voa标准英语2008-South Korean Political Minority Seeks Sit-in Sta

South Korea's parliament is experiencing a extended period of paralysis¹ that is getting increasing physical. Minority politicians have vowed² to block a set of bills they oppose by any means necessary. So far they are keeping their word.

About 50 members of South Korea's minority Democratic Party forced their way into the main voting hall of the country's parliament Friday and locked themselves in. Their aim was to prevent ruling party members from holding a plenary session that might have resulted in the passing of bills the Democratic party opposes.

South Korean television showed images of police dusting the plenary hall doors for fingerprints³, in hopes of narrowing down which specific Democratic Party members initiated⁴ the incursion into the hall.

The Democratic Party has 83 seats in South Korea's 298-member parliament. The ruling Grand National Party of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak controls 172 seats and easily outnumbers its opponents. The GNP has promised to pass a number of controversial measures, including a free trade deal with the United States.
　

A South Korean opposition5 Democratic Party member with a hammer beats a door to enter into a parliamentary committee room, Seoul, 18 Dec. 2008

Last week, clashes broke out as minority lawmakers sought to force their way into a committee room to disrupt the process of ratifying⁶ the U.S. free trade deal. Security guards opened up fire extinguishers on opponents of the deal as they hammered away at locked and barricaded⁷ doors. The damaged doors have since been replaced with reinforced steel, in anticipation⁸ of more physical conflict between the parties.

Democratic Party Chairman Chung Sye-kyun says the National Assembly has turned into a battleground, and he holds the president to blame.

He says the war now taking place in the assembly can be defined as a war initiated by President Lee. He says Mr. Lee is trying to take away the Parliament's role of limiting government power.

Chung and his allies object to several bills they have labeled "evil." The measures would enhance the ability of law enforcement to tap domestic phones, consolidate⁹ the power of major media companies, and tighten¹⁰ rules regarding how citizens post messages online. Democratic lawmakers say the bills put South Korea on a path to the authoritarian¹¹ days of the country's past.

Cho Yoon-seon, spokeswoman for the ruling GNP, says it is the minority Democratic Party that is in the wrong.

She says the DP should stop destroying public facilities, and start participating normally in getting bills passed. She adds, the DP should apologize to the people as they showed contempt for parliamentary process.

It remains¹² to be seen whether ruling party politicians will choose to engage in dialogue with opponents, or seek a more muscular approach. There is also a question of whether the conflict will remain contained within parliamentary buildings, or possibly manifest itself in broader public demonstrations¹³.

1 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 fingerprints   

n.指纹( fingerprint的名词复数 )v.指纹( fingerprint的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Everyone's fingerprints are unique. 每个人的指纹都是独一无二的。
• They wore gloves so as not to leave any fingerprints behind (them). 他们戴着手套，以免留下指纹。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

5 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。

6 ratifying   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They call their State Assembly a disgrace for ratifying the 35th. 他们把州议会通过的第35号修正案说成是可耻的行为。 来自辞典例句
• The Obama administration, unlike its predecessor, talks of ratifying the test-ban treaty. 该会议五年举办一次，回顾其间发生的事情。 来自互联网

7 barricaded   

设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守

参考例句：

• The police barricaded the entrance. 警方在入口处设置了路障。
• The doors had been barricaded. 门都被堵住了。

8 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

9 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

10 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

11 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。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。