VOA标准英语2010年-Thai Finance Minister Says Elections P

Thailand's Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Japan, 21 May 2010

Thailand could hold elections this year, Finance Minister Korn Chatikavanij has told foreign correspondents in Tokyo. The minister is in Japan to attend an economic conference, and in his words "explain the truth" about the political crisis and violence in his country.

 

Korn is optimistic about his country, even as it struggles to recover from its worst political violence in nearly 20 years.

On Wednesday, the army cleared out a protest camp that had occupied central Bangkok for two-months, in an operation that sparked rioting and arson¹ in the city.

On Friday, Korn told foreign correspondents in Tokyo that his country is still in shock.

"It may actually be a watershed² and a catalyst³ for genuine reform, That may see us emerge as a stronger society," he said.

He says that a new society would begin with a new government, and adds it is "highly unlikely" the current leadership will serve until the next scheduled election at the end of 2011. He suggests his government could hold elections in November, as the prime minister offered earlier this month, but says that is not certain.

"I don't think we're in a position to say with comfort that we can have a violence-free period of election campaigning by all parties across all regions of the country," he said.

Korn says elections will only be held under assurances that they would be "free and fair," with results that all Thais could accept.

Thailand has suffered a series of political crises since Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was ousted⁴ in a military coup⁵ in 2006. He was sentenced to two years in prison for corruption⁶, but remains⁷ popular among poor and rural voters, who feel neglected by the country's traditional ruling elite⁸.

Korn rejects the idea that Mr. Thaksin and his supporters triggered the protests in a fight for democracy. But he says he understands the frustrations⁹ of the country's poor, especially those working in urban factories.

"The quality of life as a rural poor, in a country like Thailand, is much, much higher than an urban poor," he said. "Critically, there's not much to compare yourself with when you're a rural poor as compared with an urban poor."

The Thai government is eager to get the country's economy back on track. While Korn says the violence had minimal¹⁰ impact on the country's gross domestic product, investors¹¹ wary¹² of the protests have pulled out.

He says his government needs to put its "house in order" so that investors return and help get Thailand's economy back on track for rapid growth.
 

1 arson   

n.纵火，放火

参考例句：

• He was serving a ten spot for arson.他因纵火罪在服十年徒刑。
• He was arraigned on a charge of arson.他因被指控犯纵火罪而被传讯。

2 watershed   

n.转折点，分水岭，分界线

参考例句：

• Our marriage was at a watershed.我们的婚姻到了一个转折关头。
• It forms the watershed between the two rivers.它成了两条河流的分水岭。

3 catalyst   

n.催化剂，造成变化的人或事

参考例句：

• A catalyst is a substance which speeds up a chemical reaction.催化剂是一种能加速化学反应的物质。
• The workers'demand for better conditions was a catalyst for social change.工人们要求改善工作条件促进了社会变革。

4 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。

5 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。

6 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。

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

8 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

9 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

10 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。

11 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

12 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。