VOA标准英语2008年-Violence Escalates in Zimbabwe One Month Before

By Peta Thornycroft
Harare
27 May 2008

As Zimbabwe braces¹ itself for a runoff in the presidential election, violence against people loyal to the Movement for Democratic Change, or MDC, has reached unprecedented² levels. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai said on Tuesday that more than 50 people have been killed in political violence since Zimbabwe's disputed March 29 elections and over 25,000 people displaced. For VOA, Peta Thornycroft has this report.

A month before a runoff vote, MDC President Morgan Tsvangirai said a campaign of violence and intimidation³ designed to fix President Robert Mugabe's re-election had now killed over 50 of MDC supporters. Tsvangirai, who launched a fund for victims of the violence, said more than 25,000 supporters were also being displaced across the country.

President Robert Mugabe launched his re-election campaign on Sunday accusing Tsvangirai of extensive political violence.

The runoff is taking place against the backdrop of a complete economic meltdown in the country.

Most of the victims of violence say their attackers are members of Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF.

In eastern Zimbabwe, the chairman of the MDC's Manicaland province reports a group of teachers had disappeared 90 kilometers south of the provincial⁴ capital Mutare.

He said information so far indicates that the teachers, some of who are suspected of being MDC supporters, are being held at military bases established by what he said was ZANU-PF militia⁵.

He said there were scores of bases in the southern part of the province. This information is confirmed by some commercial farmers in district.

Even in southwestern Zimbabwe, where there have been few attacks, many voters have told church leaders and civil rights activists⁶ that they have been threatened not to vote in the upcoming runoff unless they endorse⁷ Mr. Mugabe.

Zimbabwe's Election Commission has so far made no comment about the violence.

The Commission has announced that domestic observers and foreign and local journalists can apply for accreditation⁸ next week. The independent Zimbabwe Election Support Network says many observers on duty in the last election have been beaten up, or forced to flee their homes.

Applications from most foreign journalists who applied⁹ for accreditation for the last elections were turned down.

The accreditation for foreign observers from the Southern African Development Community, SADC, has been granted for the run off. However, SADC has said it wants to increase the number of observers.

Tsvangirai won the most votes in the initial election on March 29 but failed to garner¹⁰ enough to avoid a runoff, according to disputed figures compiled by the official electoral commission.

The original election day also saw Mugabe's ZANU-PF lose control of parliament for the first time since the 84-year-old came to power at independence from Britain in 1980.

1 braces   

n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来

参考例句：

• The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃，因为支架全松了。
• You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。

2 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

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 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

5 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

8 accreditation   

n.委派，信赖，鉴定合格

参考例句：

• a letter of accreditation 一份合格证明书
• This paper gives an overview of the Verification, Validation and Accreditation (VV&A) in High Level Architecture(HLA). 对基于高层体系结构(High Level Architecture,简称HLA)的仿真系统的校核、验证与确认(Verification, Validation and Accreditation,简称VV&A)问题进行了详细的介绍及分析。 来自互联网

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。