VOA标准英语2010年-Thai Protesters Galvanized by Ousted E

Many of the protesters who occupied parts of Bangkok for two months came from Thailand's rural northeast.  They want new elections because their benefactor¹, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawtra, and politicians loyal to him, were removed by the military and court rulings.  Despite charges of corruption² and abuse of power, Mr. Thaksin won the hearts of farmers and laborers³, something the current government struggles to achieve.

 

Hun Katiphatee fries rice in his small Udon Thani restaurant.

On the counter and walls there are pictures and posters supporting former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and his outlawed⁴ political party.

Hun credits Mr. Thaksin with being the first leader to deliver on a promise to build drainage canals, stopping severe flooding that for years threatened his restaurant.

He was one of thousands of mainly rural anti-government protesters who occupied Bangkok for two months earlier this year, demanding new elections.

 

No respect

Hun says he joined the red-shirt movement because Mr. Thaksin and his party represented them. And then they were toppled from power in a 2006 military coup⁵.  He says those who brought Mr. Thaksin down did not respect the voice of the people and therefore do not respect the people. 

Before Mr. Thaksin and politicians loyal to him were banned from politics they created village loan programs that helped farmers and laborers start plantations⁶ and invest in livestock⁷.

They subsidized housing and health care for the poor, helping⁸ them get access to costly⁹ procedures such as brain and heart surgery, literally¹⁰ winning their hearts and minds.

Crediting Thaksin

Lumporn Wuttisarn is building a garden in the government subsidized house she bought last year.

She bought the small house under the current government, but all her thanks go to Mr. Thaksin for starting the program.

She says compared with Mr. Thaksin the government now does not really take care of people in the northeast.  She says Mr. Thaksin really came out to help people improve their lives and the current government should come out more to support and help them.

Better times

Theera Tanglucmunkong, chairman of the Udon Thani Chamber¹¹ of Commerce says the economy was indeed better during Mr. Thaksin's time but partly because there was no global economic crisis and fewer political disruptions than today.

He says the government under the circumstances is doing its best.  Funding is short and there is a lot of need so there is not as much financial support for Udon Thani as before.  However, he understands the government is not to blame. 

Danuch Tanterdtid runs several schools in Udon Thani. 

He originally supported Mr. Thaksin but became disillusioned¹² with his authoritarian¹³ tendencies and allegations of corruption.

Another point of view

Danuch joined the yellow shirts who protested to bring down Mr. Thaksin's political machine in 2006, and now heads their New Politics party in Udon Thani.

"Mr. Thaksin, he used to say that people who vote for him, who vote for his party, they will take care of them first," Danuch said. "People who vote for other parties, he and his people will take care of them later. That is completely wrong."

But, Danuch agrees that the current government is not giving enough support to the countryside.

What changed?

Spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn says the government has made improvements to housing, health care, and support for the elderly and farmers.

"They are being heard already.  If you look at the governmental programs to improve the lives of the people on the ground," Panitan said.  "Already this government is the first government in the history of Thailand to make a free education for all, mandated¹⁴ by the constitution of 1997.  But, never before any government in the past never be able to do it."

Panitan says it will take time for people to realize the changes. He says officials need to do a better job of letting people in the countryside know that they are listening and taking action.

But they will have to convince skeptics in rural Thailand, who say electing a new government is the only way for their voices to be heard.

 

1 benefactor   

n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人

参考例句：

• The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。
• The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 laborers   

n.体力劳动者，工人( laborer的名词复数 )；（熟练工人的）辅助工

参考例句：

• Laborers were trained to handle 50-ton compactors and giant cranes. 工人们接受操作五十吨压土机和巨型起重机的训练。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Wage-labour rests exclusively on competition between the laborers. 雇佣劳动完全是建立在工人的自相竞争之上的。 来自英汉非文学 - 共产党宣言

4 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

5 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

6 plantations   

n.种植园，大农场( plantation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Soon great plantations, supported by slave labor, made some families very wealthy. 不久之后出现了依靠奴隶劳动的大庄园，使一些家庭成了富豪。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• Winterborne's contract was completed, and the plantations were deserted. 维恩特波恩的合同完成后，那片林地变得荒废了。 来自辞典例句

7 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

10 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

11 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

12 disillusioned   

a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的

参考例句：

• I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
• Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。

13 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

14 mandated   

adj. 委托统治的

参考例句：

• Mandated desegregation of public schools. 命令解除公立学校中的种族隔离
• Britain was mandated to govern the former colony of German East Africa. 英国受权代管德国在东非的前殖民地。