VOA标准英语2009年-Singh Sworn in For 2nd Term as India's Pri

In India, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has taken charge of the country's new Congress-led coalition¹ government for a second term. The swearing-in ceremony took place in the shadow of a row with a key ally.
　
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh takes oath as Prime Minister for a second term in New Delhi, 22 May 2009

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took the oath of office at the presidential palace in New Delhi Friday evening - nearly a week after the Congress-led coalition won a clear mandate² in general elections.

Mr. Singh, 67, is only the second prime minister in the country to be returning to power after a full five-year term.

Nineteen Cabinet ministers also took oath of office. Many of them were senior ministers in Mr. Singh's previous government such as former foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram, former Commerce Minister Kamal Nath and former Defense³ Minister A.K. Antony.

Several of the ministers in the previous administration are expected to retain their positions in the cabinet, especially key ones such as defense. But India is likely to get a new foreign minister as Pranab Mukherjee has indicated he would like to head a ministry⁴ which involves less travel.

The number of ministers sworn in was smaller than expected - partly because of a row with a key ally over distribution of ministries⁵.

The Tamil Nadu-based DMK party did not join the government because it was being given fewer ministries than it asked for.

The Congress Party and the DMK have held negotiations⁶ to break the deadlock⁷.

Jaipal Reddy, a senior Congress leader who was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister, says allies such as DMK will likely be inducted next week when more ministers are named.

"These hiccups⁸ are inevitable⁹, are natural, in a democracy, and at the moment we are going in only for partial Cabinet formation," he said. "We will soon go in for expansion. At that some of the problems that are faced now will have been resolved."

Analysts¹⁰ say the Congress Party, which has won a much stronger mandate, wants to take a firmer stand with its regional allies than it could do during its last term, when its government was more vulnerable.

The Congress-led coalition has won 262 seats - 10 seats short of a majority. But support from other parties takes its numbers to 322, well past the half way mark in the 543 member parliament.

This is expected to give Mr. Singh a relatively¹¹ freer hand in implementing¹² policies. He has indicated that good governance and spreading the benefits of economic growth to the country's poor will be a priority.

Mr. Singh, an economist¹³, is widely viewed as an honest leader, capable of steering¹⁴ the country through the current economic downturn. His other challenges will be to manage relations with Pakistan at a time when the peace process between the two countries has stalled.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

3 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。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

8 hiccups   

n.嗝( hiccup的名词复数 )；连续地打嗝；暂时性的小问题；短暂的停顿v.嗝( hiccup的第三人称单数 )；连续地打嗝；暂时性的小问题；短暂的停顿

参考例句：

• I cannot find a rhyme to "hiccups". 我不能找到和hiccups同韵的词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Can we rhyme 'hiccups'with 'pick-ups'? 我们能把‘hiccups’同‘pick－ups’放在一起押韵吗？ 来自辞典例句

9 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

10 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。

11 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

12 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

13 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

14 steering   

n.操舵装置

参考例句：

• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
• Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵，口吻也马上变得温和了。