VOA常速英语2008年-No Contest in Russian Presidential Election

By Peter Fedynsky
Moscow
27 February 2008
 

Russians go to the polls on Sunday for a presidential election in which the victory of Kremlin-backed candidate Dmitri Medvedev is considered a foregone conclusion.  VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports that Medvedev's path toward high office has been very different from the one facing American presidential hopefuls.

Russians today are witnessing the twists and turns of an exciting presidential campaign.

But … it is not their own.

Russia's presidential contest stands in sharp contrast to America's hotly-contested presidential primaries. 

Unlike his American counterparts, Dmitri Medvedev - the candidate of the ruling United Russia Party - did not need to submit his ideas, style and political record to the scrutiny¹ of open competition, in which various party constituencies select their nominee² based on discrete³ interests, be they regional, social, industrial, or financial.

Instead, Medvedev was nominated in private, though the exact procedure is unknown.  Word of his candidacy came in December after the leaders of several parties, not just United Russia, presented his name to current president Vladimir Putin.  But it is widely believed Mr. Putin selected Medvedev himself.

The 42-year-old candidate also did not have to agree to a single debate against his opponents.  President Putin says there is no need.

The Kremlin leader asks why should Medvedev participate in debates and discuss problems that will be clearly formulated⁴ in a populist key.  He continues, "Did we not have the opportunity to tell citizens what we have done and what we will do?  In essence everything has been said."

Mr. Putin says the opposition⁵ candidates - political unknown Andrei Bogdanov, Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov, and populist firebrand Vladimir Zhirinovsky - have been granted every opportunity to publicize their programs. 

But none has challenged the front-runner's platform and opposition campaign advertising⁶ is barely visible.  Televised political promotions⁷ are not frequent, and the candidates have little outdoor advertising.

The most prominent election publicity⁸ amid a sea of commercial ads is a generic⁹ series of small billboards¹⁰ with a reminder¹¹ that March 2 is Election Day.  Another series billboards in Moscow shows prominent Russians - Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, well-known actor Leonid Yakubovych, or Viktor Sadovnychy, an honorary citizen of the capital, announcing merely that they will vote.

The advertising seems aimed at increasing voter turnout.  Although denied by the Kremlin, political analysts¹² say large institutions such as factories, hospitals and universities are being pressured to secure a 65 percent turnout to promote the legitimacy¹³ of the election. 

Public opinion polls indicate Dmitri Medvedev will win handily in the first round.  Muscovite Andrei Borodin intends to vote for him.

The Russian voter says everybody fundamentally understands that Medvedev is Putin's successor, adding that he is very pleased with Putin's policies and considers them to be those of order.  Borodin says most Russian citizens feel the same.

Russia's March second vote comes eight months before the U.S. election.  By January, both countries will have new leaders, who will have arrived in office after completely different campaigns.  But outgoing Russian president Vladimir Putin says it will be in the interests of both countries for their new leaders to cooperate.

1 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

2 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

3 discrete   

adj.个别的，分离的，不连续的

参考例句：

• The picture consists of a lot of discrete spots of colour.这幅画由许多不相连的色点组成。
• Most staple fibers are discrete,individual entities.大多数短纤维是不联系的单独实体。

4 formulated   

v.构想出( formulate的过去式和过去分词 )；规划；确切地阐述；用公式表示

参考例句：

• He claims that the writer never consciously formulated his own theoretical position. 他声称该作家从未有意识地阐明他自己的理论见解。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This idea can be formulated in two different ways. 这个意思可以有两种说法。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

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 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 promotions   

促进( promotion的名词复数 )； 提升； 推广； 宣传

参考例句：

• All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
• He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。

8 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

9 generic   

adj.一般的，普通的，共有的

参考例句：

• I usually buy generic clothes instead of name brands.我通常买普通的衣服，不买名牌。
• The generic woman appears to have an extraordinary faculty for swallowing the individual.一般妇女在婚后似乎有特别突出的抑制个性的能力。

10 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

11 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。