VOA标准英语2009年-Tensions Remain One Year After Zimbabwe's

One year ago, Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe, then opposition¹-leader Morgan Tsvangirai and Arthur Mutambara, leader of another small opposition party, signed a political agreement that led to the formation of a unity² government. Its purpose was to end a political stalemate after controversial and violent elections, but one year later tensions and rivalries³ continue to hinder the accord.
　
Robert Mugabe (file photo)

The so-called Global Political Agreement was an interim⁴ set of rules to normalize the tense political situation, and to set the country back on the road to normality through a revised constitution and eventually new elections.

For most of the year, life had been difficult for most Zimbabweans.

There was no government, the currency was worthless and usually unavailable; and, there was little food in the shops.

Few children were at school and most government hospitals were closed. President Robert Mugabe swore himself into office for a new five-year term in June after then opposition-leader Morgan Tsvangirai pulled out of the run-off election because of violence against his supporters.

After difficult and lengthy⁵ negotiations⁶, the Southern African Development Community's mediator⁷, then-South African president Thabo Mbeki, shepherded the three leaders into concluding the agreement (on September 15), which produced a government of national unity in February of this year.
　
Morgan Tsvangirai is sworn in as Zimbabwe's prime minister at the State House in Harare, 11 Feb 2009

Mr. Mugabe, signing the accord on behalf of the ZANU-PF party, called it a historic event. "History makes us walk the same route. We may disagree on that route and this is what we were doing. But now there are areas where find ourselves in agreement," he said.

Mr. Tsvangirai, who became prime minister in the new government, called for reconciliation⁸ between ZANU-PF and his Movement for Democratic Change. "I call on all supporters of both ZANU-PF and MDC to unite as all Zimbabweans to put the interests of our nation and our people first and to work for a new Zimbabwe. Divisions, polarization and hatred⁹ belong to the past," he said.

Nevertheless, violations¹⁰ of the agreement take place every day, such as the predominantly pro-ZANU-PF coverage¹¹ in the government-dominated media, and acts of intimidation¹² against commercial white farmers by ZANU-PF militants¹³.

Most observers and political analysts¹⁴ blame Mr. Mugabe for the lack of progress. They say they are not sure whether the agreement will ever be fully¹⁵ implemented¹⁶. And say they are unsure whether there will ever be a normalization¹⁷ of Zimbabwean politics, given ZANU-PF's 30-year domination of the country.

They add the political climate is still risky¹⁸ and anything could happen, but for the moment there is no alternative to the agreement and the power-sharing government it created.

A senior delegation¹⁹ from the European Union visited Zimbabwe on Saturday, the first time in seven years.

A Western diplomat²⁰ close to the EU meeting in Harare told VOA it is clear that Mr. Mugabe is blocking full compliance²¹ with the political agreement in order to buy time to rebuild ZANU-PF, which has been weakened by internal quarrels and a loss of popular support, even in its traditional strongholds.

Zimbabwe Political scientist Brian Raftopoulos says ZANU-PF's loss of support makes it more dangerous than ever before. He said he doubts whether ZANU-PF will ever allow free and fair elections. Like many Zimbabweans he fears that ZANU-PF will resume its campaign of violence if and when any elections are scheduled.

Mr. Tsvangirai acknowledges the agreement was defective²². He says he signed it to try and prevent further disintegration²³ of the country's infrastructure²⁴ and was prepared to take the political risk to try and move Zimbabwe forward.

He is praised in many political and social circles in Zimbabwe for his tolerance²⁵. Even so, some of his supporters have questioned whether he has gone soft on ZANU-PF.

Western governments say many elements of the agreement have not been complied with. They add that until full compliance is reached, they will not expand aid, which is currently restricted to purely²⁶ humanitarian²⁷ programs. And they will not lift visa and business restrictions²⁸ on senior ZANU-PF officials.

The MDC accuses Mr. Mugabe of failing to reverse appointments of allies to key political and administrative²⁹ posts. Mr. Mugabe complains that Mr. Tsvangirai has failed to persuade western governments to lift the targeted sanctions.

A political scientist at the University of Zimbabwe, Eldred Masunungure, says the police are the most serious offenders³⁰ of the political agreement and the hard core of top officers are determined³¹ to hang on to power for as long as possible.

For this reason he says there are selective prosecutions³². MDC supporters and activists³³ are arrested on minor³⁴ charges, while not a single ZANU-PF supporter has been arrested, despite the 150 murders of MDC supporters last year.

Last week an MDC supporter was killed for allegedly singing a pro-Tsvangirai song in a bar.

After the political agreement was signed scores of MDC supporters and rights activists were kidnapped and held in secret locations for weeks and months. The kidnappings, most observers believe, were designed to pressure Mr. Tsvangirai to pull out of the political agreement. He did not and slowly terrorism charges against those kidnapped have begun to evaporate.

Nevertheless, one year after the political agreement, there has been some progress. Despite some recent boycotts³⁵ of classes by teachers seeking pay raises, many children have attended school this year.

Most hospitals have re-opened. A small strike by some junior doctors at three state hospitals ended after Mr. Tsvangirai spoke³⁶ to them.

The Zimbabwe dollar was abandoned after the inclusive government was formed, and Zimbabweans now mostly use U.S. dollars or South African rands for their business dealings.

Most journalists say they work with less fear than they did one year ago. Civil servants, who earn about 100 U.S. dollars a month, can buy staple³⁷ foods. Supermarkets are full, though largely with imported products that are too expensive for the majority of the population.

The political agreement led to extraordinary compromises for the MDC, considering Mr. Tsvangirai's popularity and Mr. Mugabe's age and poor human-rights record.

Mr. Mugabe and Mr. Tsvangirai meet regularly, but little emerges afterwards beyond a rhetorical commitment to the agreement.

On balance most commentators³⁸ say the political agreement is a deeply imperfect set of rules, which it is hoped may eventually produce a better Zimbabwe.

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 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。

3 rivalries   

n.敌对，竞争，对抗( rivalry的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new government was torn by rivalries. 新政府由于各派对立而四分五裂。 来自辞典例句
• Rivalries could bring about pain and hatred or give rise to fighting. 竞争会带来痛苦、仇恨，或者引起争斗。 来自互联网

4 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

5 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。

6 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。

7 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

8 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

9 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

10 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

11 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

12 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。

13 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。

14 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。

15 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

16 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

17 normalization   

n.（normalisation）正常化，标准化

参考例句：

• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.这次访问显示两国关系已经正常化。
• He was pleased to the normalization of relationship between the police and the people.他很高兴警方和人民之间关系的正常化。

18 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

19 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

20 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

21 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

22 defective   

adj.有毛病的，有问题的，有瑕疵的

参考例句：

• The firm had received bad publicity over a defective product. 该公司因为一件次品而受到媒体攻击。
• If the goods prove defective, the customer has the right to compensation. 如果货品证明有缺陷， 顾客有权索赔。

23 disintegration   

n.分散，解体

参考例句：

• This defeat led to the disintegration of the empire.这次战败道致了帝国的瓦解。
• The incident has hastened the disintegration of the club.这一事件加速了该俱乐部的解体。

24 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

25 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

26 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

27 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

28 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

29 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

30 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

31 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

32 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

33 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》

34 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

35 boycotts   

（对某事物的）抵制( boycott的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Their methods included boycotts and court action, supplemented by'sit-ins". 他们的主要方法包括联合抵制、法庭起诉，还附带进行静坐抗议。
• Are boycotts for other purposes illegal? 至于用于其它目的的联合抵制行动是否也是非法的呢？

36 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

37 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。

38 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》