2006年VOA标准英语-Ecuador Elects New President Sunday, Chavez All

By Cindy Saine
Miami
14 October 2006

In Ecuador, the frontrunner in a field of 13 candidates for president is an outspoken¹ outsider with close ties to leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

One of Ecuador's former presidents once described politics in his country as "cannibalistic," and with good reason. Massive street protests have forced three presidents from office in the past 10 years. On Sunday, Ecuador's nine-million registered voters will choose a new one. Voting is obligatory² in Ecuador.

Opinion surveys show political newcomer, U.S.-educated Rafael Correa clearly leading the crowded field of candidates.

Professor Eduardo Gamarra of Florida International University has been watching the race. "There is a frontrunner, a frontrunner who is identified with President Chavez. He is a young candidate, a 43-year-old (with a) Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in economics, and somebody who has basically run a very populist campaign, with all the over- and undertones of anti-Americanism," he said.

Rafael Correa has called Ecuador's Congress a "sewer³." He has broken ties with all political parties, and created a movement that has no congressional candidates. He has also attacked U.S. policies, the World Bank and the International Monetary⁴ Fund, causing some to call him a radical⁵. He counters that the only thing truly radical are the conditions in his country, where more than 40 percent of the population lives in poverty.

Michael Shifter, vice⁶ president for Policy at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, explains Correa's appeal. "He is the anti-establishment, anti-politician candidate in a country where the political establishment has been very much discredited⁷, and where there has been rejection⁸ of the political class, and there is a lot of frustration⁹. I think, Correa, as a new face on the political scene, and a very energetic and articulate candidate, has taken advantage of that," he said.

Correa leads banana magnate Alvaro Noboa, former Vice President Leon Roldos and TV-journalist-turned congresswoman Cynthia Vitieri. Professor Gamarra says the race appears to be headed for a run-off in November. "The problem is that, in this contest, no candidate is likely to achieve the 40 percent required to become president. And, in that particular situation, then the best we can expect, and the real race is going to be for second place," he said.

Rafael Correa has vowed¹⁰ to win it all in the first round, but that has never happened since Ecuador implemented¹¹ a runoff election system in 1979.

1 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

2 obligatory   

adj.强制性的，义务的，必须的

参考例句：

• It is obligatory for us to obey the laws.我们必须守法。
• It is obligatory on every citizen to safeguard our great motherland.保卫我们伟大的祖国是每一个公民应尽的义务。

3 sewer   

n.排水沟，下水道

参考例句：

• They are tearing up the street to repair a sewer. 他们正挖开马路修下水道。
• The boy kicked a stone into the sewer. 那个男孩把一石子踢进了下水道。

4 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 discredited   

不足信的，不名誉的

参考例句：

• The reactionary authorities are between two fires and have been discredited. 反动当局弄得进退维谷，不得人心。
• Her honour was discredited in the newspapers. 她的名声被报纸败坏了。

8 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

9 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

10 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

11 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句