VOA标准英语2010年-Expectations High for Nigeria's New Le

Nigeria's new president has less than one year to finish out the term of Umaru Musa Yar'Adua, who died last week at the age of 58.

President Jonathan says his brief administration will aspire¹ to uphold the values that Mr. Yar'Adua represented including a commitment to good governance, fighting corruption² and enacting³ electoral reform before next year's nationwide vote.

Former military ruler Yakubu Gowon says electoral reform should top the new president's agenda.

"I hope that Mr. President will concentrate on ensuring that we have free and fair elections in the country and therefore reorganizing the election machinery⁵ to make sure they are able to deliver," he said.

 President Yar'Adua came to power in a 2007 vote that he said was seriously flawed.  So he set out to make changes that are not yet complete.

Human rights activist⁶ Joseph Adekpe says electoral reform and corruption should be the focus of President Jonathan's work because they are the issues that most directly affect the lives of the Nigerian people.

"He could do something within this short period.  Let him prove himself.  You can hear of this one-man-one vote campaign.  If he could give us a good election, that would be a good," he said. "Then he should emphasize more on this anti-corruption drive.  He should not be intimidated⁷ by any powers."

Attorney Simeon Efenudu says fighting corruption in Nigeria begins with an honest cabinet.

"We pray to God that those people who he has selected to work with him should be good people who will share his aspirations⁸ and make sure that they move Nigeria forward," he expressed.

In his Cabinet, President Jonathan has taken personal responsibility for boosting electricity.  Many people in Africa's largest oil producer still do not have reliable power supplies.  Efenudu says improving electricity is central to economic development.

"If he is able to bring power, you see unemployment will be drastically reduced in Nigeria because there are many artisans who want to work, but they don't have power with which to work.  They can't buy generators¹⁰ to work. Many industries, small-scale industries that people want to set up, they can't set them up because they can't power them," Efenudu stated.

Mr. Jonathan had already replaced much of President Yar'Adua's Cabinet, in his capacity as acting⁴ president.  So his formal swearing-in, last Thursday, brought no substantive¹¹ change at the top of Nigeria's government.

Former ruling-party ward⁹ chairman for Delta¹² State Gabriel Osekene says, if President Jonathan has surrounded himself with good people, he should be confident enough to listen to their advice.

"He should have a very good cabinet, a very good executive cabinet that can advise him wisely," Osekene said. "And, he should heed¹³ their advice, positive advice as regards the way forward for the administration."

For Osekene, the new president's biggest priority should be securing the gains of an amnesty that President Yar'Adua reached with Niger Delta militants¹⁴. "In the issue of Niger Delta, this amnesty deal, try as much as possible to make it work," he said.

Niger Delta activists¹⁵ say the federal government has profited from the region's oil wealth, without reinvesting in its people.  President Jonathan says he is moving to revitalize that amnesty plan to protect oil exports, better develop the region's infrastructure¹⁶ and ensure that former gunmen are properly reintegrated into the workforce¹⁷.

Securing the Niger Delta amnesty, fighting corruption, enacting electoral reform, boosting electricity:  it is a lot to do in less than one year.  Mr. Jonathan says he knows Nigerians have high expectations. That is why he is calling for bold action from his cabinet and says he will tolerate no distractions¹⁸.
 

1 aspire   

vi.(to，after)渴望，追求，有志于

参考例句：

• Living together with you is what I aspire toward in my life.和你一起生活是我一生最大的愿望。
• I aspire to be an innovator not a follower.我迫切希望能变成个开创者而不是跟随者。

2 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。

3 enacting   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Generally these statutes apply only to wastes from reactors outside the enacting state. 总之，这些法令只适宜用在对付那些来自外州的核废料。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• In addition, the complexion of enacting standards for live working is described. 另外，介绍了带电作业标准的制订情况。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

9 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

10 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 substantive   

adj.表示实在的；本质的、实质性的；独立的；n.实词，实名词；独立存在的实体

参考例句：

• They plan to meet again in Rome very soon to begin substantive negotiations.他们计划不久在罗马再次会晤以开始实质性的谈判。
• A president needs substantive advice,but he also requires emotional succor. 一个总统需要实质性的建议，但也需要感情上的支持。

12 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

13 heed   

v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心

参考例句：

• You must take heed of what he has told.你要注意他所告诉的事。
• For the first time he had to pay heed to his appearance.这是他第一次非得注意自己的外表不可了。

14 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

15 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》

16 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

17 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

18 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》