VOA标准英语2008年-Zimbabwe Leaders Sign Power-Sharing Deal

Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe and opposition¹ leader Morgan Tsvangirai have signed a power sharing agreement aimed at ending the country's lengthy² political crisis. The agreement was reached after weeks of bargaining mediated³ by South Africa. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from our Southern Africa Bureau in Johannesburg.
　
Combo picture shows Zimbabwean Movement for Democratic change (MDC) president Morgan Tsvangirai (R) (File)

South African President Thabo Mbeki announced late Thursday night that Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and leaders of the opposition had agreed to share power in a unity⁴ government.

"An agreement has been reached about all of the matters that served on the agenda of those negotiations⁵. There will be a formal signing ceremony on Monday," he said.

Mr. Mbeki said all the leaders had agreed to the accord which was described as signaling a new dawn for the country.

Details are to be announced Monday but sources said that under the agreement, Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party is to hold 15 ministerial portfolios⁶. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change led by Morgan Tsvangirai is to receive 13 ministries⁷. And a smaller opposition faction⁸ led by Arthur Mutambara is to hold three posts.

Mr. Mugabe is to continue as head-of-state while Tsvangirai is to occupy the newly created post of prime minister. The opposition will also occupy two newly created posts of deputy prime minister.

Reaction in the Zimbabwean capital, Harare, was cautious. A man who would not give his name expressed doubts over whether the long-time rivals would be able to govern together.

"We were waiting for quite some time actually for the deal to be successful but I am very skeptical⁹ about the outcome of the deal," he said.

One of the estimated three million Zimbabwean refugees who have fled to South Africa, Farai Ndlovu, was more positive.

"That joint¹⁰ venture is very good, what is needed is just to have the consensus¹¹ relations between these two guys. But otherwise everything will be fine," said Ndlovu.

But fellow Johannesburg immigrant, Archie Tapera, welcomed the accord.

"I think it's a positive thing, one of the major achievements in the history of Zimbabwe," said Tapera.

The agreement ends months of uncertainty¹² after the opposition won a majority in parliamentary elections last March and Tsvangirai defeated Mr. Mugabe in the first round of the presidential vote.

However, Mr. Mugabe won the runoff election after Tsvangirai withdrew citing a campaign of state-sponsored violence in which more than 100 activists¹³ were killed.

Leaders hope the unity government will be able to stabilize¹⁴ Zimbabwe's economy, characterized by hyper-inflation and 80 percent unemployment. And they hope it will attract billions of dollars worth of reconstruction¹⁵ aid that have been promised by the international community.

 

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 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

3 mediated   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的过去式和过去分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• He mediated in the quarrel between the two boys. 他调解两个孩子之间的争吵。
• The government mediated between the workers and the employers. 政府在工人与雇主间搞调和。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 portfolios   

n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹

参考例句：

• Price risk arises in non-trading portfolios, as well as in trading portfolios. 价格风险中出现的非贸易投资，以及在贸易投资组合。 来自互联网
• How do we fatten our portfolios and stay financially healthy? 我们怎样育肥我们的投资结构和维持财政健康呢？ 来自互联网

7 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

8 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

11 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

12 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

13 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》

14 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

15 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。