VOA常速英语2008年-Easy Victory in Russian Presidential Vote for M

By Peter Fedynsky
Moscow
02 March 2008

With 80 percent of the ballots² counted, Medvedev has 70 percent of the vote. While the result is hardly a surprise, two of his opponents are crying foul³. VOA Moscow Correspondent Peter Fedynsky reports.

Speaking at a political rally on Red Square just hours after polls closed, incumbent⁴ President Vladimir Putin said his hand-picked candidate, Dmitri Medvedev, was enjoying a convincing lead in the vote count. He said victory entails⁵ enormous responsibility, adding that it will ensure continuation of what he termed the "successful policies of the past eight years."

The elections are over, says Mr. Putin. He says he expects passions of the campaign to remain in the past and calls on everyone who loves Russia to work for the well-being⁶ of the great homeland.

Mr. Putin also said the election was conducted in strict adherence⁷ to the constitution and all laws.

However, political analysts⁸ have long noted⁹ that the campaign lacked passion. Dmitri Medvedev hardly campaigned and did not participate in any debates, which were relegated¹⁰ to six and seven AM time slots, which barely drew an audience.

Two of Medvedev's opponents are alleging¹¹ voting violations¹². Communist Party candidate Gennady Zyuganov, who appears headed for a distant second place finish, claims to have a list of 200 infractions. Vladimir Zhirinovsky, populist candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party is refusing to recognize election results and says he will challenge them in court. The last place finisher, political unknown Andrei Bogdanov, merely said he is glad the election was conducted without any excesses and that there won't be a revolution.

Russia's independent voter rights group, Golos, is also reporting widespread polling violations. These include banning the organization's observers from election precincts across the country, including Saint Petersburg in western Russia, Ufa in the Ural Mountains and Astrakhan near the Caspian Sea. In the city of Rostov-on-Don, the organization reports its monitors were physically¹³ threatened, and 40 percent of the precincts in Moscow had no independent observers.

Golos deputy director Grigori Melkonyants told VOA his organization has received telephone calls from teachers, factory workers, university professors and others complaining they were forced to cast ballots. Melkonyants says pressure was applied¹⁴ to increase voter turnout and give the appearance of popular support for the process.

Melkonyants says Golos also has reports of authorities calling people in their homes, and using specially¹⁵ designated individuals at polling places to mark who voted and who did not.

There are numerous reports of people being threatened with loss of pay and even work if they did not vote.

The secretary of the Russian Central Election Commission, Nikolai Konkin, says Sunday's voter turnout appears to be breaking all records, including the 2004 election of President Putin.

Only about 300 international monitors were on hand to observe an election held across Russia's 11 time zones. They are expected to announce their observations on Monday. The main European election observer group, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, refused to send a delegation¹⁶ to Russia because it said restrictions¹⁷ imposed by Moscow would prevent meaningful work.

After casting his ballot¹ in Moscow, Dmitri Medvedev told reporters he feels fine. He is expected to assume the presidency¹⁸ - his first elective office - in May.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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！

4 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

5 entails   

使…成为必要( entail的第三人称单数 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需

参考例句：

• The job entails a lot of hard work. 这工作需要十分艰苦的努力。
• This job entails a lot of hard work. 这项工作需要十分努力。

6 well-being   

n.安康，安乐，幸福

参考例句：

• He always has the well-being of the masses at heart.他总是把群众的疾苦挂在心上。
• My concern for their well-being was misunderstood as interference.我关心他们的幸福，却被误解为多管闲事。

7 adherence   

n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着

参考例句：

• He was well known for his adherence to the rules.他因遵循这些规定而出名。
• The teacher demanded adherence to the rules.老师要求学生们遵守纪律。

8 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。

9 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

10 relegated   

v.使降级( relegate的过去式和过去分词 )；使降职；转移；把…归类

参考例句：

• She was then relegated to the role of assistant. 随后她被降级做助手了。
• I think that should be relegated to the garbage can of history. 我认为应该把它扔进历史的垃圾箱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

12 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

13 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

14 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

15 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

16 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

17 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

18 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。