VOA常速英语2007年-Bhutan Steps Toward Democracy with Vote for Nat

By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
31 December 2007

Thousands of people in Bhutan went to the polls Monday to elect an upper house of parliament for the first time. As Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the vote represents the country's first step toward democracy after a century of monarchic¹ rule.     

Men and women dressed in traditional robes lined up outside polling booths Monday to cast ballots² to choose Bhutan's first-ever National Council.

The 25-member Council will serve as an upper house after parliament is elected in February and March. Voters are to choose 20 members of the Council.  The other five will be nominated by the King.

The remote Himalayan country has been governed by a monarchy³ for a century.  But in 2005, the former King announced his decision to sign away power to the people, and set in motion the transition to democracy.  

In preparation, Bhutan held two rounds of mock elections earlier in the year.  

Chief Election Commissioner⁴ Kunzang Wangdi says Monday's vote shows that people are beginning to grasp the democratic process. 

"Everything seems to be working very well," Wangdi said. "Most of the people are fully⁵ in picture as to what's taking place, and they realize the importance of that."

International observers supervised Monday's election.

But, Monday's votes were cast to elect only 15 of the 20 representatives, because five districts failed to nominate candidates in time for the poll. Elections in those districts will be held later in January.  

The problem was not unexpected in a country where people are unfamiliar⁶ with the concept of choosing their own representatives and most appear content with the monarchy.

The process lacked the fanfare⁷ that accompanies elections in other democracies. Instead of the usual campaign rallies and speeches, voters in many places learned about the candidates by reading their resumes in town centers.    

Bhutan has made it compulsory⁸ for candidates to have university degrees, and a "crime-free background." Chief Election Commissioner Wangdi explains why.

"We are having for the first time a real legislative⁹ body," Wangdi said. "This is a body which will make laws for the country, which
will also approve the important policies for the country, and also it will be a body from which the government will be appointed, therefore the people whom we elect for these positions definitely have to be more qualified¹⁰."

Bhutan is currently ruled by the former King's son, Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck. He took over after his father abdicated¹¹ in 2006.

For decades, Bhutan's monarchy kept the country isolated¹² from the outside world, limiting foreign visitors and allowing television only in 1999. The former King's decision to usher¹³ in democracy initially¹⁴ received a lukewarm response.

Many people are still apprehensive¹⁵ about the changes that lie ahead.

1 monarchic   

国王的，君主政体的

参考例句：

• Both parties say they would have preferred to keep monarchic rule. 两个党都说他们会选择保留君主体制。
• But in the trouble of republican government, republicanism encountered the threat of monarchic thought. 但是，在民初共和制的困境下，思想界的君主立宪思潮发起了两次企图恢复君主制的复辟运动，共和主义的思想一度受到威胁。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

6 unfamiliar   

adj.陌生的，不熟悉的

参考例句：

• I am unfamiliar with the place and the people here.我在这儿人地生疏。
• The man seemed unfamiliar to me.这人很面生。

7 fanfare   

n.喇叭；号角之声；v.热闹地宣布

参考例句：

• The product was launched amid much fanfare worldwide.这个产品在世界各地隆重推出。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King.嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

8 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

9 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

10 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

11 abdicated   

放弃（职责、权力等）( abdicate的过去式和过去分词 )； 退位，逊位

参考例句：

• He abdicated in favour of his son. 他把王位让给了儿子。
• King Edward Ⅷ abdicated in 1936 to marry a commoner. 国王爱德华八世于1936年退位与一个平民结婚。

12 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

13 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

14 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

15 apprehensive   

adj.担心的，恐惧的，善于领会的

参考例句：

• She was deeply apprehensive about her future.她对未来感到非常担心。
• He was rather apprehensive of failure.他相当害怕失败。