2006年VOA标准英语-Venezuelans Mull Chavez Re-election Victory

By Michael Bowman
Caracas
05 December 2006

Venezuela remains¹ abuzz after Sunday's re-election victory by socialist² President Hugo Chavez over an opposition³ candidate who was barely known in the country just a few months ago. VOA's Michael Bowman reports from Caracas, reaction is decidedly mixed depending on the political leanings of the people one encounters.

 
Hugo Chavez supporters celebrate his re-election
Sitting on the well-manicured grounds of Caracas' Plaza⁴ Altamira, Mauro Vicente Leon savors⁵ the day's headlines proclaiming President Chavez' victory. A retired⁷ mechanic, Leon says there is no mystery as to why the president won.

He says, "Chavez is someone who does what he says. Whatever he promises, he follows through on. He has done so, and he will do so. It is that simple."

Sitting next to Leon is his friend, Jose Navarrete, who says many Venezuelans associate the opposition with previous governments that never followed through on promises made to the poor.

He says, "The opposition, in the years when it was in power, never cared about the poor people. And since Chavez has created so many programs [for the poor], the people adore him, especially those who are dispossessed, who are the most numerous here in Venezuela."

 
Hugo Chavez voting in Caracas
It is difficult to find anything on which pro⁶ and anti-Chavez voters agree. But, on the other side of Plaza Altamira, a somber⁸ Francisco Minuta, who voted for opposition candidate Manuel Rosales, agrees that many who most-bitterly complain about the current government once had an attitude of benign⁹ neglect towards the less fortunate in society.

He says, "The districts that are loyal to the opposition have to do more for the lower classes. We have always had rich governments for rich people. Chavez changed all of that."

Already, opposition voters like Minuta, an administrator¹⁰ for a private telecommunications firm, are thinking about what they can do to mount a more effective campaign in the next election.

Political analyst¹¹ Manuel Malavar says the opposition should not be disheartened by Sunday's stinging defeat. He argues that, in uniting the once-fractured opposition, Rosales, a state governor, has laid a foundation for future success.

He says, "From now on, Chavez will be confronting a more organic, better-structured political operation with a leader who can rally the middle class, who has experience in government, and who is willing to join the battle."

Over the next six years, the president has promised to launch a new phase of his so-called "Bolivarian Revolution" that has seen billions of dollars of Venezuela's oil wealth devoted¹² to social programs. Just what that new phase will entail¹³ is a matter of debate among Venezuelans.

Salesman and Chavez-supporter Freddy Medina made this prediction:

He says, "We are going to have a participatory government. We are going to provide opportunities for those who want to learn. The person who never had opportunity will earn a just wage, will have a place to live, and will have basic health care."

Francisco Minuta is decidedly less optimistic.

He says, "We are heading towards a situation like Kosovo. If you read the history [of Kosovo] it is very similar. I fear we are heading towards laws in which our children and our property will be taken by the state. It will be ugly. We are living with terrible uncertainty¹⁴."

Political analyst Manuel Malaver says there is much confusion about Mr. Chavez' intentions.

He says, "What exactly is the Bolivarian Revolution? No one knows. What is the president's socialism of the 21st Century? No one knows. This is a leader who uses radical¹⁵ rhetoric¹⁶ but who uses it to consolidate¹⁷ the power he has exercised over the last eight years."

In his victory speech late Sunday, President Chavez promised to reach out to the opposition in the years ahead. Manuel Rosales acknowledged defeat, but pledged he would not disappear from the political stage.

1 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

2 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。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

5 savors   

v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的第三人称单数 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝

参考例句：

• His talk savors, of self-conceit. 他的谈话给人以自负的感觉。 来自辞典例句
• This sauce savors, of lemon. 这个调味酱有柠檬味。 来自辞典例句

6 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

7 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。

8 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

9 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

10 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

11 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。

12 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

13 entail   

vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要

参考例句：

• Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
• This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。

14 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

15 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

16 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

17 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。