VOA标准英语2009-European Union Budget Chief Wins in a Landslide

The European Union's budget commissioner¹ has won Lithuania's presidential election getting roughly 69 percent of the vote according to official results. The results are just about what early exit polls had indicated. Voter turnout was about 51 percent on Sunday meaning a runoff election is not needed.
　
Dalia Grybauskaite, 17 May 2009

Even before the exit poll results were announced, when she cast her ballot² in front of an army of reporters, Dalia Grybauskaite appeared confident she would become Lithuania's first female president.

First polls showed that most voters believe Grybauskaite has what it takes to lead the country out of its most serious economic crisis in years.

According to the exit polling, only about one in ten voters favored her closest rival, Social Democrat³ lawmaker Algirdas Butkevicius.

The winner of the presidential election will replace President Valdas Adamkus who is stepping down in July after completing a second and final five-year term

Analysts⁴ say Lithuania's main political parties and politicians are widely disliked because of the current economic downturn, and their reputations have been overshadowed by corruption⁵ allegations.

The 53-year-old Grybauskaite, who is the European Union's budget commissioner, decided⁶ to run for president as an independent after public anger flared⁷ in January over Lithuania's economic collapse⁸.

A rock-throwing crowd attacked parliament in what observers described as the worst street violence the Baltic nation had seen since it regained⁹ independence from the Soviet¹⁰ Union in 1991.

Grybauskaite told journalists Sunday that the economic tensions show it is time for change in the country.

She explains that she voted for herself as in her words "Lithuania's local political establishment is so boring for people, that they want to see some new faces." Grybauskaite adds that "in this difficult times she wants to give her experience" as European Commissioner to her Baltic nation.

Grybauskaite would inherit leadership of a country that was long considered more stable than its Baltic neighbors. But just released EU statistics show the economy plummeted¹¹ nearly ten percent in the first quarter of 2009, compared to the previous three months. Unemployment in March stood at more than 15 percent, a dramatic jump from just over four percent a year earlier.

Grybauskaite has said she wants to help formulate¹² a policy that will stabilise public finances, stimulate¹³ exports, absorb EU aid faster and provide tax breaks for small and medium-sized businesses.

After a presidential election, the government has to resign and be re-appointed. Although the new president is likely to nominate the same prime minister, Grybauskaite has not ruled out choosing new ministers.

1 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

8 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

9 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

10 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。

11 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 formulate   

v.用公式表示；规划；设计；系统地阐述

参考例句：

• He took care to formulate his reply very clearly.他字斟句酌，清楚地做了回答。
• I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas.他陈述观点的方式让我印象深刻。

13 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。