VOA常速英语2008年-Iranians Prepare to Vote in Parliamentary Elect

By Challiss McDonough
Cairo
13 March 2008

Voters in Iran go to the polls on Friday for a parliamentary election seen mainly as a contest between competing conservative factions¹, after authorities barred the majority of reformist candidates from running.  VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has this preview from our Middle East Bureau in Cairo.

The conservatives who have dominated Iran's parliament since 2004 are expected to tighten² their hold, with few reformist candidates even allowed on the ballot³.

The election is largely a contest between two rival conservative factions, one more closely allied⁴ to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and the other favoring a more pragmatic approach to issues such as Iran's dealings with the West over its nuclear program.

"This is I think the worst election Iran has ever seen since the beginning of the Islamic Republic," said Ali Nourizadeh, an Iranian journalist and political commentator⁵ based in London.

During pre-election vetting⁶ of candidates, hundreds of people were disqualified, including most of the candidates from the so-called reformist camp.  They tend to favor improved relations with the West and more freedom in Iran.

"I was just looking at the list of nominees⁷, and as I said you don't see any prominent reformists," he added.  "The so-called rivalry⁸ may be among the so-called fundamentalists - progressive fundamentalists and conservative fundamentalists - and they are both the same. "

The virtual disappearance⁹ from the ballots¹⁰ of well-known reformers means voters who want to support the reformist agenda could end up voting for people they have barely heard of.  On the other hand, two rival camps have emerged among the conservative movement that brought President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to power three years ago.

One camp, known as the United Front, includes candidates allied with the president, while the other, called the Broad or Inclusive Coalition¹¹, includes some of his more pragmatic conservative rivals, including former chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.

Tight restrictions¹² on the campaigns have marked the run-up to the election.

"Based on the statement issued by the Supreme¹³ National Security Council to media, there are some issues which you should not discuss - issues like the Iranian atomic/nuclear file, issues like inflation, issues like Iran's relations with Iraq, with the United States," Nourizadeh explained.

The result is a campaign where important issues have been barely discussed, and where local or domestic matters, such as pollution have been the focus.

Professor Amal Hamada is an Iran specialist in the political science department at Cairo University.  On her last visit to Iran a few months ago, she said it was clear the major issues remain on everyone's mind.

"The issue was economics, no question about it," she noted¹⁴.

With high inflation and unemployment rates, the economy has become one of the issues fueling division in the conservative camp, along with differences over the tactics of President Ahmadinejad, including the confrontation¹⁵ with the West over the country's uranium enrichment program.

"Absolutely, I have no doubt that his support is going to go down and down, because the people are not happy. Even solid supporters of Ahmadinejad [are] criticizing his economic programs and his ideas, which some consider disastrous," Nourizadeh added.

With the exclusion¹⁶ of so many reformist candidates, there are reports of widespread voter apathy¹⁷ and indications that many supporters of the reformists could stay away from the polls.  At the same time, the government and religious leaders have been strongly encouraging people to vote, saying it is their Islamic duty.

Hamada says it is hard to predict what the voter turnout might look like.

"Because you know, the conservatives have better ability to mobilize people on the day of elections, so this is what they have been counting on all the time," she added.  "You can't really tell.  By tomorrow you could be surprised by the [turnout] numbers, or be surprised by no one showing."

There are 290 seats in Iran's parliament, and the voting process can be complicated, with each person casting multiple votes.  Some areas will use electronic voting machines for the first time. Final results are not expected for several days.

1 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

2 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

3 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

4 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

5 commentator   

n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员

参考例句：

• He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。
• The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。

6 vetting   

n.数据检查[核对，核实]v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的现在分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• Scripts had to be submitted to Ministry of Information officials for vetting. 必须把脚本提交给信息部官员审查。 来自互联网
• Their purpose in clicking deeper into a site is one of vetting. 他们深入点击网站的目的是一种诊疗。 来自互联网

7 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

8 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

9 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

10 ballots   

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 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

12 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

13 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

14 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

15 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

16 exclusion   

n.拒绝，排除，排斥，远足，远途旅行

参考例句：

• Don't revise a few topics to the exclusion of all others.不要修改少数论题以致排除所有其他的。
• He plays golf to the exclusion of all other sports.他专打高尔夫球，其他运动一概不参加。

17 apathy   

n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡

参考例句：

• He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。
• She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。