VOA标准英语2011-Tunisia Announces New Unity Government

Tunisia's prime minister has announced a transitional government that includes members of the opposition¹. He also eased restrictions² on the press and human-rights groups. But the old regime holds the top posts and hundreds of people demonstrated against it in the capital.

Tunisia's Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi included three members of the country's opposition in his newly named transitional government. He also announced the lifting of all media restrictions, along with the ban against the country's main human-rights group.

At a news conference, he said the transitional government's priority was re-establishing security after days of looting and demonstrations³, but he also promised political and economic reforms. Interim⁴ President Fouad Mebazaa has called for elections within 60 days.

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But the top posts - defense⁵, finance, interior and foreign ministries⁶ - have been retained by members of the former government of ousted⁷ ex-president Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. And several leftist and Islamist oppositions⁸ parties, banned under Ben Ali, were not included in the new Cabinet.

Even before the new government was announced, hundreds of protesters again massed on Tunis' main Habib Bourguiba Avenue chanting for Ben Ali's ruling RCD party, to go.

The RCD has to go, one angry man said, because it will just go back to its old tricks. The army has to stay, and give time for a real democracy to flourish.

Some Tunisians like Nabiha do not just want the party banned from politics, but also all the members of the old establishment. That includes the current interim leaders, Tunisia's longtime Prime Minister Ghannouchi and Interim President Mebazaa, the former speaker of parliament.

"People again are demonstrating in the streets to [PM] Ghannouchi 'out', Because this man was part of the system. He could not say he [did not know] about the corruption⁹. All Tunisians knew about that," she said.

But not everybody was protesting.

In the capital Tunis, people returned to work and their everyday routines, although streets rapidly emptied by late afternoon, before the 6:00 pm curfew.

And more shops and outdoor markets were open, like this fruit and vegetable market on in the Tunis neighborhood of Bab el Khadra.

One elderly man at the market praised Prime Minister Ghannouchi as an honest man. Besides, he said, Tunisia's new interim government would be a temporary, to calm things. The next one, he predicted, would be brought in by the ballot¹⁰ box.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 ministries   

（政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期

参考例句：

• Local authorities must refer everything to the central ministries. 地方管理机构应请示中央主管部门。
• The number of Ministries has been pared down by a third. 部委的数量已经减少了1/3。

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 oppositions   

（强烈的）反对( opposition的名词复数 )； 反对党； （事业、竞赛、游戏等的）对手； 对比

参考例句：

• That's fine because all perihelic oppositions of Mars are spectacular. 但它和最近的几次区别不大，因为火星所有的近日对冲都很壮观。
• He tried his best to bear down all of his oppositions. 他尽全力击败一切反对意见。

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 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。