VOA慢速英语2021 总统选举可能改变的不仅仅是智利的领导人

Chilean citizens vote Sunday to choose a president.

智利选民于周日投票选举总统。

Seven people are competing for the country's top position.

有七个人在竞争这个国家的最高职位。

Public opinion studies show two candidates leading the race: Jose Antonio Kast and Gabriel Boric.

民意调查显示，有两位候选人在竞选中领先：何塞·安东尼奥·卡斯特和加布里埃尔·博里奇。

Kast and Boric are widely considered to hold extreme political positions: Kast as a conservative, Boric as a liberal.

卡斯特和博里奇被广泛认为持有极端的政治立场：卡斯特是保守派，博里奇是自由派。

The vote is the first presidential ballot¹ in Chile since a civil uprising began in 2019 over economic inequality.

这次投票是智利自2019年因经济不平等而引发的内乱以来的首次总统选举。

Demonstrations² as well as riots took place for months.

示威游行和骚乱持续了几个月。

Two years later, an effort to rewrite the country's constitution is in process.

两年后，修改该国宪法的努力正在进行中。

Chile has been a democracy for more than 30 years following the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet.

在奥古斯托·皮诺切特将军的军事独裁统治之后，智利30多年来一直是一个民主国家。

Generally moderate political parties have led the country.

总体而言，温和派领导了这个国家。

Chile has experienced so much economic growth that it is seen as the model to follow in South America.

智利的经济增长如此快，以至于它被视为南美洲效仿的榜样。

Political observers say the decision Sunday could shake that image.

政治观察人士说，周日的决定可能会动摇这一形象。

Nicholas Watson is a Latin American expert with the advisory³ business Teneo.

尼古拉斯·沃森是咨询公司Teneo的拉美专家。

He said the election represents the most important political "shift" since 1990.

他说，这次选举代表着自1990年以来最重要的政治“转变”。

Public opinion studies suggest that neither Kast nor Boric will have enough votes to win the election.

民意调查显示，卡斯特和博里奇都没有足够的选票赢得选举。

But they are expecting to win enough to face each other alone in a second part of voting.

但他们希望赢得足够的票数，以便在第二轮投票中单独面对对方。

Both represent a new political generation outside the mainstream⁴.

两人都代表了主流之外的新一代政治人物。

Parties have long been considered center-left or center-right, meaning they propose moderate policies.

长期以来，政党一直被认为是中左翼或中右翼，即他们提出温和的政策。

Boric has said he wants to "bury" Chile's political model.

博里奇曾表示，他希望“埋葬”智利的政治模式。

Kast, who has praised Pinochet's economic policies, wants to reduce the size of the government and lower taxes.

卡斯特曾称赞皮诺切特的经济政策，他希望缩小政府规模并降低税收。

In Latin America, Chile stands out.

在拉丁美洲，智利脱颖而出。

World Bank measurements on the rule of law, regulation, governance and political stability in Chile place it as stronger than its big neighbors: Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Peru.

世界银行对智利法治、监管、治理和政治稳定的评估显示，智利的实力强于其主要邻国：巴西、阿根廷、哥伦比亚和秘鲁。

It is a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and considered a model of free trade.

它是经济合作与发展组织（OECD）的成员，被认为是自由贸易的典范。

Its economic model is rooted in market policies of Western economists⁵ under Pinochet in the 1970s and 80s.

它的经济模式植根于二十世纪七八十年代皮诺切特领导下的西方经济学家的市场政策。

It has been copied by others.

它已经被别国复制了。

They hoped to reproduce Chile's stable economic growth.

他们希望重现智利稳定的经济增长。

But, critics of the model say that growth was not evenly spread.

但是，该模式的批评者说，经济增长并不是均匀分布的。

They say it created a few rich business leaders above normal Chileans.

他们表示，它造就了一些比普通智利人更富有的商业领袖。

And they say Chileans have paid high costs for private healthcare and education and receive little retirement⁶ pay.

他们还表示，智利人为私人医疗和教育支付了高额费用，但领取的退休工资却很少。

More mainstream candidates, such as Yasna Provoste on the center-left and Sebastian Sichel on the moderate right have gotten less attention from voters.

更主流的候选人，如中左翼的亚斯纳·普罗沃斯特和温和右翼的塞巴斯蒂安·西切尔，受到选民的关注较少。

"Chile urgently needs change today," said 37-year-old Luz Vergara, who works for an engineering company in the capital, Santiago.

37岁的卢兹·维加拉在首都圣地亚哥的一家工程公司工作，她说：“智利现在迫切需要改变。”

She plans to vote for Kast who she said "gives me some security."

她计划投票给卡斯特，她说卡斯特“给了我一些安全感”。

Environmental engineer Romina Aliaga agrees that Chile needs major change but supports Boric, who she said will make improvements.

环境工程师罗米娜·阿利亚加认为智利需要重大变革，但她支持博里奇，她说博里奇将会做出改善。

The country needs "to move forward and not go backwards⁷ on issues such as environmental policies, gender⁸ equality, and abortion," the 28-year-old said.

这位28岁的女子说，智利需要“在环境政策、性别平等和堕胎等问题上前进，而不是倒退。”

1 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。

2 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。

3 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

4 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

8 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。