VOA常速英语2008年-European Politicians' Private Lives Not Always

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
16 March 2008

David Paterson is replacing Eliot Spitzer as New York governor. Spitzer resigned last week over an affair with a call girl that made international headlines. From Paris, Lisa Bryant reports the private lives of European politicians are not always given the same scrutiny¹ as those in the United States.

Europe is certainly no stranger to sex scandals. In 2004, British Home Secretary David Blunkett resigned amid allegations that he used his influence to speed through a visa for the nanny of his former lover - a charge he denied at the time.

The same year, another prominent politician was fired from a senior job within Britain's Conservative Party after reports surfaced about an alleged² extramarital affair.

And in 1963 former British cabinet minister John Profumo almost brought down his government after it was revealed he was having a relationship with a prostitute - who was also involved with a Soviet³ intelligence officer.

Poland, too, has been roiled⁴ by a sexual scandal, with prosecutors⁵ charging a former deputy prime minister last year with soliciting⁶ sex from two women who worked for his Self Defense⁷ Party.

Generally, however, scandals of the heart and bed remain rare exceptions in European politics, says French analyst⁸ Dominique Moisi. He says that is in large part because Europeans do not scrutinize⁹ the private lives of their politicians as closely as Americans.

"I think the only country that looks like America is probably Great Britain," said Dominique Moisi. "There is something like an Anglo-Saxon world, where there is a fascination¹⁰ for sex scandals and where you cannot lie to your public."

The case of New York governor Elliot Spitzer has riveted¹¹ France and other European countries. Spitzer was considered a crusader against corruption¹² and championed legislation toughening punishment for men seeking prostitutes.

But Moisi says French in particular are not judging Spitzer's downfall as harshly as Americans.

"In France, most scandals are about money - and not about sex," he said. "There is a mixture of clearly interest but also surprise - Mr. Clean [Spitzer] is being caught in activities, which [do not fit] his actions and his reputation. There is a tendency to say, 'Oh well, that is America.''

Unlike their American counterparts, the French media generally do not delve¹³ into the private lives of their politicians. The fact that former French president Francois Mitterrand had a long-term mistress and illegitimate daughter was an open secret. But when one reporter asked him about it, the answer was "and so?"

True, current French President Nicolas Sarkozy has lost popularity points in polls after divorcing his second wife and remarrying his third in the space of months. But analysts¹⁴ say most French were sanctioning him because they felt his private life was hurting his job as president.

An analyst at the Center for European Reform in London, Katinka Barysch, believes countries like Britain and Germany would act more harshly to a Spitzer-style case at home.

"In both countries, a scandal of the magnitude that has just broken in the United States would also result in a resignation," said Katinka Barysch. "Simply because the credibility is on the line of somebody who had the image of being quite strict on moral issues."

But overall, Barysch says, Europeans are generally tolerant about their politicians' behavior outside their jobs.

"I think what is key here is openness," said Barysch. "In Germany, when people say they are living out of wedlock¹⁵ or have homosexual partners, that is OK so long as it is out in the open."

As long as European politicians are honest in their professional lives, Barysch says, their electorate¹⁶ is unlikely to sanction them for what they do outside their jobs.

1 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

2 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

3 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

4 roiled   

v.搅混（液体）( roil的过去式和过去分词 )；使烦恼；使不安；使生气

参考例句：

• American society is being roiled by the controversy over homosexual marriage. 当今美国社会正被有关同性恋婚姻的争论搞得不得安宁。 来自互联网
• In the past few months, instability has roiled Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas. 在过去的几个月里，西藏和藏人居住区不稳定。 来自互联网

5 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

6 soliciting   

v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求

参考例句：

• A prostitute was soliciting on the street. 一名妓女正在街上拉客。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• China Daily is soliciting subscriptions. 《中国日报》正在征求订户。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 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。

9 scrutinize   

n.详细检查，细读

参考例句：

• Her purpose was to scrutinize his features to see if he was an honest man.她的目的是通过仔细观察他的相貌以判断他是否诚实。
• She leaned forward to scrutinize their faces.她探身向前，端详他们的面容。

10 fascination   

n.令人着迷的事物，魅力，迷恋

参考例句：

• He had a deep fascination with all forms of transport.他对所有的运输工具都很着迷。
• His letters have been a source of fascination to a wide audience.广大观众一直迷恋于他的来信。

11 riveted   

铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意

参考例句：

• I was absolutely riveted by her story. 我完全被她的故事吸引住了。
• My attention was riveted by a slight movement in the bushes. 我的注意力被灌木丛中的轻微晃动吸引住了。

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 delve   

v.深入探究，钻研

参考例句：

• We should not delve too deeply into this painful matter.我们不应该过分深究这件痛苦的事。
• We need to delve more deeply into these questions.这些是我们想进一步了解的。

14 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。

15 wedlock   

n.婚姻，已婚状态

参考例句：

• My wife likes our wedlock.我妻子喜欢我们的婚姻生活。
• The Fawleys were not made for wedlock.范立家的人就跟结婚没有缘。

16 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。