2007年VOA标准英语-Many Venezuelans Uncertain About Chavez' '21st

By Michael Bowman
Washington
09 July 2007

For years, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has spoken almost daily about his vision of so-called "21st Century socialism." Yet many Venezuelans of varying political persuasions² are unsure what the slogan means and have great difficulty defining it in precise terms. VOA's Michael Bowman recently visited Caracas and has this report.

Hugo Chavez (file photo)

After winning re-election last December, President Chavez spoke¹ of his plans for the future.

"Now more than ever, I am obliged to move Venezuela's path towards socialism," he said.

But what, precisely³, is his program of 21st Century socialism? Caracas university student Jesus Echeverria is not sure.

"I, for one, do not know what 21st Century socialism means," he says, "But it seems to me to be an arrangement in which the president can manipulate all the country's institutions."

Venezuelan attorney and former Information Minister Fernando Egaña gives a similar response.

"It is a great question that I am not able to answer because it has never been explained," He says. "In a practical sense, 21st Century socialism means indefinite re-election within a state with no separation of powers and without any institutional counterweights [to Chavez' authority]."

Earlier this year, Venezuela's national assembly, made up entirely⁴ of Chavez loyalists, voted to allow the president to rule by decree. Since then, an empowered Mr. Chavez has nationalized telecommunications and electric-power companies, renegotiated contractual arrangements with foreign oil corporations, and shut down an opposition⁵-allied private television station.

Repeated requests for interviews with Venezuelan officials were not granted. But many Chavez supporters say 21st Century socialism means social and economic equality. They are quick to refute opposition accusations⁶ that 21st Century socialism is mere⁷ window-dressing for autocratic despotism.

Caracas resident Carolina Perez describes the president as her "idol⁸."

"For eight years, the opposition has been saying that the revolutionary process will strip people of their businesses and take away their children for indoctrination," she says. "If the president were so inclined, he would already have done so."

Chavez backers say, for the first time, Venezuela's massive oil wealth is being used to benefit all citizens, not just the wealthy elite⁹.

The president has launched massive social welfare campaigns in healthcare, education, food assistance and other areas. Even Mr. Chavez' critics concede that the popularity of these programs helped propel his re-election victory in December.

Venezuelan public-opinion pollster Luis Vicente Leon says the populist president has been intentionally¹⁰ vague in spelling out his program, allowing his followers¹¹ to define it for themselves according to their interests.

"Chavez simply says that he represents 21st Century socialism," he says. "So if you like Chavez and I ask you what 21st Century socialism means, you will probably say 'Chavez' or 'a better distribution of oil wealth' or 'giving educational scholarships' or 'providing for the poor.' Well, these are all things that people like."

What is next on President Chavez' agenda? No one knows for sure, but he has threatened further crackdowns on the private news media, promised more expropriations of properties deemed "underutilized" by the state, and pledged to remain in power until the year 2030. For that to occur, Venezuela's constitution would have to be amended¹² to eliminate executive term limits.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 persuasions   

n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰

参考例句：

• To obtain more advertisting it needed readers of all political persuasions. 为获得更多的广告，它需要迎合各种政治见解的读者。 来自辞典例句
• She lingered, and resisted my persuasions to departure a tiresome while. 她踌躇不去，我好说歹说地劝她走，她就是不听。 来自辞典例句

3 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

4 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

5 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。

6 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

9 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

10 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

11 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

12 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。