VOA标准英语2009年-Morgan Tsvangirai Sworn In as Zimbabwe PM; Pled

Morgan Tsvangirai, the leader of the Movement for Democratic Change has been sworn in as Prime Minister of Zimbabwe by his political rival President Robert Mugabe. Mr. Mugabe said he would cooperate with the new prime minister under their new unity¹ government and "offer a hand of friendship."
　
Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as Zimbabwe's prime minister at the State House in Harare, 11 Feb 2009

Morgan Tsvangirai, who in the past six years has been repeatedly detained and assaulted by those in the employ of the Mugabe government, and who has often been ridiculed² and insulted by Mr. Mugabe was sworn in at State House shortly before noon.

"Now therefore, I, Robert Gabriel Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe do hereby call upon you Morgan Richard Tsvangirai to take the oaths, as prescribed by law," said Mr. Mugabe.

Morgan Tsvangirai appeared confident, and took his oath, speaking clearly and loudly.

"I, Morgan Richard Tsvangirai do swear that I will well and truly service Zimbabwe in the office of Prime Minister of the Republic of Zimbabwe," said Mr. Tsvangirai. "So help me God."

At a spirited rally later, Mr. Tsvangirai said that political violence and human rights abuses must end immediately. He also promised that by month's end civil service employees, health care workers, and teachers will begin getting paid in in foreign currency.
　
Morgan Tsvangirai (l) takes the oath of prime minister, in front of President Robert Mugabe (r) at the State House in Harare, 11 Feb. 2009

Mr. Mugabe also chimed in with a speech after the swearing-in, saying he would cooperate with the new prime minister under their new unity government. He said he would "offer my hand of friendship and cooperation and solidarity³ in the service of our great country Zimbabwe."

MDC supporters and others burst into applause as Mr. Tsvangirai took his oath. Watching Mr. Mugabe sign his appointment into law was, for many a sight they say they never believed possible.

The ceremony at state house started more than half an hour late and the country's only television channel, controlled by loyalists of Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF party, lost its link just as the national anthem⁴ began. Many in Harare, Mr. Tsvangirai's stronghold, had gathered around television sets to watch the swearing in ceremony, had to tune⁵ in to their radios, or watch the snippets that intermittently⁶ appeared on their screens.

The guests at State House included former South African president Thabo Mbeki who mediated⁷ talks between ZANU-PF and the MDC from early 2007. After many interruptions and breakdowns⁸, these interventions⁹ eventually led to the unity government.

Mr. Tsvangirai hugged many of his former enemies from the hierarchy¹⁰ of ZANU-PF who congratulated him and his wife Susan, who usually remains¹¹ in the background. The two grew up in neighboring villages in a poor, rural southeastern Zimbabwe.

Mr. Tsvangirai began his activism as a trade unionist nearly 25 years ago and revitalized the moribund¹² Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. The MDC was formed in 1999 on the back of the trade-union movement and the growing number of civil rights activists¹³ who had begun to oppose Mr. Mugabe's harsh policies.

Former student leader, and leader of the minority faction¹⁴ of the MDC, Arthur Mutambara was sworn in as a deputy prime minister.

The first from Mr. Mugabe's own Shona tribe to oppose him, Mutambara was detained under the state of emergency for several months 20 years ago when he led widespread student protests against Mr. Mugabe's determination to convert Zimbabwe to a one-party state. He was not allowed to continue his studies in Zimbabwe and went on to win a scholarship and completed his doctorate¹⁵ in electrical engineering at Oxford¹⁶ University.

The second deputy, Thoko Khupe, is the deputy president of Mr. Tsvangirai's faction of the MDC.

She is from Bulawayo, heartland of the minority Ndebele tribe and was warmly applauded by women in the audience at State House.

Several analysts¹⁷ at the official function told VOA few are sure how this power-sharing government will turn out, and whether Mr. Tsvangirai and Mr. Mugabe will be able to establish a working relationship. They wonder too, whether Mr. Tsvangirai will be able to attract western support for the ravaged¹⁸ economy, a worthless currency, the second-highest inflation in history, Africa's worst cholera¹⁹ epidemic²⁰, and health and education systems that barely function.

Political commentator²¹ Ibbo Mandaza said the formation of the unity government is a start, but blamed ZANU-PF for Zimbabwe's collapse²² - once the richest country in central Africa, with education and healthcare considered among the best on the continent.

1 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。

2 ridiculed   

v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Biosphere 2 was ultimately ridiculed as a research debade, as exfravagant pseudoscience. 生物圈2号最终被讥讽为科研上的大失败，代价是昂贵的伪科学。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She ridiculed his insatiable greed. 她嘲笑他的贪得无厌。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

4 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

5 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

6 intermittently   

adv.间歇地；断断续续

参考例句：

• Winston could not intermittently remember why the pain was happening. 温斯顿只能断断续续地记得为什么这么痛。 来自英汉文学
• The resin moves intermittently down and out of the bed. 树脂周期地向下移动和移出床层。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 breakdowns   

n.分解( breakdown的名词复数 )；衰竭；（车辆或机器的）损坏；统计分析

参考例句：

• Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns. 她的旧车老不听使唤，一路上总是出故障。 来自辞典例句
• How do we prevent these continual breakdowns? 我们如何防止这些一再出现的故障？ 来自辞典例句

9 interventions   

n.介入，干涉，干预( intervention的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Economic analysis of government interventions deserves detailed discussion. 政府对经济的干预应该给予充分的论述。 来自辞典例句
• The judge's frequent interventions made a mockery of justice. 法官的屡屡干预是对正义的践踏。 来自互联网

10 hierarchy   

n.等级制度；统治集团，领导层

参考例句：

• There is a rigid hierarchy of power in that country.那个国家有一套严密的权力等级制度。
• She's high up in the management hierarchy.她在管理阶层中地位很高。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 moribund   

adj.即将结束的，垂死的

参考例句：

• The moribund Post Office Advisory Board was replaced.这个不起作用的邮局顾问委员会已被替换。
• Imperialism is monopolistic,parasitic and moribund capitalism.帝国主义是垄断的、寄生的、垂死的资本主义。

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 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。

15 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？

16 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

17 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。

18 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

19 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

20 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

21 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。

22 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。