VOA标准英语2009-Namibia Votes in Presidential Election

Election analysts¹ say President Hifikepunye Pohamba is poised² to win a second, five-year term. His ruling South West African People's Organization (SWAPO) is forecast to retain its two-thirds majority in parliament.

Scott Bobb | Johannesburg 27 November 2009

People walk under an election poster of the ruling South West African People's Organization (SWAPO), showing the incumbent³ President Hifikepunye Pohamba in Katatura, outside Windhoek, 25 Nov 2009

"Poverty, employment, education, that's everything. I'm just disappointed by my country. It really needs to stand up."

In Namibia, the ruling South West Africa People's Organization is expected to win presidential and parliamentary elections, but a new opposition⁴ party is mounting a challenge. Two days of voting began Friday.

Voters in Namibia turned out in large numbers before dawn to cast their ballots⁵. Local journalist John Grobler said many waited for hours to vote because of logistical problems.

"Voting is slow in just about all the polling stations, but especially so at the polling stations where they don't have any laptop computers to verify the potential voters on the actual roll, which means they have to go to the physical paper. And that, of course, takes time," he said.

President Hifikepunye Pohamba is running for a second five-year term. His South West Africa People's Organization, which has governed Namibia since independence nearly 20 years ago, is expected to win a two-thirds majority in parliament.

But SWAPO is being challenged by a new party, the Rally for Democracy and Progress. The RDP was formed two years ago after its leader, Hidipo Hamutenya, lost his bid to become SWAPO leader upon the retirement⁶ of Namibia's first president, Sam Nujoma.

Leticia Sakaria, a 19-year-old English student at the University of Namibia, says the government needs to address the country's pressing social ills.

"Poverty, employment, education, that's everything. I'm just disappointed by my country. It really needs to stand up," she said.

Vistorina, who preferred not to give her last name, said good governance was also an issue for her.

"There is a lot of corruption⁷ going on. The unemployment rate is too high. And poverty. So, changes should be brought to those three things," she said.

Several hundred thousand young Namibians are voting for the first time. Antonio Stefanus, a 21-year-old biology student at the University of Namibia, is one of them.

"It's an opportunity for change in our country, and in my own individual life. Because we have been living in this country, and we have never made our voice heard, so to say, at the national level. And, I feel we are currently doing that now," said Stefanus.

He is part of the generation of young Namibians called the "born-frees" because they never knew colonialism. Analysts say the advent⁸ of the born-frees has changed political discourse⁹ and obliged leaders to stop relying for votes on their role in the independence struggle.

Stefanus says young Namibians do remember the older generation's contribution to the struggle.

"We have given them our respect for what they have done for the country. Now it's high time that we divert from the past or from the notion of liberating¹⁰ the country onto other important things in the economy and education," he said.

Voting continues for a second day Saturday and preliminary results are expected next week.

1 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。

2 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

3 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

4 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。

5 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》

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 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。

8 advent   

n.(重要事件等的)到来，来临

参考例句：

• Swallows come by groups at the advent of spring. 春天来临时燕子成群飞来。
• The advent of the Euro will redefine Europe.欧元的出现将重新定义欧洲。

9 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

10 liberating   

解放，释放( liberate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Revolution means liberating the productive forces. 革命就是为了解放生产力。
• They had already taken on their shoulders the burden of reforming society and liberating mankind. 甚至在这些集会聚谈中，他们就已经夸大地把改革社会、解放人群的责任放在自己的肩头了。 来自汉英文学 - 家（1-26） - 家（1-26）