismantle的过去式和过去分词 )； 拆卸； 废除； 取消

参考例句：

• The plant was dismantled of all its equipment and furniture. 这家工厂的设备和家具全被拆除了。
• The Japanese empire was quickly dismantled. 日本帝国很快被打垮了。

14 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

15 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

16 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

17 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》