VOA标准英语2008年-Zimbabwe Opposition Leader Pulls Out of Electio

Zimbabwe opposition¹ leader Morgan Tsvangirai, who won the most votes in the March 29 presidential poll, has pulled out of the second round of voting due Friday. Peta Thornycroft reports from Harare that Mr. Tsvangirai said he cannot take part in the runoff because he does not want to legitimize Mr. Mugabe's war against the people of Zimbabwe.
　
Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) President Morgan Tsvangirai, center, speaks to the press, 19 Jun 2008

Zimbabwe Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai says he is pulling out of Friday's presidential runoff because of mounting violence and intimidation² against his supporters.

"We in the MDC [Movement for Democratic Change] have resolved that we will no longer participate in this violent, illegitimate sham³ of an election process," he said.

Mr. Tsvangirai said President Robert Mugabe and Zanu PF had done everything they could to discredit⁴ the poll.

The MDC candidate said too many had died, and too many had been displaced. He said the violence meant people had been given a choice, to vote for Zanu PF or die.

Mr. Tsvangirai won the first round of the presidential election on March 29, but the Zimbabwe Election Commission said he did not gain an outright⁵ majority. The MDC also won the parliamentary elections and most local government elections.

The runoff election campaign has been overshadowed by violence and intimidation, especially in rural areas. Human-rights groups say at least 85 people have died and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes, most of them opposition supporters.
　
Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the main opposition party in Zimbabwe speaks at a press conference in Harare, 22 Jun 2008

Mr. Tsvangirai criticized the Zimbabwe Election commission for failling to ensure election laws were followed. He called for the African Union, and all regional and international organizations, including the United Nations to intervene to ensure that peaceful elections could take place soon.

The opposition leader announced his decision after militants⁶ loyal to President Robert Mugabe blocked the site of the MDC's main campaign rally. Men dressed in Zanu-PF T-shirts, and some armed with dangerous weapons, including guns, were harassing⁷ and beating people near the site of the rally at the Harare Showgrounds.

Observers from the Southern African Development Community SADC remained in their hotel and journalists who tried to go to the rally site were shot at. Several people were grabbed off the streets in one suburb and forced to attend an impromptu⁸ Zanu-PF rally.

Some voters who support Mr. Tsvangirai say they are relieved that he has pulled out. Others say this will not stop Mr. Mugabe's campaign of violence and that he will carry on until the MDC has disappeared altogether.

The Associated Press reports Zimbabwean Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu said the runoff would go ahead and would prove Zimbabweans' support for Mugabe, who has held power since independence from Britain in 1980.

SADC observers appeared confused about the MDC announcement. Some said they would stay in Zimbabwe and try to protect people, others said they believed they would now be withdrawn⁹.

South African diplomats¹⁰ said they did not know in advance that Mr. Tsvangirai would pull out of the runoff.

　

 

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 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。

3 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

4 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

5 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 harassing   

v.侵扰，骚扰( harass的现在分词 )；不断攻击（敌人）

参考例句：

• The court ordered him to stop harassing his ex-wife. 法庭命令他不得再骚扰前妻。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It was too close to be merely harassing fire. 打得这么近，不能完全是扰乱射击。 来自辞典例句

8 impromptu   

adj.即席的，即兴的；adv.即兴的(地)，无准备的(地)

参考例句：

• The announcement was made in an impromptu press conference at the airport.这一宣布是在机场举行的临时新闻发布会上作出的。
• The children put on an impromptu concert for the visitors.孩子们为来访者即兴献上了一场音乐会。

9 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

10 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》