VOA标准英语2009年-Maoist-led Protests Intensify in Nepal

In Nepal, Maoists have intensified¹ protests as a 6-month long standoff with the government shows no signs of ending. The political impasse² threatens a historic peace pact³ which ended a violent Maoist-led insurgency⁴, and brought them into the political mainstream⁵ 3 years ago.

Anjana Pasricha | New Delhi 21 December 2009

 
Photo: AP
Nepal's Maoist supporters march the streets the second day of three-day strike in Katmandu, 21 Dec 2009

 

"The end goal is, let the protests escalate⁶, frustrations⁷ of the public, let it boil over, and then they can swing into power through street protests or an urban uprising. That seems to be the plan at least as far as the hardcore is concerned." - Nepali Times Editor, Kunda Dixit

The three-day general strike called by Maoists this week was not what most people in Nepal had expected to witness at the start of the year. 

At that time, Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal also known as Prachanda, headed a government which came to power after his party swept elections in 2008.  

But hopes for peace received a serious jolt⁸ in May when Prachanda quit, and his party walked out of the government after the president overruled his bid to sack the army chief.

Since then the country has returned to a familiar pattern of strikes and protest rallies led by the former guerillas. Even more serious was a bid by Maoist activists⁹ to grab land in the countryside earlier this month leading to a clash in which four people were killed.

 

 
AP
Nepalese riot policemen stand guard on second day of three-day strike in Katmandu, 21 Dec. 2009

During the latest strike which began Sunday, the Maoists shut down the capital Kathmandu, blocked highways, damaged vehicles and clashed with police. 

The editor of Nepali Times, Kunda Dixit, says the Maoists are using these tactics to get back into government.   

"The end goal is, let the protests escalate, frustrations of the public, let it boil over, and then they can swing into power through street protests or an urban uprising. That seems to be the plan at least as far as the hardcore is concerned," said Dixit.

The governing coalition¹⁰ is blaming the Maoists for insincerity in implementing¹¹ the peace deal, under which they abandoned their decade long guerrilla war, and entered mainstream politics.    
 
However political analysts¹² point out that the two major parties within the governing coalition - the Nepali Congress and the Communist UML party -- are equally to blame for refusing to negotiate with the Maoists. The Maoists want the President to apologize for refusing to obey their orders when they were in power -- a demand the government has refused to concede.
 
The head of Nepal's Center for Contemporary Studies, Lok Raj Baral, says the political parties are wary¹³ of the Maoists who emerged as the single largest party in the last election, and are not prepared to compromise with the Maoists. 

"The other parties are very rigid¹⁴, and the Maoists after all they are pushed too far. They are scared of the Maoists, that is the main reason. It is not good for our peace process," Baral said. 

The growing gulf¹⁵ between the main political parties and the Maoists has virtually brought the peace process to a standstill. In parliament the Maoists have led a protest campaign blocking most legislation. And while all political parties including the Maoists say they remain committed to writing a new constitution for the country, few expect it to be ready by its May 2010 deadline if the deadlock¹⁶ persists. 

Central to the impasse between the two sides is also the issue of what will happen to about 20,000 former Maoist fighters who have been living in United Nations supervised camps since the insurgency ended three years ago. The army has so far refused to integrate them into its ranks as demanded by the Maoists, saying the fighters are politically indoctrinated.

Kunda Dixit says the growing influence of hardliners among the major political parties and the Maoists also poses a threat to the peace process.         

"There is also a very dangerous right wing tendency, now within the two non-Maoist parties as well as parts of the army which think that the entire peace process was a mistake, we gave too much away to the Maoists and then on the Maoist side there is the whole radical¹⁷ wing, the commanders in the field who have been stewing¹⁸ in U-N supervised camps now for three years and they are getting impatient, both sides are under pressure from the hard core," said Dixit.   

As the political bickering¹⁹ continues, there is growing disillusionment among ordinary Nepalese that the end of the country's civil war has not meant the return of peace to the country. And fears are growing that the country could even return to conflict if the impasse is not resolved soon.
 

1 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

3 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

4 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

5 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

6 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

7 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

8 jolt   

v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸

参考例句：

• We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
• They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。

9 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》

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

12 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。

13 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

14 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

15 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

16 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

17 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

18 stewing   

炖

参考例句：

• The meat was stewing in the pan. 肉正炖在锅里。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The cashier was stewing herself over the sum of 1, 000 which was missing. 钱短了一千美元，出纳员着急得要命。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》