美国有线新闻 CNN 委内瑞拉总统马杜罗欲启动制宪大会重修宪法

 

Venezuela is where we start today's show. The South American country is having a major political crisis and seeing violent protests against the government. Now, President Nicolas Maduro wants to rewrite the country's constitution.

Venezuela's government has one legislative¹ branch. It's called the National Assembly. Since an election in 2015, it's been controlled by the party that opposes that of President Maduro.

In late March, Venezuela's supreme² court took away the National Assembly's powers. That put the government under the control of Maduro's own socialist³ party. And he just called for a new legislative branch to be created, what he calls the constituent⁴ national assembly.

It would include about 500 people, some of whom would be elected. It would rewrite Venezuela's constitution and reshape the president's powers. A large crowd of Maduro's supporters seem to welcome the announcement. But in other parts of the country, protesters were out in force.

The leader of the current National Assembly called Maduro's plans a fraud and coup⁵ against the current Venezuelan constitution. He asked people to rebel and refuse to accept it.

The last time the Venezuelan government did something like this was under former President Hugo Chavez in 1999. This time, skyrocketing prices, food and medical shortages and a severe recession are threatening Venezuelans.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

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 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

5 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。