VOA慢速英语--津巴布韦领导人穆加贝的遗产

The Legacy¹ of Zimbabwean Leader Robert Mugabe

Robert Mugabe became the leader of the newly named country of Zimbabwe in 1980. That year, the nation won its long fight against British colonialism. The formerly² white-ruled Rhodesia and its new leader quickly became the pride of southern Africa. Its farm economy was so successful that it became known as the “breadbasket” of the area.

But white people, who were 5% of the population, owned nearly 75% of agricultural land. In trying to solve this problem, a once well-respected Mugabe government changed. Over almost 40 years as its leader, Mugabe’s rule became widely considered corrupt³ and murderous.

The former president died on Friday at the age of 95, two years after being forced to give up power.

Amnesty International says that he left behind a non-removable “stain on his country’s human rights record.”

The human rights group said Mugabe’s early years as a leader saw national improvements in health care and education. But as he grew at ease with power, his government began murdering political dissidents. His land reform program was deeply corrupted⁴ as well. This led to the collapse⁵ of the Zimbabwean economy.

Muleya Mwananyanda is Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Southern Africa. He said Mugabe caused “lasting damage” for Zimbabwe’s people.

In 2008, the country experienced a hyperinflation that rose above 500 billion percent.

Those living in the capital city of Harare now find themselves in some of the worst conditions of their lives. There is no running water. There are long lines to buy very costly⁶ bread. Millions have emigrated from the country over the years.

“We were promised Canaan,” Dadirai Tsvakai of Harare told The Associated Press earlier this year. “But this is hell,” he said.

Land reform

Mugabe and many others believed land reform was required to fully⁷ end Zimbabwe’s racist⁸ colonial past. At the time of the country’s liberation, a small number of wealthy, white farmers owned 75% of the country’s farmland. But the president’s plan became a lawless move to gain power and wealth for himself, his family and his political supporters

At first, white farmers refused to sell their land when the government did not offer full value. Land reform stalled.

Members of the pro-Mugabe War Veterans Association started to seize white-owned farms under what came to be known as the “Fast-Track Land Reform Programme.”

For the economy, it was the beginning of the end.

Over the next years, the economy fell 40 percent. Zimbabwean money became worthless. Foreign investment fled.

The land seizures⁹ resulted in 8 million hectares of land - 20% of Zimbabwe’s area – moving to more than 160,000 small, inexperienced farm families.

Many of the most profitable farms were given to important politicians and their families, including Mugabe’s wife, Grace. None was an experienced agricultural expert.

Recent studies have suggested agriculture is getting back to mid-1990s level. About 33% of new, black farmers have become “serious” industrial-sized farmers.

Mugabe removed

Mugabe’s army ousted¹⁰ him from office in 2017. Emmerson Mnangagwa took power. For a short time, many thought he would lead Zimbabwe’s recovery.

But less than a year later, Mnangagwa ordered the military to act against activists¹¹ who were protesting the country’s election. Armed forces shot and killed six protestors.

“Whether we are talking about human rights or the economy, it is as if Mugabe never left. The only change has been for the worse,” said Harare-based political expert Alexander Rusero.

“Life was not that good, but it was never this bad,” said one man on the streets of Harare Friday morning.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

pride - n. the highest position or best place

breadbasket - n. a region that provides large amounts of food

stain - n. to damage or spoil

hyperinflation - n. an extremely rapid increase in the price of goods while the value of money quickly decreases

stall - v. to stop moving forward

1 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

2 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

3 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

4 corrupted   

（使）败坏( corrupt的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）腐化； 引起（计算机文件等的）错误； 破坏

参考例句：

• The body corrupted quite quickly. 尸体很快腐烂了。
• The text was corrupted by careless copyists. 原文因抄写员粗心而有讹误。

5 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

8 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

9 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

10 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》