VOA标准英语2008年-Nepal's Maoist Prime Minister Makes Historic Vi

Nepal's new prime minister, who led a Maoist rebellion against the government, is on a five-day visit to India. Ahead of talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the former guerilla sounded very much like the capitalist in calling for India to make significant investments in Nepal. VOA Correspondent Steve Herman reports from New Delhi.
　
Nepal's prime minister speaking to Indian business leaders at Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, 15 Sep 2008

Accompanied by cabinet ministers and business leaders, Nepal's new prime minister is in India for what is termed a "goodwill¹" visit.

Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known by his fighting alias², "Prachanda," made clandestine³ visits to India when he headed Nepal's Maoist insurgency⁴. It was a very different sort of appearance Monday during a session with Indian business leaders in a five-star hotel in New Delhi. The former guerilla leader looked and sounded very much like a pro-business politician, wearing suit and tie, while calling for massive external investment in Nepal's hydro-electric sector⁵.

"I am thinking that today I am in the discussion with the leadership here in India that big projects should be undertaken, not petty and small projects, in the hydro sector," he said.

Energy-hungry India is eager to tap Nepal's water resources to generate electricity for its booming economy. Only a fraction of Nepal's water resources, a potential total of 83,000 megawatts of electricity, is now being exploited.

A related matter being discussed is what to do about the Kosi River. Originating in Nepal, the river breached⁶ its embankment, last month, submerging much of the Indian state, Bihar. The two countries have traded blame for the disaster, which has left millions of Indians destitute⁷.

In response to a question on building ties with China, the Maoist leader said the Indo-Nepali relationship will not suffer as Kathmandu builds ties with the Communist government in Beijing.

"The relation with India is crucial and vital although we also want to develop the relation with China. But it can not be compared right now. There is no question of comparison," said Mr. Dahal.

Officials from both countries acknowledge that another key item on the agenda for this week's talks is the 1950 Trade and Transit⁸ Treaty between the two neighbors. It governs most aspects of relations between India and Nepal, including security.

During the decade-long Maoist insurgency against Nepal's government, Prachanda repeatedly called for abrogation⁹ of the treaty, contending it is unfair to Nepal.

India is Nepal's top trading partner and the small landlocked Himalayan nation is totally dependent on its southern neighbor for its fuel supplies.
　
Indian PM Manmohan Singh, left, hugs Nepal's PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, in New Delhi, India, 15 Sep 2008

India and the now defunct¹⁰ royalist government of Nepal saw the Maoist insurgency, led by the man who is now prime minister, as a common security challenge.

That might be one reason why Prime Minister Dahal is calling for an end to recruitment of Nepali Gurkhas into the Indian Army. The Gurkhas have had a reputation as fierce warriors¹¹ here since the early 19th century, when they were contracted by the British East India Company. There are about 40,000 Gurkhas serving in the Indian Army and paramilitary forces.

Indian military officials say, even if Nepal takes the unlikely step of banning service in the Indian military, it will not significantly affect the force, which has more than one-million personnel under arms.

Much of Nepal's establishment made a political alliance with the Maoists, in 2006 when then-King Gyanendra seized absolute power with an Army-backed coup¹². That brought peace, democratic elections which brought the Maoists to power and the abolition¹³ of the Hindu monarchy¹⁴.

 

1 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

2 alias   

n.化名；别名；adv.又名

参考例句：

• His real name was Johnson,but he often went by the alias of Smith.他的真名是约翰逊，但是他常常用化名史密斯。
• You can replace this automatically generated alias with a more meaningful one.可用更有意义的名称替换这一自动生成的别名。

3 clandestine   

adj.秘密的，暗中从事的

参考例句：

• She is the director of clandestine operations of the CIA.她是中央情报局秘密行动的负责人。
• The early Christians held clandestine meetings in caves.早期的基督徒在洞穴中秘密聚会。

4 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

5 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

6 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。

7 destitute   

adj.缺乏的；穷困的

参考例句：

• They were destitute of necessaries of life.他们缺少生活必需品。
• They are destitute of common sense.他们缺乏常识。

8 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

9 abrogation   

n.取消，废除

参考例句：

• China regrets the abrogation of the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. 中国对《反弹道导弹条约》失效感到遗憾。
• Measures for the abrogation shall be stipulated by the State Council. 废除的办法由国务院制定。

10 defunct   

adj.死亡的；已倒闭的

参考例句：

• The scheme for building an airport seems to be completely defunct now.建造新机场的计划看来整个完蛋了。
• This schema object is defunct.No modifications are allowed until it is made active again.此架构对象不起作用。在重新激活之前，不能进行任何改动。

11 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

12 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

13 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。

14 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。