VOA标准英语2009-Both Candidates Predict Victory in Tuesday's

Geraldine Doe-Sheriff says she will make laws to make corruption¹ a nonbailable offense²

James Butty | Washington, DC 22 November 2009

Tuesday's senatorial by-election runoff is generating enormous excitement in Liberia’s capital, Monrovia.
 

George Weah of the opposition³ CDC of Liberia

Geraldine Doe-Sheriff, the candidate for football legend George Weah's Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party will go against Clemenceau Urey representing President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Unity⁴ Party.

The seat was made vacant by the death of Senator Hannah Brent of the CDC.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia

In the 2005 presidential election run-off, President Sirleaf beat George Weah and went on to be president.

Some Liberians see Tuesday’s run-off election as a referendum on poverty, high unemployment, and corruption which they blame on President Sirleaf’s government.

CDC candidate Doe-Sheriff said that as senator, she will support laws to make corruption a non-bailable offense.

“The responsibility of a senator is to pass laws. Two of those laws that I want to pass, one, that corruption will be a nonbailable offense and the education opportunity bill that will empower our brothers and sisters to go to college after high school,” she said.

Doe-Sheriff said there can be no development when there is corruption at the highest levels of society.

Ruling Unity Party candidate Clemenceau Urey said the Sirleaf government has mounted a serious effort to fight corruption and that the critics either have no eyes to see or ears to hear.

“We know that there’s much more to be done as far as fighting corruption is concerned. But I think we are on the right path. I think anyone who says that we are not doing anything either have eyes and they cannot see ears and they don’t want to hear,” Urey said.

Urey said he decided⁵ to run for the senate because he felt it would be a vehicle to advocate for the less fortunate.

“Because of the challenges I had growing up as a child when I lost my father at a very young age, I came to Monrovia and I had to struggle to get my education. And many people were generous to me. And as a result of that experience I’ve developed the attachment⁶ for counseling and helping⁷ young people,” Urey said.

Doe-Sheriff predicted a landslide⁸ victory for the opposition CDC because she said there has been a collaboration⁹ of all opposition parties.

 “The opposition political parties have come together under one umbrella asking for a change, asking for a new dispensation. The Liberian people have spoken and we as opposition we together as opposition bloc¹⁰ we are going to be victorious,” Doe-Sheriff said.

Doe-Sheriff could not say whether her party would accept the results if the opposition did not win.

She could only say that the ruling Unity Party should expect a tsunami¹¹ on Tuesday.

“No one is going to win this election except Doe-Sheriff because Mr. Urey in his own right mind can never, never win an election against the opposition political parties. We are a tsunami, and we are the biggest bloc,” Doe-Sheriff said.

Some political observers see Tuesday’s by-election as a prelude¹² to the 2011 general elections.

1 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。

2 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

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 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

6 attachment   

n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附

参考例句：

• She has a great attachment to her sister.她十分依恋她的姐姐。
• She's on attachment to the Ministry of Defense.她现在隶属于国防部。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

8 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

9 collaboration   

n.合作，协作；勾结

参考例句：

• The two companies are working in close collaboration each other.这两家公司密切合作。
• He was shot for collaboration with the enemy.他因通敌而被枪毙了。

10 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

11 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

12 prelude   

n.序言，前兆，序曲

参考例句：

• The prelude to the musical composition is very long.这首乐曲的序曲很长。
• The German invasion of Poland was a prelude to World War II.德国入侵波兰是第二次世界大战的序幕。