2007年VOA标准英语-Senegalese Presidential Contenders Tour Country

By Naomi Schwarz
Dakar
05 February 2007

On the second day of campaigning for presidential elections in Senegal, incumbent¹ President Abdoulaye Wade² took his campaign to the southern Casamance region, the site of a long-running separatist movement. Other candidates in the 15-man race launched their campaigns in the capital, Dakar. Naomi Schwarz has more from VOA's Dakar bureau.

 
Abdoulaye Wade (Jan 2006)
Supporters of President Wade sang and played drums, as they waited for their candidate to appear at a rally in Ziguinchor, in the southern Casamance region.

Mr. Wade negotiated a peace settlement in 2004, after more than two decades of fighting between separatist rebels and government forces.

But fighting in Casamance has flared³ up in recent months, and the country was shocked in December by the brutal⁴ assassination⁵ of Omar Lamine Badji, an important administrative⁶ official in the region and a close ally of Mr. Wade.

It is the second campaign stop for the president, who launched his campaign Sunday in Touba, in central Senegal, where the Mouride Muslim Brotherhood⁷ is based. Millions of Senegalese claim allegiance to the Mourides.

 
Supporters cheer candidate Idrissa Seck at a rally
Other candidates opened the brief campaign season in the capital, Dakar, but they also said that they planned to tour the country in the coming weeks.

Bamba Touré, from Kolda in southern Senegal, is a supporter of Idrissa Seck, a main contender. Touré says that he is one of 50 youths, who will accompany Seck on his trip around Senegal to gain the confidence of the Senegalese people.

 
Supporters hold signs and flags for Senegalese presidential candidate Moustapha Niasse
Although the campaign season only officially began on Sunday, political candidates have spent months organizing. Each neighborhood in major cities and region of the country is under the watch of a party coordinator⁸, who is charged with rallying supporters and spreading their candidate's message.

Momar Mbaye is the coordinator for Seck's party, Rewmi, in a densely⁹ populated neighborhood just outside Dakar. He says that they are already beyond the stage of knocking on doors, and that they have already achieved a high level of mobilization.

 
Signs for President Abdoulaye Wade's campaign are all around Dakar
But the next three weeks are still crucial, he says. He says he has left his job for the duration of the campaign, and plans to devote himself full-time¹⁰ to getting Seck elected.

Senegal is viewed by many West African analysts¹¹ as one of the most democratic in the region, but some of the president's opponents say freedom of speech has been curbed¹² during his time in power. They have also said they are not completely satisfied at the slow release of voter cards, and have warned Mr. Wade of not trying any foul¹³ play.

1 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

4 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。

5 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

6 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

7 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

8 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

9 densely   

ad.密集地；浓厚地

参考例句：

• A grove of trees shadowed the house densely. 树丛把这幢房子遮蔽得很密实。
• We passed through miles of densely wooded country. 我们穿过好几英里茂密的林地。

10 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 curbed   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Advertising aimed at children should be curbed. 针对儿童的广告应受到限制。 来自辞典例句
• Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. 俄罗斯需要抑制通货膨胀。 来自辞典例句

13 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！