VOA标准英语2013--US Democracy Groups Mark 30 Years of Progress, Controversy

 

US Democracy Groups Mark 30 Years of Progress, Controversy¹

WASHINGTON — Democracy has made numerous advances around the world in the past three decades, thanks in part to several U.S.-based organizations. The National Endowment for Democracy and related groups are celebrating their 30th anniversary.

Much of the world is more democratic today than when the National Endowment for Democracy [NED] was established in 1983.

The private, nonprofit group, which receives funds from Congress, has helped foster that change, according to its longtime president, Carl Gershman.

"Our job, our responsibility, our mission, given by the Congress, is to be helpful, is to lend a helping² hand. That's what we do. But the main driving forces are inside those countries, and it's basically the people in those countries," said Gershman.

The NED is one of several affiliated³ pro-democracy groups marking their third decade. The National Democratic Institute and the International Republican Institute, linked to the two major U.S. political parties, have similar missions.  The groups work with non-governmental organizations, political parties, democracy activists⁴ and some governments to help establish and strengthen democratic institutions. The NED does so by providing grants to those groups, while the party-backed groups are field-based - operating their own offices in the countries, said National Democratic Institute President Ken⁵ Wollack.

"In most all of those countries, we work with the ruling party, the opposition⁶ parties, we work with the government, we work with civil society," said Wollack.

However, field-based groups sometimes are vulnerable to opposition from host governments.  The Republican IRI and Democratic NDI left Russia last year under pressure from President Vladimir Putin's government.

Melinda Haring, a former NDI program officer in Azerbaijan, and now with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, said field-based democratic aid should be used only in partly-free countries.

"When you're in a place like Kazakhstan or Uzbekistan or Azerbaijan or even Russia, you have to pay the piper. You can't implement⁷ programs that really challenge the regime," said Haring.

Wollack points to numerous successes in which his agency has been involved, though, including this year's elections in Kenya, which were far more peaceful than previous ballots⁸. "And a lot of effort was made in promoting dialogue between political parties, dialogue between the election authorities and parties, engaging youth constructively⁹ in the political process."Gershman admitted that democracy often is slow to take root, but it has global demand. "Even in difficult countries like Saudi Arabia, or in North Korea, there are people, even there, who are trying to take the next step toward democracy. Over time, given enough time, I do think it's inevitable¹⁰. I do think it's inevitable."And for 30 years, the U.S. democracy groups have been making progress, one country at a time. 

1 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

2 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。

3 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

4 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》

5 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

6 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。

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

8 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 constructively   

ad.有益的，积极的

参考例句：

• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. 如此富有意义地利用业余时间来进行收藏，会使人怡然自得，无暇烦恼。
• The HKSAR will continue to participate constructively in these activities. 香港会继续积极参与这些活动。

10 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。