VOA常速英语2007年-Venezuela's Baduel Upbeat About Political Futur

By Sean Maroney
Washington
21 December 2007

Earlier this month, Venezuelan voters rejected President Hugo Chavez's sweeping¹ constitutional reform plan. His former defense² minister, General Raul Baduel, was among the opponents of the plan, and he tells VOA in an interview its defeat has brightened Venezuela's political future. VOA's Sean Maroney reports from Washington.

Mr. Chavez's former defense minister, General Raul Baduel, emerged as a chief critic of the plan. He told VOA in an exclusive interview the reforms amounted to a coup³ d'etat aimed at broadening the president's powers.

Baduel says the voters' rejection⁴ of the proposed changes has opened up a prospect⁵ of a better political future for everyone in Venezuela.

Mr. Chavez's proposed constitution would have abolished the Central Bank's independence and created new forms of community-owned property.

The reforms also would have allowed Mr. Chavez to seek re-election indefinitely.

Baduel says he believes a diversity of ideas is important in sustaining Venezuela's democracy. He says the constitution should shorten the current six-year presidential term. That, he says, would go a long way to helping⁶ to promote the diversity of ideas.

The left-leaning former military commander also said the government must act to deal with Venezuela's growing poverty.

He says the Venezuelan government must now move to improve the living standards, especially for the country's poorest. He said those living in misery⁷ should be helped as soon as possible.

Analysts⁸ say Venezuela's economy has been deteriorating⁹ and there are growing shortages of basic food supplies such as meat, milk and sugar. Economists¹⁰ blame the shortages on government price controls that do not allow producers and marketers to make a profit.

Earlier this year, Mr. Chavez responded by saying he would nationalize private supermarkets and food storage facilities caught violating price controls.

General Baduel had been one of Mr. Chávez's closest allies after helping to reinstall him in office during a brief coup in 2002.

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

4 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。

5 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

8 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。

9 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

10 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》