VOA标准英语2014--Afghan Vote Deemed Success, Results Uncertain

 

Afghan Vote Deemed Success, Results Uncertain 

KABUL — kabul  Afghanistan's presidential vote is being hailed as a success, with seven million voters braving Taliban threats to go to the polls.  But Afghans say the true success of the election lies with the candidates accepting the results.

 For one rare weekend Afghans like Ismail Qoreshi were happy.  Standing outside Gold’s Gym in central Kabul, Qoreshi says the weekend presidential elections were a huge success.

He says, "this is a happy moment for Afghans, we have voted for a new leader." ... "95 percent of the people are happy that things were quiet and they cast their votes. It is good for our people."

About seven million voters braved Taliban death threats to cast their ballots¹ for a new president Saturday. 

U.S. President Barack Obama commended the Afghan people on Saturday’s voter turnout for an election he described as “critical” to securing Afghanistan’s democratic future as well as continued international support.

The vote, says Andrew Wilder of the United States Institute of Peace, was a decisive message to the militants².

"If seven million Afghans turned out to vote, despite all these threats, I think there is only to interpret that as a real significant defeat for the Taliban," he said.

But while the voting is over, the election process is not. Allegations of fraud have begun to come in and the Taliban on Sunday attacked a convoy³ carrying boxes full of ballots to be counted. The election workers were killed, and the boxes destroyed.

Wilder, who was in Afghanistan for the vote, says officials need to thoroughly⁴ investigate all claims of fraud or the election will risk losing credibility in the eyes of the people.

"There are areas where there probably was fraud," he said. "But given the turnout figures, I would be surprised if the fraud were at such a decisive level that it would have a major impact on the outcome."

If successful, Saturday's election will be Afghanistan's first democratic transfer of power from one elected leader to another.

On the streets of Kabul, Abdul Habib says it is time his voice, and that of all Afghans, is heard.

He says, "the candidates have to respect the vote of the people ... the people voted despite the very hard conditions, they came out and cast their ballots, and the candidates should respect the verdict of the people."

 

The worry for now is that if the candidates start to squabble over who won, their fight could spill onto the streets, erasing⁵ Saturday's voting success.

1 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》

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

4 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

5 erasing   

v.擦掉( erase的现在分词 )；抹去；清除

参考例句：

• He was like a sponge, erasing the past, soaking up the future. 他象一块海绵，挤出过去，吸进未来。 来自辞典例句
• Suddenly, fear overtook longing, erasing memories. 突然，恐惧淹没了渴望，泯灭了回忆。 来自辞典例句