VOA慢速英语2019--乌克兰准备总统选举

Ukraine Preparing for Presidential Elections

Ukraine is preparing for presidential elections.

The voting will take place on Sunday. If no one wins a majority of the votes, officials will organize a second vote between the top two candidates. That run-off election would be held two weeks later.

The winner will face great difficulties. Ukraine is struggling to deal with corruption² and help energize³ a weak economy. The country is also at war with rebels in the east. The rebels receive support from Russia’s government.

Ukrainian voters will find 39 candidates on the ballot⁴ Sunday. However, the election appears to be a three-way race between the current president, Petro Poroshenko, the well-known politician Yulia Tymoshenko, and comedian⁵ Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

Poroshenko, the incumbent⁶, says he has worked for reforms during his five-year term. He says he has moved Ukraine toward the West and has fought corruption. His supporters say now is not the time to change leaders.

But the Poroshenko campaign been hurt by reports of corruption in military spending. These claims have hurt his hope for re-election.

In the past week, someone new to politics is leading in opinion studies of likely voters: 41-year-old Volodymyr Zelenskiy. During a recent visit to his campaign headquarters, young supporters were busy putting information about him on social media.

Zekenskiy campaign spokesperson Dmytro Razumkov says Ukrainians are longing⁷ for new leaders.

"The lack of trust in all the political elites⁹ has led to a decision by the Ukrainian people to punish them, and the name of this punishment is Zelenskiy," Razumkov said.

Zelenskiy's television program is called ‘Servant of the People.’ On the show, an everyday Ukrainian worker becomes president by chance. So is life about to imitate art?

Zelenskiy’s show is on a television station owned by a billionaire who has been accused of corruption. Some think Zelenskiy is under the businessman’s control.

But Zelenskiy says he would fight Ukraine's corrupt¹ elite⁸. He says he would end the guaranteed protection from legal action of judges and politicians.

The third leading candidate is Yulia Tymoshenko. She became famous as one of the leaders of Ukraine’s Orange Revolution in 2004. Since then, she has been put in jail two times on corruption charges. She denies any wrongdoing.

In her campaign, Tymoshenko has promised to lower fuel prices and to increase payments to retired¹⁰ government workers by 200 percent.

“Her voters are the poorest people of Ukraine," says Volodymyr Fesenko. He works at the Center for Political Studies in Kyiv.

Fesenko adds that the war in the east and threats from Russia are the real issues.

"No matter who becomes president, they can't finish this war by themselves. But they also can't meet (Russian President) Putin's conditions, as the people of this country won't accept it,” he said.

Many Ukrainians say they remain undecided over who should be their next leader.

I'm Susan Shand.

Words in this Story

comedian – n. a person who performs in front of an audience and makes people laugh by telling jokes or funny stories or by acting¹¹ in a way that is funny

incumbent – n. a person who holds a particular office or position

elites – n. the people who have the most wealth and status in a society

imitate – v. to copy (someone's or something's behavior, sound, appearance, etc.)

1 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

2 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

3 energize   

vt.给予(某人或某物)精力、能量

参考例句：

• It is used to energize the city.它的作用是为城市供给能量。
• This is a great way to energize yourself and give yourself more power!这种方法非常棒，可以激活你的能量，让你有更多的活力！

4 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

5 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

6 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

7 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

8 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

9 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。