VOA标准英语2009年-Violence, Political Dynasties Overshad

Filings for candidates for the Philippines next presidential election show that powerful families continue to dominate the political landscape. Benigno Aquino, the son of a late president, is the current leader in opinion polls.

Brian Padden | Jakarta 01 December 2009

Presidential candidate Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, 28 Nov 2009

Filings for candidates for the Philippines next presidential election show that powerful families continue to dominate the political landscape. Benigno Aquino, the son of a late president, is the current leader in opinion polls. Election violence has already started, with more than 50 people massacred last week.

As the Philippines election season begins violence and intrigue² have overshadowed the candidates.

Philippine prosecutors³ on Monday filed murder charges against Andal Ampatuan, Jr., for the massacre¹ last week of 57 people - journalists and supporters of an opposition⁴ candidate. Ampatuan is the mayor of Datu Unsay in Maguindanao, a strife-torn province in the southern Philippines. He also is a former adviser⁵ to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo⁶.

President Arroyo has denounced the violence, and her former supporter, and vows⁷ to go after the killers⁸.

The president, who is constitutionally barred from another term, is still very much at the center of this election. Her announcement to run for congress in the election next May sparked intense media speculation⁹.

Political analyst¹⁰ Bobby Tuazon is with the Center for People Empowerment and Governance. He says Mrs. Arroyo is embarking¹¹ on ambitious strategy to retain power by altering the constitution.

"The analysis is that she is seeking a seat in the house of representatives as part of her political agenda to be elected or chosen as the house speaker on route to the possibility of being appointed as prime minister in case of any charter change after the 2010 elections," Tuazon said.

Of the presidential candidates, Senator Benigno Aquino, the son of the late President Corazon Aquino, leads in opinion polls. Joel Rocamora, one of his political advisers¹², says the August funeral of President Aquino ignited the senator's campaign.

"The response of people manifested during her funeral really disrupted the whole presidential race because while the funeral was conducted with upmost solemnity, it was also a very political response and many people felt that the massive show of support for the late President Corazon Aquino was really a show of support for political change," Rocamora said.

Aquino's main rivals are Senator Manny Villar, a former defense¹³ secretary, Gilberto Teodoro, and deposed¹⁴ President Joseph Estrada, who was convicted of bribery¹⁵, then pardoned by President Arroyo.

Analyst Tuazon says the familiar names reflect the dominance of powerful families in the Philippines. He says it is a self-perpetuating problem that fosters corruption¹⁶ and prevents real democratic change.

"Bills have been filed to implement¹⁷ the constitutional provision doing away with the system of political dynasties," Tuazon said, "but of course the filing of those bills came to naught¹⁸, especially because, precisely¹⁹ because congress is dominated by the same political dynasties. So why kill yourself?"

Although the candidates promise change, Tuazon says this election is likely to result in more of the same.

 

1 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

2 intrigue   

vt.激起兴趣，迷住；vi.耍阴谋；n.阴谋，密谋

参考例句：

• Court officials will intrigue against the royal family.法院官员将密谋反对皇室。
• The royal palace was filled with intrigue.皇宫中充满了勾心斗角。

3 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。

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 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

6 arroyo   

n.干涸的河床，小河

参考例句：

• She continued along the path until she came to the arroyo.她沿着小路一直走到小河边。
• They had a picnic by the arroyo.他们在干枯的河床边野餐过。

7 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

8 killers   

凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事

参考例句：

• He remained steadfast in his determination to bring the killers to justice. 他要将杀人凶手绳之以法的决心一直没有动摇。
• They were professional killers who did in John. 杀死约翰的这些人是职业杀手。

9 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。

10 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。

11 embarking   

乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• He's embarking on a new career as a writer. 他即将开始新的职业生涯——当一名作家。
• The campaign on which were embarking was backed up by such intricate and detailed maintenance arrangemets. 我们实施的战争，须要如此复杂及详细的维护准备。

12 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

13 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。

14 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

16 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。

17 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

18 naught   

n.无，零 [=nought]

参考例句：

• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。
• I hope that all your efforts won't go for naught.我希望你的努力不会毫无结果。

19 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。