2007年VOA标准英语-Benin's President Marches Against Corruption

By Selah Hennessy
Dakar
17 July 2007

Benin's president Thomas Boni Yayi marched more than 10 kilometers through the streets of the capital, Cotonou, late Monday, shouting slogans against corruption² in the country. A local journalist says the march is part of Mr. Yayi's ongoing³ fight against corruption in Benin, but analysts⁴ say few concrete steps have been taken to root out the real problems. Selah Hennessy reports from VOA's West Africa bureau in Dakar.

Gérard Guedegbe is a local journalist based in Benin's capital, Cotonou.

Benin's President Thomas Boni Yayi (file photo)

He says the president and his ministers marched peacefully through Cotonou's streets. And he adds that crowds of people spontaneously joined in.

Throughout the march the politicians shouted anti-corruption slogans, such as "We demand punishment for the looters of Benin's economy."

Guedegbe says the march demonstrates the president's attachment⁵ to good governance and the fight against corruption in Benin.

He says Mr. Yayi has shown his commitment to ending graft⁶ by imprisoning⁷ ministers who were corrupt¹ under Benin's previous regime.

Mr. Yayi won almost 75 percent of votes in last year's presidential election. His platform promised to rejuvenate⁸ Benin's struggling economy, which has suffered from low prices for its main export, cotton, and to fight corruption in the country.

But Antoine Glaser, an African specialist based in Paris, says despite Mr. Yayi's promises corruption is still widespread in Benin and he is skeptical⁹ that real change is taking place.

"The new president he talks a lot about it, especially before he arrived at the presidency," he said. "They are speaking more about it than they really act."

He says most corruption is found in the economic sector¹⁰, which has not been sufficiently¹¹ targeted.

"In Benin, all the corruption was around the harbor, in between import/export," he said. "People usually do not pay taxes when they import products."

Mr. Yayi's campaign to fight graft has met with some resistance. In March gunmen opened fire on Mr. Yayi's convoy¹². The president said enemies of his anti-graft policies had organized the apparent assassination¹³ attempt.

The anti-corruption organization Transparency International ranked Benin as one of the 50 most corrupt countries in the world.

1 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。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

4 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。

5 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

6 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

7 imprisoning   

v.下狱，监禁( imprison的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr Afwerki may disgust his compatriots by torturing and imprisoning his critics. Afwerki总统拷打和监禁他的反对者已经使的国人生厌。 来自互联网
• Proud and intelligent, it takes great pleasure and imprisoning enemies through psionic exploitation. 它骄傲并狡猾，非常喜欢囚禁敌人并剥夺他们的智力。 来自互联网

8 rejuvenate   

v.(使)返老还童；(使)恢复活力

参考例句：

• The mountain air will rejuvenate you.山里的空气会使你恢复活力。
• Exercise is perhaps the most effective way to rejuvenate your skin.锻炼可能是使皮肤恢复活力的最好手段。

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 sufficiently   

adv.足够地，充分地

参考例句：

• It turned out he had not insured the house sufficiently.原来他没有给房屋投足保险。
• The new policy was sufficiently elastic to accommodate both views.新政策充分灵活地适用两种观点。

12 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

13 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。