VOA标准英语2011--Thousand Defy Protest Ban to Rally Ahead

Thousand Defy Protest Ban to Rally Ahead of Spanish Elections

Tens of thousands of Spaniards defied a protest ban Saturday and crowded town squares across the nation to demonstrate against high unemployment ahead of local elections on Sunday.
Thousands of demonstrators swarm¹ Madrid's central Puerta del Sol square, defying a protest ban by the country's electoral commission. Saturday is a so-called "Day of Reflection," when political campaigning - and demonstrations² - are banned.
But demonstrators have been here for seven days, protesting high unemployment and perceived government corruption³, ahead of local elections on Sunday.
A man shouts into a megaphone, "They don't represent us. We are here to change society!"
Protester Raquel Almendros explains why she is here. "We do not have jobs, there's a lot of unemployment, we're having social cuts. The political people do not represent the good for the most of the people," she said.
Police walk past but do not intervene. They are cheered by the crowd, in scenes hauntingly similar to anti-government protests in Cairo's Tahrir Square during Egypt's revolution in February.
Demonstrator Juan Lopez says he suspects that despite the protest ban, the government really thinks public demonstrations like this one are appropriate. "They haven't tried any action, because they know, as we do, that we are legal," said Lozez.
Spain's ruling Socialist⁴ Party is widely expected to suffer losses in Sundays' elections.

1 swarm   

n.(昆虫)等一大群；vi.成群飞舞；蜂拥而入

参考例句：

• There is a swarm of bees in the tree.这树上有一窝蜜蜂。
• A swarm of ants are moving busily.一群蚂蚁正在忙碌地搬家。

2 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 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。

4 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。