美国有线新闻 CNN 津巴布韦总统被软禁 军方否认政变

 

Our show begins in Southern Africa. Zimbabwe got its independence from the United Kingdom in 1980, and since then, it's been ruled by Robert Mugabe, who was its first prime ministers and he became Zimbabwe's president in 1987. At 93 years old, he's the oldest president on the planet and Africa's longest serving leader. Since he took over, Zimbabwe has seen a number of struggles, some natural, some manmade.

Starting in 1997, President Mugabe implemented¹ a controversial program that took land away from Zimbabwe's white farmers and redistributed it to others. According to the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, that crippled Zimbabwe's economy and led to shortages of basic goods. Inflation, when prices rise and money buys less followed, and it was severe.

In 2002, the CIA says President Mugabe rigged the presidential election to make sure he'd win. And in recent years, a drought set in, making things worse and leading the food shortages for millions for people. Seventy-two percent of Zimbabweans live below the poverty line.

Now, Mugabe's rule could be coming to an end. The country's military has taken control of the capital, Harare. Witnesses there saying military vehicles are everywhere, but that the atmosphere is generally calm. Mugabe himself is under house arrest.

Ten days ago, he fired his vice² president, Emmerson Mnangagwa. He was expected to become the country's next leader, but President Mugabe accused Vice President Mnangagwa of, quote, disloyalty, disrespect, deceitfulness and unreliability. Zimbabwe has an election scheduled next year and many people there think that firing the vice president, Mr. Mugabe is trying to clear the way for his wife, Grace Mugabe, to take over when the current leader either dies or retires.

But the first lady and the vice president are controversial. But while Grace Mugabe has the support of many young people, in Robert Mugabe's political party, Emmerson Mnangagwa likely has the support of the military. It says this is not a coup³. That it's not taking control of the government, but that it's, quote, targeting criminals around Mugabe. But experts say this maybe intended to prevent Grace Mugabe from becoming Zimbabwe's next leader.

1 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

2 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

3 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。