VOA常速英语2008年-Exit Poll Shows Berlusconi Ahead in Italian Ele

By Sabina Castelfranco
Rome
14 April 2008

The first exit poll issued at the closing of voting in the Italian general election shows media mogul Silvio Berlusconi is on course to win and secure a third term as prime minister. The exit polls issued after the second day of voting, put the 71-year-old media magnate ahead in the lower and upper houses of parliament. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome.

If all goes according to the first exit polls in Italy, conservative media magnate Silvio Berlusconi will return to power for a third time. Observers had been expecting him to win as he has been ahead in the pre-election voter surveys.

But the exit polls have a two percent margin¹ of error and Berlusconi's lead over his center-left rival, the former Rome mayor, Walter Veltroni is slim. Berlusconi appears to have only a two-percent lead over Veltroni in the lower house and a three-percent lead in the upper house.

Commentator² Massimo Franco said it is necessary to be cautious at this stage. He said if this were the final result it would be surprising. It would come close to what has often been defined as a draw, and a result that can only be considered a paradox³ in a situation where someone wanted a clear-cut win.

A clearer picture could be expected later in the day from pollsters' projections⁴. Exit polls failed to predict accurately⁵ the outcome of the last parliamentary election in 2006.

More than 47 million Italian voters were eligible⁶ to vote in these elections. But up to one third had not decided⁷ who they would vote for until the last minute. Many complained there was little to choose from between the two platforms.

Berlusconi was prime minister for seven months from April 1994 and from 2001-2006. If elected, he has vowed⁸ to cut Italy's public debt, the third highest in the world in absolute terms and trim taxes.

Few Italians really believe there will be a significant change with a new government, the country's 62nd since World War Two. Turnout this time appeared to have been lower than in the general elections two years ago, mainly due to voter apathy⁹ and disillusionment with the political establishment.

1 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

2 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

3 paradox   

n.似乎矛盾却正确的说法；自相矛盾的人(物)

参考例句：

• The story contains many levels of paradox.这个故事存在多重悖论。
• The paradox is that Japan does need serious education reform.矛盾的地方是日本确实需要教育改革。

4 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

5 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

6 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

7 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

8 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。

9 apathy   

n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡

参考例句：

• He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。
• She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。