VOA标准英语2010年-Philippines Vote Proceeds Despite Glit

Despite long delays caused by new automated¹ voting machines, millions of Filipinos have headed to the polls to choose a new president.

Most voters set out early Monday to avoid the midday sun and temperatures topping 38 degrees to vote in an election that marks the end of Gloria Arroyo²'s presidency³.

The polling stations were loud and boisterous⁴. Scuffles broke out in some, while in the country's troubled south at least two deaths were reported and eight people injured in a grenade attack.

Several other deaths linked to the elections have been reported since Saturday. However, for the most part, though, the voting Monday was peaceful.

Liberal Party candidate Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino is favored to become the next president. His standing⁵ is in part a legacy⁶ of his mother, former President Cory Aquino, who remained a highly respected figure in Philippine life until her death last August.

Another former president, Joseph Estrada, has enjoyed a late swing in his favor and could provide an upset.

Ousted⁷ by a coup⁸ in 2001, jailed for corruption⁹ and eventually pardoned, Estrada still holds a significant support base, particularly in the countryside and the poorer suburbs of Manila.

Also favored is businessman Manny Villar whose campaign has focused on his rags to riches life.

Catherine Maramara is an official election watcher at the Epifino Delos Santos Elementary School in suburban¹⁰ Manila. It is one of the busiest polling stations in the capital, with between 20,000 and 30,000 people expected to vote there.

"It's very exhausting and people are all sweaty, and I don't know," Maramara said. "We are hopeful for a peaceful election and we are hoping for a new government and a good government."

President Gloria Arroyo will leave office on June 30 with the lowest approval ratings registered for a president since ratings were introduced in 1986. Her administration was tainted¹¹ with corruption allegations, including vote rigging in the 2004 election.

Mrs. Arroyo is limited to one term in office, and she is seeking a seat in Congress in this poll.

There is hope that new automated voting machines will make cheating almost impossible in this election.

But there are concerns the vote could collapse¹² because of software problems.

More than 82,000 machines have been deployed¹³. Officials said the problems associated with the machines are minimal¹⁴, although some polling stations will remain open for an extra hour to make up for delays.

Jun Cabreza is an area chairman of the Barangay Party. His son is contesting one of the 17,000 local community positions that are also being contested at this election.

"It's a good election, it's a good election. Some voters can not vote because their names are not on the list but it is minimal, minimal yeah," says Cabreza.

The glitches¹⁵ are expected to delay counting and the final result by days or even weeks. But election observers expect a strong trend could emerge by Tuesday to indicate who will be the next president.
 

1 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

2 arroyo   

n.干涸的河床，小河

参考例句：

• She continued along the path until she came to the arroyo.她沿着小路一直走到小河边。
• They had a picnic by the arroyo.他们在干枯的河床边野餐过。

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

5 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

6 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

7 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

8 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。

9 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

10 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

11 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

13 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

14 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

15 glitches   

n.小过失，差错( glitch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Manufacturing glitches have limited the factory's output. 生产中的故障影响了该厂的产量。 来自辞典例句
• Another kind of period variation,\"Glitches,\" are seen in several pulsars. 在几个脉冲星中还看到了周期的另一种变化，即“自转突快”现象。 来自辞典例句