VOA标准英语2010-Kyrgyz Business Demanding Honest Governme

Peter Fedynsky | Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan 15 April 2010

Last week's revolt in Kyrgyzstan against the regime of President Kurmanbek Bakiyev sparked a wave of looting that has shaken businesses and undermined investor¹ confidence.  Armed criminal gangs were also reported terrorizing foreign mining companies. 

Mourners at the main government building in Bishkek pay homage² to scores of protesters who died storming the building last week.  Among the flower arrangements is an expression of sympathy with the Kyrgyz people from the Talas Gold Mining Company.

Tuesday, international mining companies expressed public concern about arbitrary property seizures³.  They joined 300 representatives of small and medium-sized Kyrgyz businesses who appealed to interim⁴ Finance Minister Temir Sariyev for protection against lawlessness.

 

Sariyev says he wants everyone to understand that those who today hang around offices planning to get into the raiding business or racketeering - the government's position is firm.  He cautions that anyone standing⁵ outside offices trying to seize anyone's property illegally will be blocked from such attempts.

The Kyrgyz revolt sparked widespread looting of kiosks, supermarkets and shopping malls.  Loss estimates are still being compiled.

The CEO of the Bishkek Business Club, Uluk Kydyrbayev, says perhaps the greatest loss is intangible, trust in the country's stability.  He says some in the business community also fear that interim leaders may seize assets, just like the Bakiyev regime.

"They announced a list of companies that sort of have a connection or affiliation⁶ with the family of the former president.  The problem is that there are some companies that have no true affiliation.  So now they are in danger of being nationalized or taken away."

Business and civic⁷ activists⁸ are holding various meetings these days to discuss how to avoid yet another revolt in Kyrgyzstan.  Entrepreneur Emil Umetaliev points to what he says is the interim government's greatest challenge.

Umetaliev says the legitimacy⁹ of the interim government will depend, first of all, on the strength and stability of trust it establishes with the Kyrgyz people, and secondly¹⁰, on the way people of Kyrgyzstan re-establish international trust in their country and its interim government.

As Kyrgyz businesses cleanup after looters, they also brace¹¹ for a downturn following the revolt.

Government too faces a cleanup.  Its main building suffered serious damage and the prosecutor's office was completely gutted¹².  Uluk Kydyrbayev says fixing property damage will be much easier than establishing honest government.  For this, he says business is demanding transparent¹³ government.

"It should be clear [and] understandable what they are doing, why they are doing it, and what all their decisions are based on.  This is one.  Secondly, they need to have good public monitoring; civil society participation¹⁴ in their work.  And we want also want free mass media.  No censorship," Kydyrbayev said.

Looted businesses in Kyrgyzstan attest¹⁵ to lawless citizens just as high-caliber bullet holes in the fence surrounding the Kyrgyz White House attest to lawless government.  Last week, those bullets claimed the lives of more than 80 people, whose photos today adorn¹⁶ that fence.  

The Kyrgyz often say their country has the potential to become the Switzerland of Asia.  They say it will succeed when Switzerland is called the Kyrgyzstan of Europe, where everyone in and out of government can make an honest and decent living
 

1 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

2 homage   

n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬

参考例句：

• We pay homage to the genius of Shakespeare.我们对莎士比亚的天才表示敬仰。
• The soldiers swore to pay their homage to the Queen.士兵们宣誓效忠于女王陛下。

3 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

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 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 affiliation   

n.联系，联合

参考例句：

• There is no affiliation between our organization and theirs,even though our names are similar.尽管两个组织的名称相似，但我们之间并没有关系。
• The kidnappers had no affiliation with any militant group.这些绑架者与任何军事组织都没有紧密联系。

7 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。

8 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》

9 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

10 secondly   

adv.第二，其次

参考例句：

• Secondly,use your own head and present your point of view.第二，动脑筋提出自己的见解。
• Secondly it is necessary to define the applied load.其次，需要确定所作用的载荷。

11 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

12 gutted   

adj.容易消化的v.毁坏（建筑物等）的内部( gut的过去式和过去分词 )；取出…的内脏

参考例句：

• Disappointed? I was gutted! 失望？我是伤心透了！
• The invaders gutted the historic building. 侵略者们将那幢历史上有名的建筑洗劫一空。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

14 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

15 attest   

vt.证明，证实；表明

参考例句：

• I can attest to the absolute truth of his statement. 我可以证实他的话是千真万确的。
• These ruins sufficiently attest the former grandeur of the place. 这些遗迹充分证明此处昔日的宏伟。

16 adorn   

vt.使美化，装饰

参考例句：

• She loved to adorn herself with finery.她喜欢穿戴华丽的服饰。
• His watercolour designs adorn a wide range of books.他的水彩设计使许多图书大为生色。