VOA标准英语2012--Senegal’s Female Presidential Candidate Has Equality Agenda

Senegal’s Female Presidential Candidate Has Equality Agenda

As presidential hopefuls began campaigning for Senegal’s February 26 election, the sole female candidate, Amsatou Sow Sidibe, was touring the country’s coast shaking hands and speaking to the market women along the beaches of the country's capital. "I’m with the women along the sea who sell the fish," she said from Dakar. "I’m doing a tour of the coast and talking to fishermen and those who sell the fish, because without them the country cannot properly feed itself."
Sidibe said that as the only female candidate, she would be a staunch advocate for women’s rights if she were to be elected, but most importantly she would strive for equality. “I will do a lot for women, because I know the importance of women in family and society in general. But I will not just be for women, I will also work for men and an equal society.”
Sidebe stressed the role that women must play in conflict resolution – and added that role must be made stronger. “In Africa most of all, women play an essential role in peacemaking and are the first victims of violence," she said. "They must be at the negotiation¹ table."
She added womens’ health is a pressing issue, because if they are not healthy, they cannot work nor take care of their families.
Sidebe is one of 13 opposition² figures facing current President Abdoulaye Wade³ in the West African country’s upcoming election. She has joined the other opposition candidates in denouncing the candidacy of Wade, who is running for his third term despite a constitutional two-term limit. Wade argued that the term-limits were introduced after he was already in office and so cannot be applied⁴ to him retroactively.
Riots in the normally peaceful capital erupted after Wade’s candidacy was declared legitimate⁵ last month.

1 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

2 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。

3 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

4 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

5 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。