VOA常速英语2008年-Pakistan's Parliament Convenes

By Steve Herman
Islamabad
17 March 2008

Pakistan's parliament has convened¹ in Islamabad, but nothing significant is expected to happen until later this month when a new government is installed. But as VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from the capital the goals of the lawmakers may put them in conflict with the country's president and his supporters in Washington and elsewhere.

Members of the party of the late former prime minister Benazir Bhutto took their seats in the National Assembly wearing rosettes picturing their slain² leader. The Pakistan Peoples Party holds the most seats and should be able to successfully put forward a candidate for prime minister later in the month.

That would bring about the first transfer to civilian³ rule since President Pervez Musharraf took power in a 1999 military coup⁴.

Mrs. Bhutto's husband, Asif Zardari, who now co-chairs the PPP, called the convening⁵ of the 13th National Assembly a signal to the world that democracy is returning to Pakistan.

Zardari says the days of dictatorship are over, and with the support of the people lawmakers have ensured democracy is back on track.

The runner-up party in last month's election, the Muslim League faction⁶ of another former prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, has pledged to support the PPP's candidate for prime minister. There is intense speculation⁷ that Zardari covets⁸ the post, but an interim⁹ prime minister would need to be selected until Zardari wins a seat in Parliament, presumably during an upcoming by-election.

An agreement between the PPP and Sharif's party calls for 60 high-court judges ousted¹⁰ by the president to be reinstated within 30 days. Mr. Musharraf fired the justices during a six-week period of emergency rule last November.

Those removed included Supreme¹¹ Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, an opponent of the president. After Chaudhry's ouster, the re-organized Supreme Court affirmed the former general's reelection to the presidency¹².

Some lawmakers are vowing¹³ to take action during the parliamentary session to try to remove Mr. Musharraf from his post.

After a one-day break, Parliament reconvenes on Wednesday.

Lawmakers were sworn in Monday in an area of the capital that was sealed off.

Security was increased in Islamabad following Saturday night's bombing of an Italian restaurant frequented by diplomats¹⁴ and other foreigners. The attack killed a Turkish woman and wounded a number of other patrons; including Americans, Britons, Canadians, Chinese and Japanese. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation¹⁵ has confirmed that four of its agents were among the wounded.

Terrorist attacks have been escalating¹⁶ in Pakistan with hundreds of Pakistanis being killed in recent months. The government blames the attacks on extremists opposed to Pakistan's participation¹⁷ on the U.S.-led war on terrorism. Following a campaign rally in Rawalpindi on December 27, prime minister frontrunner Mrs. Bhutto was killed by a suicide bomber¹⁸. Her party won the most seats in the February 18 election, but not enough to govern alone.

1 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

2 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

5 convening   

召开( convene的现在分词 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 民10:7但招聚会众的时候、们要吹号、不要吹出大声。
• We warmly welcome the convening of Asia-Europe meeting in London. 热烈欢迎亚欧会议在伦敦召开。

6 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

7 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

8 covets   

v.贪求，觊觎( covet的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• It is the kind of TV news coverage every president covets. 所有总统都垂涎这类电视新闻报导。 来自互联网
• She covets her sister's house. 她对她姐姐的房子垂涎三尺。 来自互联网

9 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

10 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

11 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。

12 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

13 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

14 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

16 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

17 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

18 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。