VOA标准英语10月-Anti-Government Protesters Blockade Thai Parliame

Thailand's government faces an escalating¹ crisis after police repeatedly fired tear gas to break up protesters blockading the parliament building. The clashes led to the resignation of a deputy prime minister. As Ron Corben reports from Bangkok, the strife² sets back efforts by Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat to defuse months of anti-government protests.
　

Anti-government protesters argue with riot police in front of parliament in Bangkok, 07 Oct 2008

The violence in Bangkok erupted early Tuesday when riot police using tear gas and stun³ bombs to clear anti-government demonstrators who had barricaded⁴ themselves outside the parliament building.

The protesters, led by the People's Alliance for Democracy, unsuccessfully tried to prevent Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat from making his maiden⁵ policy speech.

Police and protesters clashed several times during the day, and nearby hospitals reported more than 100 people were admitted with injuries.

A doctor at the Ramathibodi Hospital says emergency wards⁶ are on high alert.

"We are prepared for mass casualty in the hospitals around about three to five hospitals around this area ... bomb or just eye [tear] gas," said the doctor.

PAD supporters, angry over the arrest of two of their leaders, vow⁷ to continue their blockade until the government quits.

Deputy Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh resigned to take responsibility for Tuesday's clashes. He had been working to negotiate an end to the PAD siege of the prime minister's office building.
　

Thaksin Shinawatra (File photo)

Protesters accuse Mr. Somchai's government of acting⁸ as a proxy⁹ for deposed¹⁰ Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He now lives in Britain, having fled in August to avoid corruption¹² charges. PAD supporters accuse Mr. Thaksin of being corrupt¹¹ and authoritarian¹³.

A protester named Sam, was among thousands calling for the government to resign.

"The people do not accept this government, so what we ask for, we ask for real democracy not a government of Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra … and this prime minister is the brother-in-law of Thaksin Shinawatra," he said.

Other protesters accuse of the government of seeking to undermine the country's revered¹⁴ monarchy¹⁵. Wannnisayanam says more people are coming to join the protests despite the clashes with police.

"We've been here for the king - our king. We are not going to let anybody destroy democracy - you see how many people that are coming here," said Wannnisayanam.

The PAD leadership wants to prevent Mr. Somchai's government from passing constitutional amendments¹⁶ that critics say favor Mr. Thaksin. However, the PAD wants to rewrite the constitution so that most members of parliament will be selected by elite¹⁷ groups such as business owners.

Sunai Pasuk, a spokesman for Human Rights Watch's Thai office, says the PAD appears to hope to trigger a military intervention¹⁸.

"This is a situation where the PAD can conveniently pressure the military to take sides.… It is clear that the crackdown can be categorized as excessive use of violence by security forces and the action of the police today can be directly linked to the policy of Prime Minister Somchai," he said.

In his policy speech Tuesday, Mr. Somchai called for national reconciliation¹⁹, and said his government is determined²⁰ to tackle economic problems the country faces.

1 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

2 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

3 stun   

vt.打昏，使昏迷，使震惊，使惊叹

参考例句：

• When they told me she had gone missing I was totally stunned.他们告诉我她不见了时，我当时完全惊呆了。
• Sam stood his ground and got a blow that stunned him.萨姆站在原地，被一下打昏了。

4 barricaded   

设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守

参考例句：

• The police barricaded the entrance. 警方在入口处设置了路障。
• The doors had been barricaded. 门都被堵住了。

5 maiden   

n.少女，处女；adj.未婚的，纯洁的，无经验的

参考例句：

• The prince fell in love with a fair young maiden.王子爱上了一位年轻美丽的少女。
• The aircraft makes its maiden flight tomorrow.这架飞机明天首航。

6 wards   

区( ward的名词复数 )； 病房； 受监护的未成年者； 被人照顾或控制的状态

参考例句：

• This hospital has 20 medical [surgical] wards. 这所医院有 20 个内科[外科]病房。
• It was a big constituency divided into three wards. 这是一个大选区，下设三个分区。

7 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

10 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 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。

13 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

14 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

15 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

16 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

17 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。

18 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

19 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

20 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。