VOA标准英语2011--Egypt to Form New Government, Military to Transfer Power

Egypt to Form New Government, Military to Transfer Power

Egypt's military rulers have agreed to form a new government and promise to transfer power to a civilian¹ body by July.

Politicians say the agreement was made during a crisis meeting on Tuesday as tens of thousands of Egyptians protested in the streets against continuing military rule. They say negotiators also agreed to start holding parliamentary elections on November 28, as scheduled, with a goal of holding a presidential election before the end of June 2012.

Word of the agreement was met with scattered² displeasure in the crowd that packed Cairo's Tahrir Square. There are continued calls among protesters to see military rule end immediately.

The demonstrations³ are getting larger, and the calls for the military to step down now - not next year - louder. Tuesday's crowd is the biggest to mass in Tahrir Square since the unrest began four days ago. Men, women, young and old, are united in their demand that civilian rule begin now.

"As you can see, not just one type of Egyptian here. All the Egyptian here: Islamic, liberal or communist. Everyone is here. Egyptian and Muslims and Christians⁴. Everyone is here," one protester said.

Some believe the momentum⁵ of the unrest, sparked by a proposal that the military rulers prolong their political influence, will speak for itself.

"A lot of the candidates for president or political parties, they are invited for a meeting today to interview the military council. But they didn't hear [from] the people We want the military to leave. It's over. No one can speak on behalf of the Egyptian people right now," said another protester.

With suspicions high about self-declared representatives of the people, the crowd is turning increasingly angry, not just at the bloodshed, but at fears about what - and who - comes next.

Editor and political analyst⁶ Rania el Malki says the unity⁷ of purpose seen among protesters back in January has been destroyed.

"People are very much aware of their differences and different attitudes and I think no, unfortunately this kind of solidarity⁸ is gone. And over the past nine months I think SCAF has managed to fragment the political street beyond cure," Elmalki said.

Many are keen that elections, set to begin next Monday, will be one way forward. But not everyone on Tahrir Square is looking toward a democratic solution.

One man sitting in the square pointed⁹ with pride to the wounds he had suffered.

"After I take this, and this and this and other places in my body, I feel free. I hope to be killed here, to find Allah. That's all," said one protester.

Another protester is quick to point out such fundamentalist beliefs are "not [his] Islam." He accuses extremists, in particular their politically savvy¹⁰ leaders, of trying to hijack¹¹ the new protests. "They are now trying to show up, to show the world that they are leading the people and they are against something in the government. They are not."

But with the SCAF in command, it would appear that to meet protesters' demands they need someone to hand power to, something made more difficult now that the interim¹² civilian leaders are resigning. But editor el Malki doesn't hold out much hope for the army leadership's attempts at engaging the opposition¹³.

"They are thinking with the mentality¹⁴ of the old Egypt. The military rulers, the generals are still Mubarak's people and they are behaving towards the Egyptian people as if they are the end all and be all of decisions. They are engaging in a political monologue¹⁵, that they're refusing to listen to any other version of how the process of the transition to democracy an be managed," Elmaki said.

But even if the standoff continues, most on Tahrir square say they want to go ahead with elections and get the representation - whatever it may be - they desperately¹⁶ want.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

5 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

6 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。

7 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。

8 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

9 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

10 savvy   

v.知道，了解；n.理解能力，机智，悟性；adj.有见识的，懂实际知识的，通情达理的

参考例句：

• She was a pretty savvy woman.她是个见过世面的漂亮女人。
• Where's your savvy?你的常识到哪里去了？

11 hijack   

v.劫持，劫机，拦路抢劫

参考例句：

• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
• The hijack take place just after the plane take off.劫持是飞机刚起飞后发生的。

12 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

13 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。

14 mentality   

n.心理，思想，脑力

参考例句：

• He has many years'experience of the criminal mentality.他研究犯罪心理有多年经验。
• Running a business requires a very different mentality from being a salaried employee.经营企业所要求具备的心态和上班族的心态截然不同。

15 monologue   

n.长篇大论，（戏剧等中的）独白

参考例句：

• The comedian gave a long monologue of jokes.喜剧演员讲了一长段由笑话组成的独白。
• He went into a long monologue.他一个人滔滔不绝地讲话。

16 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。