VOA常速英语2008年-Pakistani Opposition Parties Pledge Unity

By Barry Newhouse
Islamabad
19 February 2008

Pakistan's two main opposition¹ parties appear to have won big gains in parliamentary elections and are pledging to form a coalition² government.  VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad that even before officials announced a final vote tally³, opposition leaders are discussing uniting against President Pervez Musharraf.

The two opposition parties led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari, the husband of Benazir Bhutto, have been rivals in the past, but both men indicated they want to work together in the new parliament.

Zardari told reporters in Islamabad that the parties plan to restore parliament powers that had been weakened under President Musharraf.

"Mr. Nawaz Sharif is also going to be with us in the parliament," he said.  "We intend to take him and we intend to take power from every source and bring it back to the parliament."

He vowed⁴ the coalition would not include lawmakers with President Musharraf's Pakistan Muslim League party.

Earlier, Sharif said he hopes parties will support a political platform that includes reinstating the Supreme⁵ Court justices that Mr. Musharraf deposed⁶ in November.

"To accomplish this democratic agenda I think all of us must unite under one platform," he said.

He said those judges will then decide if Mr. Musharraf broke any laws when he ran for re-election as president and later declared emergency rule.  But it is unclear if other opposition parties will support reinstating the judges.

Zardari and Sharif are expected to meet Thursday in Islamabad to discuss their parties' plans.

Earlier, the leader of President Musharraf's Pakistan Muslim league conceded defeat, well before the announcement of official results.

Chaudhry Shujat Hussain spoke⁷ to reporters after learning he had lost his bid to represent his family's political stronghold in Gujarat.

He says he accepts the results because it is the decision of the people and he says the decision of the people is always right.  He says his party is ready to accept its role as the new opposition.

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 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

4 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。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。