2006年VOA标准英语-South African Transport Strike Strands Com

By Delia Robertson
Johannesburg
13 March 2006

South African rail and port workers embarked¹ on a one-day strike Monday to protest restructuring of the national transport corporation.

Commuters in all major South African cities were left stranded² by the strike as some 50,000 transport workers failed to report for duty. The country's busiest harbor, Durban, was also disrupted, but ports in other coastal³ cities operated normally.

A striking government railway union member shouts slogans Monday, March 13, 2006   
  
Four unions have called their members out in protest to planned restructuring at Transnet, South Africa's rail and logistics group. Transnet plans to sell off some non-core assets to the government and private buyers. This includes the metro⁴ rail networks.

Unions say they have not been adequately consulted and that, as presently constituted, the restructuring will result in the loss of 30,000 jobs. They also want their retirement⁵ funds and benefits guaranteed in any transfer.

Both Transnet CEO Maria Ramos and the government have denied that jobs will be lost in the restructuring process, but Exrom Mabyana, president of the S.A. Transport and Allied⁶ Workers Union, scoffed⁷ at these assurances. He said that unless workers are taken seriously, they will expand their strike action.

"If there is no response, a response that will talk to the workers, we will extend this strike to take four days. This is not because we want to do it, there are managers, few managers who want us to do that," said Mabyana. "Anybody who wants to ask about the economy of the country, must ask the managers of Transnet because they are making it difficult for the workers not to kill the economy."

Monday's strike follows a series of staggered work stoppages across the country last month which economists⁸ say have already cost the country $48 million.

1 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

2 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

5 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。

6 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

7 scoffed   

嘲笑，嘲弄( scoff的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scoffed at our amateurish attempts. 他对我们不在行的尝试嗤之以鼻。
• A hundred years ago people scoffed at the idea. 一百年前人们曾嘲笑过这种想法。

8 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》