VOA常速英语2008年-Maoists Head to Victory in Nepal's National Ass

By Steve Herman
Kathmandu
13 April 2008

The leader of Nepal's Maoists is trying to reassure¹ his country and the world that the former rebels will play a constructive² political role as election returns show the far-left party making a much stronger-than-expected showing. Election officials say the Maoists - labeled by Washington as a terrorist organization - have won at least 70 seats in constituencies where counting has been completed. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from Kathmandu.

Maoists have taken to the streets of Nepal's capital to celebrate although election results will not be finalized³ for days, if not weeks. The former rebels have reason to be jubilant as officials say the Maoist party has won more than half of the constituencies declared so far.

Although unlikely to secure an outright⁴ majority under the complex electoral system, the Maoists could be in a position to lead a coalition⁵ government. And the first official duty of the elected special assembly will be to declare the country a republic, ending Nepal's two-and-a-half century old royal dynasty.

  The Maoists are led by Prachanda, whose real name is Pushpa Kamal Dahal. On Saturday, the former leader of the decade-long insurgency⁶ against the government was declared the landslide⁷ winner in his Kathmandu constituency. He immediately sought to reassure the country and the international community that the Maoists are fully⁸ committed to working within Nepal's new political system.

"I try to clear this position that our commitment [is] for peace, our commitment [is] for change, mainly this federal republican system and economic rebuilding and to have a good relation, good diplomatic relations all over the world, with all the countries," he said.

That would require a change of stance by the United States which still considers Nepal's Maoists a terrorist organization.

on Saturday, said he hopes the election results would lead Washington to accept the former rebels as legitimate⁹ political players in Nepal. "If the Maoists do continue to gain substantial status among the candidates, which we don't yet know, then my hope is that the United States will recognize and begin to do business with the Maoists."

Analysts¹⁰ say India would certainly have reservations about a Maoist victory in Nepal giving encouragement to India's indigenous¹¹ Maoist insurgents¹², known as the Naxalites.

Despite the Nepal rebels taking their name from Mao Tse-Tung, the founder¹³ of the Peoples Republic of China, the Beijing government traditionally armed the

Maoists' enemy, the Royal Nepalese Army.

At home a Maoist-led government could unsettle many in Nepal's army and the police, which backed the king, who has now been stripped of all power. A cornerstone of the Maoists' armed struggle was abolition¹⁴ of the monarchy¹⁵.

Regardless of the election outcome, the 2006 peace pact¹⁶ between the Maoists and the government calls for the special assembly to figure out how to integrate thousands of soldiers of the People's Liberation Army into a reformed Nepal Army.

1 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

2 constructive   

adj.建设的，建设性的

参考例句：

• We welcome constructive criticism.我们乐意接受有建设性的批评。
• He is beginning to deal with his anger in a constructive way.他开始用建设性的方法处理自己的怒气。

3 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 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。

5 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

6 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

12 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

13 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

14 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

15 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。

16 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。