VOA常速英语2008年-Election Candidate Killed in Southern Nepal

By Liam Cochrane
Kathmandu
19 March 2008

A candidate in Nepal's upcoming elections was shot dead in the country's south.  Nepal's election campaigning has got off to a violent start, with widespread reports of intimidation¹, mostly by the former rebel Maoists.  International election observers have called for an end to election related violence.  Liam Cochrane reports from Kathmandu.

Nepal election candidate Kamal Prasad Adhikari was killed by masked gunmen who entered his house before dawn in Banke District, about 400 kilometers from Kathmandu.

Adhikari was a member of the National People's Front, a small communist party contesting Nepal's Constituent² Assembly elections on April 10th.  He was the first candidate to be killed in what has been a violent start to election campaigning in Nepal.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for the killing³, but police have detained two suspects.

There are more than a dozen militant⁴ groups operating in Nepal's south, and several have vowed⁵ to disrupt the April elections.

There have been reports of intimidation and violence carried out by armed groups operating in southern districts, as well as attacks on political rallies by the former rebel Maoists and their youth wing, the Young Communist League.

Darren Nance⁶ is field representative of The Carter Center, one of several international organizations observing the election environment.

"The bulk of the concern has been targeted and geared towards the Maoists and specifically the YCL, the Young Communist League," Nance said. "That is not to say that there are not other parties breaking the code of conduct."

The Carter Center released a mixed assessment⁷ of the election environment this week, praising the active campaigning of candidates, but urging political parties to campaign fairly.

The Constituent Assembly election in April will determine a body to rewrite the country's constitution and decide the fate of the controversial monarchy⁸.

1 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

2 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 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。

6 nance   

n.娘娘腔的男人，男同性恋者

参考例句：

• I think he's an awful nance.我觉得他这个人太娘娘腔了。
• He doesn't like to be called a nance.他不喜欢被叫做娘娘腔。

7 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

8 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。