VOA标准英语2013--Burmese Opposition’s Tenure in Government Under Scrutiny

 

Burmese Opposition’s Tenure¹ in Government Under Scrutiny²

Former political prisoner Aung San Suu Kyi's historic election raised hopes she, and the National League for Democracy, would become vocal³ opponents of Burma’s rights abuses.

But after siding with public opinion against the Rohingya, a stateless Muslim minority, and failing to condemn⁴ military aggression⁵ against Kachin rebels, critics say they are compromising their principles.

Aung San Suu Kyi is no longer a rights advocate but a politician, says deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch Phil Robertson.

"Her last comment that she couldn't really intervene unless she was invited by the government to do so and that she was on the wrong parliamentary committee to take up these kind of issues is really the sort of excuse that one would expect from a second-rate politician rather than a Nobel Peace Prize winner," he said.

NLD lawmakers make up less than ten percent of the military-dominated parliament - far too few votes to challenge the military-backed majority. But critics say they have not used their public platform to press for change.

Regional political analyst⁶ Thitinan Pongsudhirak says the NLD risks conceding too much.

"Making compromises is one thing," he said. "Being co-opted is another. And, I think she and the NLD have to be very careful not to be co-opted by the cronies, the military, including the president's team and his government. It's a very tricky⁷ balancing act."

NLD spokesman Nyan Win denies the party has failed to aggressively challenge authorities. 

"The NLD has been challenging the policies of the government from the time it entered the by-election until now. The biggest challenge is that the NLD called for amending⁸ the constitution, which is the most important thing for the current government. The NLD is finding ways to achieve its goals," he said.

There have also been internal divisions in the NLD over power sharing between older and younger members.

In central Myin Gyan (myin gin) township hundreds protested at the party office over allegations the election commission rigged an internal party election.

Protest leader Ko Ko Aung says they refused to allow 7,000 younger members to vote, demonstrating that the NLD is losing its way.

"We have complained about the unfairness of the commission to the central committee authorities. They dissolved the commission. However, they endorsed⁹ the commission's unfair election result," he said.

NLD spokesman Nyan Win dismisses the controversy¹⁰ as bickering¹¹ among members.

But he says the party congress will focus on making the NLD more democratic and electing educated, younger, and female leaders.

He says it may also result in a re-evaluation of some party principles. 

1 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

2 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

3 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

4 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

5 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

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 tricky   

adj.狡猾的，奸诈的；(工作等)棘手的，微妙的

参考例句：

• I'm in a rather tricky position.Can you help me out?我的处境很棘手，你能帮我吗？
• He avoided this tricky question and talked in generalities.他回避了这个非常微妙的问题，只做了个笼统的表述。

8 amending   

改良，修改，修订( amend的现在分词 )； 改良，修改，修订( amend的第三人称单数 )( amends的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Amending acts in 1933,1934, and 1935 attempted to help honest debtors rehabilitate themselves. 一九三三年，一九三四年和一九三五年通过的修正案是为了帮助诚实的债务人恢复自己的地位。
• Two ways were used about the error-amending of contour curve. 采用两种方法对凸轮轮廓曲线进行了修正。

9 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

11 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》