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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
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Maldivian President Mamoun Abdul Gayoom, center, and his wife Nazreena Ibrahim wait for their turn to vote at a polling station in Male, Maldives, 08 Oct 2008 |
Heavy rain did not deter1 thousands of voters from waiting in long lines to cast ballots2 across the tiny Indian Ocean islands that make up Maldives.
It was the first time they had a choice to make. President Gayoom - Asia's longest-serving ruler - has won six previous elections as the only candidate.
There were complaints of voting irregularities - many opposition3 supporters said their names were missing from electoral rolls. Officials called them minor4 problems in the country's first-ever multi-party poll.
Wednesday's vote was held after Mr. Gayoom began a reform program in 2004 in the face of large-scale street protests.
The election was held after a hard campaign. President Gayoom has hopped5 in planes across the hundreds of corals islands that make up the country. The opposition has focused on the capital Male.
The president's supporters say he has turned the nation into South Asia's richest, by building a huge tourism industry on the scenic6 islands. They say he needs more time to build its economy and complete the nation's transition to democracy.
His opponents accuse him of jailing his opponents, suppressing dissent7 and handing out favors to friends and family.
An expert in international affairs at New Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University, Professor A.K. Pasha, says critics blame the President Gayoom for ruling like a dictator.
"For the last few years, he has seen growing opposition, they are accusing Gayoom of having muzzled8 opposition and creating structures conducive9 for his authoritarian10 rule in the garb11 of democratic elections," Pasha said.
The president's main rival is the head of the Maldivian Democratic Party, Mohamed Nasheed, who has been jailed several times on charges that human-rights groups say are politically motivated. He says the country needs a new leadership that will root out corruption12.
The election on the chain of islands is being watched by many countries, partly because of fears that fundamentalist Islamic groups are gaining a presence in the country. Maldives suffered a terror attack a year ago, with Islamic militants13 blamed for a bombing in Male.
Diplomats14 hope that the election will be an example of peaceful transition to democracy in a country with a Muslim-majority population.
The results are expected late Thursday. If no candidate wins an outright15 majority, the two candidates with the most votes will face off in another election.
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1
deter
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vt.阻止,使不敢,吓住 | |
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2
ballots
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n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 );选举;选票;投票总数v.(使)投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 ) | |
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3
opposition
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n.反对,敌对 | |
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4
minor
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adj.较小(少)的,较次要的;n.辅修学科;vi.辅修 | |
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5
hopped
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跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花 | |
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6
scenic
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adj.自然景色的,景色优美的 | |
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7
dissent
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n./v.不同意,持异议 | |
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8
muzzled
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给(狗等)戴口套( muzzle的过去式和过去分词 ); 使缄默,钳制…言论 | |
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9
conducive
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adj.有益的,有助的 | |
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10
authoritarian
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n./adj.专制(的),专制主义者,独裁主义者 | |
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11
garb
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n.服装,装束 | |
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12
corruption
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n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
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13
militants
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激进分子,好斗分子( militant的名词复数 ) | |
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14
diplomats
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n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 );有手腕的人,善于交际的人 | |
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15
outright
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adv.坦率地;彻底地;立即;adj.无疑的;彻底的 | |
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