VOA常速英语2008年-UN Appeals for Calm Ahead of Nepal Election

By Steve Herman
Kathmandu
08 April 2008

An anxious calm has descended¹ over Nepal prior to Thursday's national election. Voters are to select members of a special assembly that will draft a new constitution, the latest attempt to move Nepal out of its feudal² past and into a democratic era. In the unsettled atmosphere, the head of the United Nations mission in the country is expressing concern that any election day violence could trigger a chain reaction. VOA's Steve Herman reports from Kathmandu.

In the wake of recent bomb blasts and allegations of voter intimidation³, there are concerns that rivals will immediately retaliate⁴ if Thursday's election turns bloody⁵.

The head of the U.N. mission in the country, Ian Martin, speaking to reporters Tuesday, appealed for calm if violence mars the nationwide balloting⁶.

"My fear is not only of the possibility of spasmodic acts of violence, but of then the danger of over-reaction to them," said Martin. "There is a tendency, sometimes, for incidents to be exaggerated in their gravity, and then for that to set off a chain-reaction."

Trouble is most likely in the restive⁷ southern region, known as the Terai, where the Madheshi people complain of discrimination, and desire greater autonomy.

Another worry is whether Maoist soldiers, confined to U.N.-supervised camps, will stay there. Nepal's army, under the election rules, is also to remain in its barracks on election day.

There are also concerns that results will be rigged in rural areas, where outright⁸ capturing of polling stations by partisans⁹ is endemic.

The election will serve as a referendum on Nepal's unpopular monarchy¹⁰. The Maoists fought a decade-long civil war trying to dethrone the king. Thirteen thousand people died in that war. Also contesting the election, at the other end of the political spectrum¹¹, are backers of the 269-year-old dynasty.

Experts say the election will be the most closely observed ever in Nepal. The U.N. role has been as an election adviser¹², not observer. More than 850 certified¹³ observers have arrived in Nepal from around the world.

The head of the Japanese observer mission, Toshiyuki Niwa, says the observers will only be able to sample the nationwide polling, because much of it will take place in remote mountainous areas.

"We have a very difficult challenge," said Niwa. "We would like to cover as many places as possible. But if we are to go to a remote area we are only able to cover one or two [polling stations]. So that is a dilemma¹⁴ that we have."

Thus, the main task of monitoring the election will fall to the Nepalese people themselves. Domestic organizations will dispatch 60,000 Nepalese observers. But they will have no mandate¹⁵ to halt election fraud or other alleged¹⁶ violations¹⁷. They are merely to report what they see.

Election organizers here have no illusion that Nepal's election will be without incident, but are hoping it will be transparent¹⁸ enough to be seen as legitimate¹⁹ by the ultimate authority, Nepal's people.

1 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

2 feudal   

adj.封建的，封地的，领地的

参考例句：

• Feudal rulers ruled over the country several thousand years.封建统治者统治这个国家几千年。
• The feudal system lasted for two thousand years in China.封建制度在中国延续了两千年之久。

3 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

4 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

5 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

6 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

7 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

8 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

9 partisans   

游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙

参考例句：

• Every movement has its partisans. 每一运动都有热情的支持者。
• He was rescued by some Italian partisans. 他被几名意大利游击队员所救。

10 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。

11 spectrum   

n.谱，光谱，频谱；范围，幅度，系列

参考例句：

• This is a kind of atomic spectrum.这是一种原子光谱。
• We have known much of the constitution of the solar spectrum.关于太阳光谱的构成，我们已了解不少。

12 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

13 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

14 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

15 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。

16 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

17 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

18 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

19 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。