VOA慢速英语2014 对于印尼新领导人的期望

 

AS IT IS 2014-10-21 Hope, Expectation for New Indonesian Leader 对于印尼新领导人的期望

Indonesia has a new president. Joko Widodo was sworn in as president on Monday at the national parliament building in Jakarta. Leaders of Australia, Malaysia and Singapore attended the swearing-in ceremony. So did America’s top diplomat¹, Secretary of State John Kerry.

By the middle of the day, thousands of people had gathered on Jakarta’s main streets to welcome the new leader and celebrate his swearing-in. Celebrations included a parade, a rock music show and the release of paper lanterns into the night sky.

Joko Widodo does not have ties to the Indonesian political establishment. His election is being celebrated² as a turning point in the world’s third-largest democracy. The former businessman had become a highly popular politician. He is Indonesia’s seventh president. There are huge expectations for the new president. His election has created a sense of hope and change in Indonesia. But President Widodo will face difficult issues. Aleksius Jemadu is a professor at Pelita Harapan University in Indonesia.

He says “I think his biggest challenge is going to be how to defend his policies and how to get the support of members of parliament, especially those that are on the other side of the political spectrum³.”

Mr. Widodo won the presidential election with 53 percent of the vote nationwide. But he does not control a majority in Indonesia’s parliament.

Recently, parliament voted to cancel direct elections for local government leaders. The vote has fueled fears that the president’s opponents could block his programs and refuse to approve money to carry out his proposals.

Economic growth in Indonesia is the lowest it has been in five years. That is partly because of reduced demand for oil and other commodities. The new president is hoping for a growth rate of seven percent. He has promised to improve transportation and other infrastructure⁴ and carry out delayed reforms. 

Mr. Widodo has also promised to raise the price of fuel by 50 percent. The move is politically unpopular, but it is expected to save the government almost $13 billion a year.

Yohanes Sulaiman teaches at Indonesia’s National Defense⁵ University. He says the new leader’s concern with local and national issues is likely to leave little room for foreign policy concerns.

He said Mr. Widodo “needs to get things done, which makes me think that foreign policy will be his last priority. It seems that is what he is focusing on at this point -- more economic growth.”

President Widodo is expected to be less of an internationalist than former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

However the new president has repeatedly stated his support for an “independent and active” foreign policy. He has also promised to make Indonesia into a center for the international sea trade.

Mr. Widodo spoke⁶ about this idea after his swearing-in on Monday. He said “as captain of the ship, I invite all Indonesians onboard to sail together towards a prosperous Indonesia.”

Words in This Story

parliament – n. a government lawmaking group

welcome – v. to express happiness or pleasure when someone arrives or something develops

democracy – n. the system of government in which citizens vote to choose leaders or to make other important decisions

majority – n. the greater number; more than half

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

3 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 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。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。