VOA标准英语2008年-Democrats Retain Power of Veto in Hong Kong Ele

Hong Kong's pro-democracy politicians have won enough seats in Sunday's legislative¹ elections to hold onto the bloc's key veto power. The result came despite predictions of heavy losses for the democrats². Claudia Blume reports from Hong Kong.
　
Hong Kong pro-democracy candidates, from right, Amy Yung, Audrey Eu and Tanya Chan of Civic³ Party celebrate after Legislative Council election, 08 Sep 2008

The pro-democracy opposition⁴ won 23 seats in Hong Kong's 60-member Legislative Council. This means that the democratic camp will retain its veto power on constitutional matters in the legislature. Several key democracy activists⁵, such as Emily Lau and Leung Kwok-hung, better known as "Longhair", kept their seats.

While the democrats won two fewer seats than in the last election in 2004, the outcome for the opposition was better than expected. Political analysts⁷ had predicted the pro-democracy team would suffer a major setback⁸ after Beijing promised people in Hong Kong some form of universal suffrage⁹ by 2017. The announcement took a lot of momentum¹⁰ out of the debate over democratic reforms in the former British colony, which was returned to China in 1997.

While a record number of candidates competed in the election, just 45 percent of the voters cast ballots¹¹, compared with 56 percent in 2004.

Ma Ngok, a political analyst⁶ at Hong Kong's Chinese University, says that unlike four years ago, no pressing issues were being addressed this year, accounting¹² for the lower voter turnout.

"I think the campaign issue is a lot different this year because 2004 the campaign was all about universal suffrage," Ma said. "But this year I think most people are focusing on economic and livelihood¹³ issues. If this is the case most political parties fail to offer different party platforms on these issues. So it seems that they fail to interest the electorate¹⁴ as a whole.

Pro-Beijing politicians, led by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong, remain the dominant¹⁵ power in the legislative council, with 37 seats.

One conservative group, the pro-business Liberal Party suffered a blow, however. The party's chairman James Tien and vice¹⁶ chairwoman Selina Chow both lost their seats. Tien resigned his party position.

Ivan Choy, a political scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, says the disappointing results for the Liberals were caused by public sentiment against the business sector¹⁷.

"There is an anti-business atmosphere and sentiment during the elections because of the inflation and many people complain that the inflation is because of the businessmen who increase their price rather than it can be accounted by imported inflation," Choy said. "But there are some internal factors that some businessmen try to inflate¹⁸ their price in order to make larger profits."

Voters in Hong Kong can only pick half of the territory's lawmakers. The remaining 30 are chosen by special-interest groups such as real estate developers, accountants and doctors. The city's top official, the chief executive, is selected by a group of about 800 people, who are approved by Beijing.

 

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

4 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。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 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。

8 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

9 suffrage   

n.投票，选举权，参政权

参考例句：

• The question of woman suffrage sets them at variance.妇女参政的问题使他们发生争执。
• The voters gave their suffrage to him.投票人都投票选他。

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

11 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》

12 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

13 livelihood   

n.生计，谋生之道

参考例句：

• Appropriate arrangements will be made for their work and livelihood.他们的工作和生活会得到妥善安排。
• My father gained a bare livelihood of family by his own hands.父亲靠自己的双手勉强维持家计。

14 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

15 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

16 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

17 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

18 inflate   

vt.使膨胀，使骄傲，抬高（物价）

参考例句：

• The buyers bid against each other and often inflate the prices they pay.买主们竞相投标，往往人为地提高价钱。
• Stuart jumped into the sea and inflated the liferaft.斯图尔特跳到海里给救生艇充气。