voa标准英语2008年-Zambia Opposition Leader Sata's Lead Narrows as

In Zambia, opposition¹ leader Michel Sata is maintaining a slim lead over rival, Acting² President Rupiah Banda, as vote tabulation³ continues from Thursday's presidential election. With more than three-fourths of the vote counted, Sata has 40 percent of the vote while Mr. Banda has 38 percent. VOA's Scott Bobb reports from our bureau in Dakar.
　

Zambia's main opposition leader of the Patriotic4 Front, Michael Sata talks to the media after casting his vote in Lusaka, 30 Oct 2008

Veteran opposition leader Michael Sata sprang into an early lead as the first election returns came in from his strongholds in urban areas and Zambia's mining zones.

However, acting president Rupiah Banda gradually gained ground as results began to come in from rural areas where his support is greatest.

The elections were called following the death in August of the late President Levy⁵ Mwanawasa from a stroke.

An analyst⁶ with South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, Judy Smith-Hohn, says as a result the campaign was short though heated.

"It's been a very highly contested election," she said. "They have had a very short time to actually prepare for it. So it's hard to tell what the tendencies, how it would have been if they had had a few months' chance to actually get the battle going."

Mr. Banda campaigned pledging to continue Mr. Mwanawasa's pro-business and corruption⁷ fighting policies. These are credited for taming inflation and bringing five percent annual economic growth.

Sata campaigned on the need for change saying that the economic gains had not reached the poor.

Voter turnout was low for the election. Some observers say this was because of the short time available to prepare voters. Others say it was because the winner will only serve two years, the time remaining in Mr. Mwanawasa's term.

The opposition has complained of rigging. But election officials maintain that the vote was free and fair.

In the elections two years ago, Sata complained of rigging after he was narrowly defeated by Mr. Mwanawasa. However, the results were eventually upheld.

1 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。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 tabulation   

作表，表格； 表列结果； 列表； 造表

参考例句：

• A tabulation of a function of two variables is cumbersome, but possible. 二元函数的列表法是不方便的，然而是可能的。
• Such a tabulation cannot represent adequately the complex gradation relationships between the types. 这样的图表不能充分代表各类型之间的复杂级配关系。

4 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

5 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。