VOA标准英语2011--Russia's Pro-Democracy Protests Cloud Putin's March Election Plan

Russia's Pro-Democracy Protests Cloud Putin's March Election Plan

 

For Vladimir Putin, three months may feel like a political lifetime. The sudden rise of Russia’s democracy movement is posing the biggest challenge yet to his 12-year strongman rule.

It sounded like a TV game show.

In a tightly choreographed¹ event, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev announced that he would swap² jobs with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ... after the formality of presidential elections March 4.

But three months and one controversial parliamentary election later, about 100,000 people came out in Moscow to chant: “Russia Without Putin.”

What snapped in Russia? Voices from the crowd give an answer.

Alexei Vladimirov drove 150 kilometers from Tver to join the December 24 protest. He said Russia has never had fair elections, but that 20 years after the end of communism, now is the time for real democracy here.

Svetlana Slepova came to the protest with white balloons. She said white symbolizes³ the democracy movement’s desire for peaceful reform.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin attends a meeting of All Russia People's Front, an umbrella movement of his supporters, in Moscow, December 27, 2011.

Stanislav Gerasimov, a 24-year-old computer programmer, speaks for Russia’s new, politically active middle class. He said a critical mass of Russians have stopped fearing the government. They believe that government should serve the people - not the other way around.

Prime Minister Putin recently charged on national TV that some demonstrators are being paid to stage protests. Gerasimov and others see that as an insult.

He said Russian protesters are not paid - certainly not by [U.S.] Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or President Barack Obama. Gerasimov said people are taking part in protest actions voluntarily, to take part in what they see as a historic moment in Russia’s history.

History of revolutions

Russia went through two revolutions in the 20th century - the first to implant⁴ communism, the second to root it out.

For now, the opposition’s goal is to postpone⁵ presidential elections to late April. They want new faces and new parties competing in a free and fair vote. Alexei Navalny, the opposition’s rising star, said Tuesday he would be a candidate.

At the protest, Navalny threatened to take a crowd and storm the Kremlin if the pro-democracy demonstrators are rebuffed in the weeks ahead.

Gerasimov and his girlfriend want reform, not another revolution. Drawing on Russia’s turbulent 20th-century history, they say no one wants to execute the czar or fire tank shells at the prime minister’s office.

Internet, democracy and coming election

For the next 10 weeks, the key will be continued access to free Internet space. This protester said she and her friends organize entirely⁶ through the Internet.

She said Russia’s state-controlled TV channels all lie, and the only place to find the truth is on the Internet.

The next goal for the democracy movement is a protest rally in Moscow attended by one million people. That presumably could have an effect on the March 4 presidential election, which as recently as three months ago analysts⁷ were calling Putin’s coronation.

The Kremlin leader says he wants the election to be absolutely transparent⁸, and insists he does not need to rig the vote in order to win what would be his third term as president. However, judging by the rapidly changing mood in Russia, he may now be fighting for his political life.

1 choreographed   

v.设计舞蹈动作( choreograph的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• There was some carefully choreographed flag-waving as the President drove by. 总统的车经过时，人们按精心编排的动作挥舞着旗帜。
• Achim had choreographed the dance in Act II himself. 阿希姆自己设计了第2幕的舞蹈动作。 来自辞典例句

2 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

3 symbolizes   

v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The use of light and dark symbolizes good and evil. 用光明与黑暗来象征善与恶。
• She likes olive because It'symbolizes peace. 她喜欢橄榄色因为它象征着和平。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 implant   

vt.注入，植入，灌输

参考例句：

• A good teacher should implant high ideals in children.好教师应该把高尚理想灌输给孩子们。
• The operation to implant the artificial heart took two hours.人工心脏植入手术花费了两小时。

5 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

6 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

7 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。

8 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。