VOA常速英语2007-Ethiopia Faces New Millennium, Uncertain of Futu

By Cathy Majtenyi
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
24 October 2007
 

As Ethiopia ushers¹ in a new millennium² according to its unique calendar, many Ethiopians are concerned about the direction the country is taking. Opposition³ politicians claim they are denied freedom of expression, and aid workers raise concerns about instability and human rights. Cathy Majtenyi recently visited Ethiopia and files this report for VOA.

The capital, Addis Ababa, buzzed with excitement in the early hours of September 12th as Ethiopians rang in the year 2000 based on the country's calendar.

But behind the gaiety, many in this Horn of Africa nation of 81 million are worried about the present and the future.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and his government are under fire for elections held two years ago. During and after election time, government forces arrested and jailed thousands of opposition supporters, journalists, activists⁴ and others.

Hailu Shawel is chairman of the country's main opposition party, the Coalition⁵ for Unity⁶ and Democracy, or CUD.

Hailu's colleagues celebrated⁷ the new millennium in the United States to protest what they say is a serious lack of democracy in Ethiopia. They only recently were released from prison in Ethiopia.  Hailu says, "At the moment, we can't even call a meeting because CUD's legality has been usurped⁸. We are not legal so we can't call meetings, we can't call demonstrations⁹, we can't call any discussions with the people. As far as CUD is concerned, the democratic process is at a standstill."

But Netsannet Asfaw, the deputy director of the government's millennium committee, disagrees. She says the constitution guarantees all Ethiopians the right to organize, assemble and express themselves.

She says opposition officials were jailed during the elections because they instigated¹⁰ violence. "There was a lot of wrongdoing, as I said before. What started as a wonderful exercise in democracy was tarnished¹¹, and they were calling for that kind of tarnishing¹²."

The Ethiopian government is also under fire for instability in the country's Ogaden region, where human rights groups report that civilians¹³ are being caught up, and in some cases, targeted in the fighting between the army and rebels.

Loris de Filippi is operational director for Ethiopia with the medical aid agency Doctors Without Borders.

De Filippi says that during a mission to Ogaden in August, soldiers told his team that the area was too insecure and prevented the aid workers from delivering much-needed supplies.

In early September, de Filippi urged the Ethiopian government to open up the area to aid workers. "The international humanitarian¹⁴ law asks and says clearly, in non-international armed conflict that a government should provide assistance to the people and should facilitate the work of the humanitarian aid."

Millennium committee spokesman Mulugeta Aserate says it is the Ethiopian government's right to restrict non-government organizations' access to volatile¹⁵ areas.

 

Asfaw says, "The government knows the security on the ground better than the NGOs. There are some NGOs who, under the veil of humanitarian aid, happen to be doing the opposite."

As they enter the next thousand years, all sides agree that much needs to be done to tackle these and other challenges and to change the outside world's perception that Ethiopia is a land of suffering.

1 ushers   

n.引座员( usher的名词复数 )；招待员；门房；助理教员v.引，领，陪同( usher的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Seats clicked, ushers bowed while he looked blandly on. 座位发出啪啦啪啦的声响，领座员朝客人们鞠躬，而他在一边温和殷勤地看着。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• The minister then offers a brief prayer of dedication, and the ushers return to their seats. 于是牧师又做了一个简短的奉献的祈祷，各招待员也各自回座位。 来自辞典例句

2 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

7 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

8 usurped   

篡夺，霸占( usurp的过去式和过去分词 )； 盗用； 篡夺，篡权

参考例句：

• That magazine usurped copyrighted material. 那杂志盗用了版权为他人所有的素材。
• The expression'social engineering'has been usurped by the Utopianist without a shadow of light. “社会工程”这个词已被乌托邦主义者毫无理由地盗用了。

9 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。

10 instigated   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
• He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 tarnished   

（通常指金属）（使）失去光泽，（使）变灰暗( tarnish的过去式和过去分词 )； 玷污，败坏

参考例句：

• The mirrors had tarnished with age. 这些镜子因年深日久而照影不清楚。
• His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school. 他行为不轨，败坏了学校的声誉。

12 tarnishing   

（印花）白地沾色

参考例句：

• The causes of tarnishing gold and silver-plated connectors were studied respectively. 分别探讨了接插件镀金和镀银层变色的原因。
• Bright tin electrodeposits on copper wire are susceptible to tarnishing. 铜线材经光亮镀锡后易产生腐蚀变色。

13 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

14 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

15 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。