French Presidential Campaign Enters Final Phase

 　　French voters will cast their ballots² on Sunday (4/22/12) in the first round of a presidential election that should ultimately see France's first Socialist³ leader in nearly two decades.  The campaign enters it's final phase as Conservative President Nicolas Sarkozy and his main rival Socialist Francois Hollande hold rallies.

　　Hollande, "a normal man"

　　It is a cold and windy day, but this campaign rally in front of the 14th century Chateau⁴ de Vincennes has a festive⁵ atmosphere.  People line up to grab barbecued merguez, a spicy⁶ North African sausage, and to listen to musicians perform.  But mostly they are awaiting the main act - when Socialist Party candidate Francois Hollande delivers one of his final campaign speeches before Sunday's vote.

　　Hollande's supporters include 60-year-old Patrice Marshall from the Paris suburb of Nanterre.

　　Marshall says he has supported Hollande for a long time, well before he was a presidential candidate.  Marshall says he likes Hollande because of his human qualities and because he defends the socialist values like solidarity⁷.  And especially, Marshall says, because Hollande might be the man to drive French President Nicolas Sarkozy from office.

　　Hollande is a veteran of the French political scene.  He headed the Socialist Party for years.  But he has never held a top government post and generally is not considered to be particularly charismatic.  Hollande is aware of this.  He describes himself as a "normal man."  And public opinion surveys show him in a dead heat with Nicolas Sarkozy in a first round of voting and winning in a second.

　　So what explains Hollande's popularity?

　　"The point of Mr. Hollande first, is that he's not Sarkozy.  And the election has been dominated by some key phenomenon, which is obviously the economic crisis, but also what we call in France "anti-Sarkozism."  The personality of Mr. Sarkozy disturbs many voters," says Bruno Cautres, a political scientist at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris

　　Taking stock on Sarkozy

　　Sarkozy was elected president in 2007, bringing hope for change.  But many French were turned off by what they considered to be his flashy personality and an inconsistent policies.  Then, Cautres says, came the global economic downturn and the eurozone crisis.

　　"Obviously, to be in power during such a desperate economic situation is not a good place to be.  And I think that whoever there is [next] is probably in a very difficult situation," he said.

　　But Hollande supporter Fatna Chouaikh calls President Sarkozy's policies disastrous⁸.

　　Chouaikh says that under Sarkozy, misery⁹ and economic disparities have grown and fundamental rights have been compromised.  As an ethnic¹⁰ Moroccan and a Muslim, Chouaikh says she opposes Sarkozy's immigration policies.

　　Sarkozy, "Man of the situation"

　　But Sarkozy is not giving up.  And neither are his supporters, who recently packed Paris's Place de la Concorde.

　　Some, like 27-year-old Julien Guiguet, a real estate agent in Lyon, traveled hundreds of kilometers to attend the rally.  He says he has been a Sarkozy supporter for years.

　　"Because he was the man of the situation.  There is [a] crisis in Europe, and he gives some solution to France," said Guiguet.

　　Fifty-year-old Anne Versellone has a similar view.

　　"I vote for Mr. Sarkozy because he's a great president and I believe in France because it's a great country.  And Mr. Sarkozy is a leader in Europe and is the best for Europe and France," she said.

　　Sarkozy and Hollande are not the only candidates on Sunday's ballot¹.  Ten hopefuls are vying¹¹ to be the country's next president, with Marine¹² Le Pen on the far right and Jean-Luc Melenchon on the far left, who pollsters say are likely to place third and fourth.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 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》

3 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。

4 chateau   

n.城堡，别墅

参考例句：

• The house was modelled on a French chateau.这房子是模仿一座法国大别墅建造的。
• The chateau was left to itself to flame and burn.那府第便径自腾起大火燃烧下去。

5 festive   

adj.欢宴的，节日的

参考例句：

• It was Christmas and everyone was in festive mood.当时是圣诞节，每个人都沉浸在节日的欢乐中。
• We all wore festive costumes to the ball.我们都穿着节日的盛装前去参加舞会。

6 spicy   

adj.加香料的；辛辣的，有风味的

参考例句：

• The soup tasted mildly spicy.汤尝起来略有点辣。
• Very spicy food doesn't suit her stomach.太辣的东西她吃了胃不舒服。

7 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

8 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

9 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

10 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

11 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

12 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。