VOA标准英语2008年-London Voters Choose Mayor

By Tendai Maphosa
London
01 May 2008

Millions of Londoners are voting for mayor.  The three top candidates were among the first to cast their votes.  Tendai Maphosa has more in this report for VOA from the British capital.

Incumbent¹ London Mayor Ken² Livingstone of the Labor³ Party, the Conservative party's Boris Johnson and the Liberal Democrats⁴' Brian Paddick were among the early voters. 

The voting brings to an end a bruising⁵ campaign during the past few months, which became very personal especially between Ken Livingstone and Boris Johnson. 

VOA asked Tony Travers a local government expert at the London School of Economics what the issues are for Londoners.

"What the opinion polling showed clearly was that crime and disorder⁶ was a key issue, as was transport and congestion⁷ on the roads," Travers said. "... the politicians certainly fought on those issues.  They came up with new policies or attacked each other on those issues and also on others less salient in this election like the green environment, but I have to say that the question of personality also was a major element in what is a highly personalized electoral race."

The mayor of London is the elected leader of a city of eight million.  He or she controls a $22.6 billion budget for public transport, police, fire and emergency services, and aspects of the city's development and its planning.  Whoever wins the election will be in charge of the city during preparations for the 2012 London Summer Olympics.

Ken Livingstone became London's first elected mayor of London in 2000 and was re-elected in 2004.  One of his innovations is a $16 per day traffic congestion charge on cars entering certain parts of London. 

If elected, he has proposed to increase the charge to $50 per day for high fuel consuming vehicles such as SUVs.  The other candidates have criticized the increase.  

Londoners are also electing 25 members of the London Assembly, while voters across England and Wales are choosing 4,000 local officials.

The elections may be local, but the results will be seen as verdict on the performance of Prime Minister Gordon Brown and his ruling Labor Party.  Analyst⁸ Travers explains.

"I think there is little doubt that the local election results in England and Wales and the mayoral election in London will be seen as a judgment⁹ on Gordon Brown after almost a year as prime minister of the U.K. and at some level particularly in the London context, there is a sort of war by proxy¹⁰ between Prime Minister Gordon Brown and opposition¹¹ leader David Cameron," Travers said.

Full election results are expected Friday. 

1 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

2 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 bruising   

adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式)

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• He slipped and fell, badly bruising an elbow. 他滑倒了，一只胳膊肘严重擦伤。 来自辞典例句

6 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

7 congestion   

n.阻塞，消化不良

参考例句：

• The congestion in the city gets even worse during the summer.夏天城市交通阻塞尤为严重。
• Parking near the school causes severe traffic congestion.在学校附近泊车会引起严重的交通堵塞。

8 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。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

11 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。