美国国家公共电台 NPR--Voters in Thailand have spoken — they want change

Voters in Thailand have spoken — they want change

Transcript¹

Voters in Thailand overwhelmingly backed opposition² parties promising³ to bring change — delivering a stunning⁴ rebuke⁵ to the military-backed government that has led them for nearly a decade.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Voters in Thailand have delivered a stunning rebuke to the military-backed government there, voting overwhelmingly for opposition parties promising to bring change. NPR's Michael Sullivan reports from Bangkok.

MICHAEL SULLIVAN, BYLINE⁶: The progressive Move Forward Party ran on a platform its leader, Pita Limjaroenrat, called the 3 Ds - demilitarize, demonopolize and decentralize. It also backed marriage equality and an end to military conscription. And voters enthusiastically endorsed⁷ that vision in yesterday's vote. Twenty-five-year-old Wachiraporn Taweemaneekot cast her vote here in Bangkok.

WACHIRAPORN TAWEEMANEEKOT: I just wanted to see something new and something better because now we need the new thing to bring us to the future.

SULLIVAN: Move Forward also championed a more controversial call to amend⁸ the harsh lese-majeste law that prohibits criticism of the Thai monarchy⁹. That law stipulates¹⁰ prison terms from 3 to 15 years if convicted. Hundreds have been charged under the law during anti-government protests in the past several years. The party's stance has drawn¹¹ the ire of Thai royalists. But Move Forward leader Pita didn't back down on amending¹² the law at a news conference late last night.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PITA LIMJAROENRAT: We have enough MPs to push it forward already. It's not conditional¹³. It's already absolute that we're going forward with it.

SULLIVAN: Pita also appeared to extend an olive branch to last night's other big winner, the opposition Pheu Thai Party, which finished second and could now work with Move Forward and others to create a coalition¹⁴ government. Pheu Thai's exiled supremo, the deposed¹⁵ Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, recently expressed his desire to return to Thailand after the election, despite his pariah¹⁶ status with a royalist military-backed establishment.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PITA: Whether the return of Mr. Thaksin will destabilize Thailand political landscape, I think if it's a free and fair legal process, no one's going to induce more conflict. However, the opposite of that - if it's unfair, if it's unfree, if it's politically motivated, I think that could be a conflict.

SULLIVAN: There's also a number of ways the establishment could deny the opposition a chance to form a government. A 250-member military-appointed Senate could vote against it in parliament. And there are other tools at the establishment's disposal as well, including a court system that's brought down three opposition prime ministers and dissolved several parties, including Move Forward's predecessor¹⁷, Future Forward, in 2020. Political analyst¹⁸ Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University says the threat of dissolution can't be discounted this time, either.

THITINAN PONGSUDHIRAK: Something will happen, most likely, because how could the conservative royalist establishment put up with the kind of agenda that Move Forward offers and call for - change and reform of the military and the monarchy?

SULLIVAN: Twenty-one-year-old activist¹⁹ Tantawan Tuatulanon, one of those charged under the lese-majeste law, worries about dissolution, too, and the threat of another coup²⁰ by a military that's conducted to since 2006. But she says she's ready.

TANTAWAN TUATULANON: I think for me and for my friends, there's no more fear anymore. If the coup happen, then we just go out from our home and then fight with them.

SULLIVAN: Michael Sullivan, NPR News, Bangkok.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 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。

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

5 rebuke   

v.指责，非难，斥责 [反]praise

参考例句：

• He had to put up with a smart rebuke from the teacher.他不得不忍受老师的严厉指责。
• Even one minute's lateness would earn a stern rebuke.哪怕迟到一分钟也将受到严厉的斥责。

6 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

7 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》

8 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

9 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

10 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

11 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

12 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。

13 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

14 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。

15 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》

16 pariah   

n.被社会抛弃者

参考例句：

• Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village.不一会儿，汤姆碰上了村里的少年弃儿。
• His landlady had treated him like a dangerous criminal,a pariah.房东太太对待他就像对待危险的罪犯、对待社会弃儿一样。

17 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

18 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。

19 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

20 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。