VOA常速英语2007-Nepal's Crown Hangs in the Balance

By Steve Herman
New Delhi
15 October 2007

A special session of Nepal's parliament this week is considering a proposal by the country's former rebels to declare the state a republic. VOA correspondent Steve Herman reports from Kathmandu that the outcome of the debate is seen as key to the country's future path.

On mobile telephones across Nepal one of the most popular ring tones is the new national anthem¹.

The lyrics² are a radical³ break from the past - they make no mention of the king. The previous anthem, adopted in 1899, was a melodic⁴ praise of the monarchy⁶, now in disrepute.

The king, 60-year-old Gyanendra, has been stripped of power and most royal assets nationalized.

In 2005, he seized control of the government, but massive street protests last year forced him to give up power.

An interim⁷ government has governed since then, and has signed a peace agreement with the country's Maoist rebels. But elections for a body to write a new constitution, which will decide the monarchy's fate, have twice been postponed⁸.

The Maoists are pressuring the government and lawmakers to immediately declare Nepal a republic, ending a monarchy that has lasted for more than 250 years.

Suresh Chalise, an adviser⁹ to the prime minister, says lawmakers should wait for the elections, which he predicts will take place next April or May. 

"And that will take the decision on the fate of the monarchy. So this has been the clear and loud stance of the leadership of the present government," Chalise said.

Arjun Narasingha - an executive member of Nepali Congress, the largest political party - says the Maoists should be patient since King Gyanendra already has been neutralized¹⁰.

"He's not only inactive, he's powerless. And, virtually speaking, he has no entity¹¹ in Nepalese politics," Narasingha said. 

The Maoists do not buy that line of thought. Senior Maoist leader C.P. Gajurel says as long as the monarchy exists it is a threat to Nepal.

"Everywhere in the history monarchy had tried its comeback again. And (in Nepal) it has its own class. A section of the army is still loyal to the monarchy, which it was trained for (to protect) the last 250 years," Gajurel said.

There are worries that the deadlock¹² will spark violence - from the Maoists, the army or disenfranchised minorities in the south.

The head of the United Nations Mission in Nepal, Ian Martin, is calling on all parties to avoid violence. He says it is important to remember how far Nepal has come in just two years.

"It is quite extraordinary what has been achieved, certainly as someone who came here in May 2005 when an armed conflict was still raging and no one saw an end to it," Martin said. "And the king's government at that time was seemingly putting the clock backward on democratic rights."

For centuries, Nepal was a feudal¹³ state. It held its first election in 1959, a step toward modernizing¹⁴ the government.

Gyanendra came to power in 2001 after his brother King Birendra was assassinated¹⁵ by his own son.

King Gyanendra, who had been a prominent businessman, was not content to be a silent monarch⁵, as was his brother, who had agreed to democratic reforms. His autocratic style of rule put the new king in conflict with the politicians running the government, whom he considered too weak and divided to end the Maoist insurgency¹⁶ and improve the economy. 

One of Nepal's most influential¹⁷ civic¹⁸ voices, Himalmedia publisher Kanak Mani Dixit, says King Gyanendra has no one to blame but himself for destroying the Shah dynasty.

"The kingship is now a humiliated¹⁹ scarecrow of the institution that helped bring Nepal together as a nation-state 260 years ago," Dixit said. "And it is all the doings of one man, one foolhardy man that brings this entire edifice²⁰ of Nepali kingship crashing to the ground."

It is a far cry from the era when the Nepalese king was revered²¹ as an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. 

The Maoists threaten nationwide "agitations²²" if their demands are not met. That is no idle threat - there are thousands of Maoist soldiers idling in U.N-supervised camps.

The Maoists say there is no room for even a symbolic²³ monarchy because the Himalayan state is not a developed capitalist society and remains²⁴ too close to its feudalistic past.

Senior member Gajurel says the Maoists will not negotiate on the monarchy.

"A country without a king - it is necessary," Gajurel said. "It is an essential condition for our development, for all development of our country - political development, cultural development, economic development. You have to remove that monarchy, once and for all."

King Gyanendra, for his part, keeps silent behind the palace walls.

In a magazine interview several years ago, he said the people of Nepal wanted their monarch to be seen and heard. But all indications are that - except for a dwindling²⁵ number of loyalists among the privileged class and the army - most in Nepal do not want their king to be seen nor heard.

Analysts²⁶ say that either by legislation or force, the king is likely to be ousted²⁷ and exiled. That would close a two-and-half century era that saw Nepal pass from feudal rule to a nation-state, but one that has yet to achieve prosperity, rule of law or stable democracy.

1 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

2 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

3 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。

4 melodic   

adj.有旋律的，调子美妙的

参考例句：

• His voice had a rich melodic quality.他的音色浑厚而优美。
• He spoke with a soft husky voice in a melodic accent.他微微沙哑的声音带着一种悠扬的口音。

5 monarch   

n.帝王，君主，最高统治者

参考例句：

• The monarch's role is purely ceremonial.君主纯粹是个礼仪职位。
• I think myself happier now than the greatest monarch upon earth.我觉得这个时候比世界上什么帝王都快乐。

6 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

7 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

8 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

9 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

10 neutralized   

v.使失效( neutralize的过去式和过去分词 )；抵消；中和；使（一个国家）中立化

参考例句：

• Acidity in soil can be neutralized by spreading lime on it. 土壤的酸性可以通过在它上面撒石灰来中和。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This strategy effectively neutralized what the Conservatives had hoped would be a vote-winner. 这一策略有效地冲淡了保守党希望在选举中获胜的心态。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 entity   

n.实体，独立存在体，实际存在物

参考例句：

• The country is no longer one political entity.这个国家不再是一个统一的政治实体了。
• As a separate legal entity,the corporation must pay taxes.作为一个独立的法律实体，公司必须纳税。

12 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

13 feudal   

adj.封建的，封地的，领地的

参考例句：

• Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
• The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。

14 modernizing   

使现代化，使适应现代需要( modernize的现在分词 )； 现代化，使用现代方法

参考例句：

• Modernizing a business to increase its profitability and competitiveness is a complicated affair. 使企业现代化，从而达到增加利润，增强竞争力的目的，是一件复杂的事情。
• The young engineer had a large share in modernizing the factory. 这位年轻工程师在工厂现代化的过程中尽了很大的“力”。

15 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

16 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

17 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

18 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

19 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

20 edifice   

n.宏伟的建筑物(如宫殿，教室)

参考例句：

• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。
• There is a huge Victorian edifice in the area.该地区有一幢维多利亚式的庞大建筑物。

21 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

22 agitations   

（液体等的）摇动( agitation的名词复数 )； 鼓动； 激烈争论； （情绪等的）纷乱

参考例句：

• It was a system that could not endure, and agitations grew louder. 这个系统已经不能持续下去了，而且噪音越来越大。

23 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

24 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

25 dwindling   

adj.逐渐减少的v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The number of wild animals on the earth is dwindling. 地球上野生动物的数量正日渐减少。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority. 他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。 来自辞典例句

26 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

27 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。