美国国家公共电台 NPR--Chile's new constitution is put to the test at a vote

Chile's new constitution is put to the test at a vote

Transcript¹

Chile is debating a new constitution, to replace the one written during the country's 17-year-military dictatorship. Now it'll be ratified² - or rejected - by voters in a September 4th referendum.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Three years ago, anti-government demonstrations³ swept across Chile. They have now led to big change for the country on the Pacific coast of South America. A special assembly has written an entirely⁴ new constitution which must be ratified or rejected. NPR's John Otis is there.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED SINGER: (Singing in non-English language).

JOHN OTIS, BYLINE⁵: Folk musicians fire up the crowd here in the Chilean capital of Santiago. Hundreds have gathered to show their support for a new constitution. It would replace the old one that was written during the country's military dictatorship that lasted for 17 years.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking Spanish).

(CHEERING)

OTIS: It was a brutal⁶ period. In fact, this event is taking place just outside the national soccer stadium. It was turned into a concentration camp in 1973 when General Augusto Pinochet seized power and began arresting his opponents.

ANDRES SOLIMANO: Many people was killed here. They used torture, disappearance⁷. It has a very sad history.

OTIS: That's Andres Solimano, who at the time of the coup⁸ was in high school and saw several of his classmates arrested. Even though Chile is now a democracy, he points out that Chile's constitution was written during the dictatorship.

SOLIMANO: Thirty-two years after the end of the Pinochet regime in 1990, we still have that constitution. So it's very much a due constitutional change.

OTIS: There are other reasons why Chileans want to reset⁹ the rules for their nation.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: Despite years of economic growth, there's a large gap between rich and poor. That, plus low wages and rising costs for transportation, health care and education, led to violent protests in 2019.

(SOUNDBITE OF PROTEST)

OTIS: About 30 protesters were killed, and hundreds were injured. To calm the waters, the government agreed to a constitutional rewrite. Last year, Chileans elected a special assembly that spent 12 months drafting the new Magna Carta.

(CROSSTALK)

OTIS: I pick up a copy at a kiosk in front of the presidential palace. It's long, with nearly 400 articles. Some strengthen women's rights, including the right to abortion¹⁰. Others call for more protection for the environment and Indigenous¹¹ groups and for better access to housing, education and pensions. But to guarantee more rights, Chile's left-wing government, which has been in power since March, will have to spend more, says political analyst¹² Claudio Fuentes.

So all this is going to cost a lot of money.

CLAUDIO FUENTES: For sure. And then the question will be taxes.

OTIS: Indeed, the specter of higher taxes and more state intervention¹³ in the economy has turned off many Chileans, including retired¹⁴ police officer Hector Yanez.

HECTOR YANEZ: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: He says the current constitution opened the door for the best period of economic growth in Chile's history. There's also been a major TV campaign to convince Chileans to vote against ratification¹⁵ on September 4.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: This TV spot claims, falsely, that the new constitution will provide more rights to criminals than to their victims. The negative messaging seems to be working. Recent polls show more Chileans plan to reject the new constitution than ratify¹⁶ it. If so, it would be a blow to President Gabriel Boric.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT GABRIEL BORIC: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: In a recent interview on Chilean TV, Boric said he found it hard to imagine that the no-vote would prevail.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BORIC: (Speaking Spanish).

OTIS: But if it does, Boric said, this isn't the end. Instead, he said, Chileans would go back to square one and start the constitutional rewrite process all over again.

John Otis, NPR News, Santiago, Chile.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

3 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。

4 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。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

7 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

8 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

9 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

10 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

11 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

14 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

15 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

16 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。