2007年VOA标准英语-Turkey's Gul Approves Cabinet List

By Dorian Jones
Istanbul
29 August 2007

Turkey's new President Abdullah Gul, foreground, arrives for a graduation ceremony at the Military Medical Academy in Ankara, 29 Aug 2007

Turkey's new president Abdullah Gul has approved the new cabinet submitted Wednesday by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Islamic rooted Justice and Development party.  Mr. Gul, a devote Muslim who is a close political ally of the prime minister, has promised to respect Turkey's long established division between state and religion.  But as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, secularists will be watching the new government closely.

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan submitted his list of cabinet ministers to President Gul for ratification² one day after the new president was selected by parliament.

Prime Minister Erdogan made few changes from his previous administration.

The most notable being the post of foreign minister which will be given to the U.S.-educated Ali Babacan, a close ally of Mr. Gul who has also been instrumental in negotiations³ with the European Union.

As he announced his cabinet selections, the prime minister promised a new dynamism.

Mr. Erdogan promised more reforms to give Turkey greater freedom and greater prosperity. He said  there will be a new dynamism with this government, which has a powerful mandate⁴ from the people.

Parliamentary approval of the cabinet is considered a virtual certainty.  Mr. Erdogan's Justice and development party won a landslide⁵ in last months general election.

But staunch secularists, especially in the powerful military, remain deeply skeptical⁶ of the prime minister and the new president because of their political Islamic past.
Both men were leading members of an Islamic party which was closed by the courts on charges of undermining the secular¹ state.

On the streets of Istanbul people appear divided over the new president.

This man said the Justice and Development party won last month's general election and the people have spoken . He says, he is sure Mr. Gul will be a good president and will be a hard working man.

But others were far more cautious.

This man said Mr. Gul would not be a very good president because of his past.  He said he made too many mistakes and he thinks there will be more.

Political columnist⁷ Murat Yetkin said if President Gul honors his commitment to uphold secularism⁸, he expects tensions over his election to dissipate.

"If he keeps his promises, especially secular and democratic nature of Turkish republic I believe that there should be no tension and I believe the question marks now pending⁹ on the presidency¹⁰ of Abdullah Gul will fade out. Otherwise there might be some political tensions in society and politics."

But in a sign of the tensions that may still lie ahead, senior army generals stayed away from Mr. Gul's swearing in ceremony on Tuesday.  Some local media interpreted the snub as a protest against the president. There was no official explanation. 

1 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

2 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

5 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

6 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

7 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

8 secularism   

n.现世主义；世俗主义；宗教与教育分离论；政教分离论

参考例句：

• Unless are devoted to God, secularism shall not leave us. 除非我们奉献于神，否则凡俗之心便不会离开我们。 来自互联网
• They are no longer a huge threat to secularism. 他们已不再是民主的巨大威胁。 来自互联网

9 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

10 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。