VOA常速英语2008年-Kenya Reconciliation Talks Continue; Focus on P

By Scott Bobb
Nairobi
22 February 2008

Parties to the Kenya reconciliation² talks held a series of meetings Friday aimed at bringing the two sides closer on the issue of power-sharing which has been the biggest obstacle to date. The opposition³ repeated its threat to resume mass demonstrations⁴ if greater progress was not achieved. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from Nairobi.

Negotiators for the Kenyan government and opposition remained tight-lipped as they tried to hammer out an agreement on how much power to invest in the proposed post of prime minister.

The opposition wanted the prime minister to be head-of-government and wield⁵ considerable powers over the executive branch. But government negotiators said they saw the post as non-executive with what were termed some responsibilities. A technical team was working on what constitutional and legal changes would be needed to create the post.

The recently chosen chairman of the African Union, Jean Ping, flew to Nairobi to show support for the talks which he said were moving in a good direction.

"The weekend will be crucial and we hope that next week we will have something which could be agreed [upon]," he said.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the chief mediator⁶ at the talks, has expressed satisfaction with the progress made, saying Thursday that he was beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel.

But opposition Parliament member Ababu Namwamba said his Orange Democratic Movement party would hold anti-government protests if the talks continued at their current pace.

"If by Wednesday, the 27th day of February, 2008, no tangible⁷ outcome is achieved from the mediation⁸ process then the [ODM] party members are called upon to prepare for immediate⁹ civil mass disobedience," he said.

Anti-government demonstrations following the election sparked a wave of violence in which 1,000 people were killed and several hundred thousand were displaced. The violence has subsided¹⁰ since the reconciliation talks began but many Kenyans fear it could revive if a political solution to the crisis is not found.

Political analyst¹¹ Ken¹ Ouko of Nairobi University said Kenyans are angry over the elections which many feel were rigged. And he said the proposed post of prime minister would not erase¹² this memory.

"If you're looking at it [premiership] as a long-term solution I think it falls short," he said. "What's going to happen is probably [to] use the premiership to dissect¹³ and improve our institutions so that people feel that there is some change, but I guess we'll still have to walk the election route some time [day] to be able to put this to rest."

Nevertheless he said an agreement to bring the opposition into government would help ease some tensions in the country.

1 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

2 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。

3 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。

4 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

5 wield   

vt.行使，运用，支配；挥，使用(武器等)

参考例句：

• They wield enormous political power.他们行使巨大的政治权力。
• People may wield the power in a democracy.在民主国家里，人民可以行使权力。

6 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

7 tangible   

adj.有形的，可触摸的，确凿的，实际的

参考例句：

• The policy has not yet brought any tangible benefits.这项政策还没有带来任何实质性的好处。
• There is no tangible proof.没有确凿的证据。

8 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 subsided   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• After the heavy rains part of the road subsided. 大雨过后，部分公路塌陷了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• By evening the storm had subsided and all was quiet again. 傍晚， 暴风雨已经过去，四周开始沉寂下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

12 erase   

v.擦掉；消除某事物的痕迹

参考例句：

• He tried to erase the idea from his mind.他试图从头脑中抹掉这个想法。
• Please erase my name from the list.请把我的名字从名单上擦去。

13 dissect   

v.分割；解剖

参考例句：

• In biology class we had to dissect a frog.上生物课时我们得解剖青蛙。
• Not everyone can dissect and digest the public information they receive.不是每个人都可以解析和消化他们得到的公共信息的。