VOA标准英语2013--Chavez Health Drives Venezuela Toward Uncertain Future

 

Chavez Health Drives Venezuela Toward Uncertain Future

In the days after winning a fourth presidential term of office in October, Hugo Chavez seemed healthy and full of life. But since his December 11 cancer operation in Cuba, he has not spoken or been seen in public.

Venezuela's Information Minister Ernesto Villegas issued a public statement on the president’s condition acknowledging that he has suffered complications caused by a lung infection but that his condition is stable.

"The treatment is being applied¹ constantly and rigorously and the patient is assimilating it," Vilegas said.

The government’s plan to postpone² the inauguration³ and designate Vice⁴ President Nicolas Maduro acting⁵ head of state in the interim⁶ has sparked a constitutional debate about the legality of such a move.

Citing the constitution, opposition⁷ leaders say if Chavez is unable to be inaugurated, then National Assembly head Diosdado Cabello should take over and new elections must be held within 30 days. 

Michael Shifter an analyst⁸ with the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington says a short delay will not likely cause a major political uproar⁹. But he says if Chavez does not return soon, pressure will mount to hold new elections.

“I think there will be a lot of pressure for that. There probably is a limit, it’s very hard to be precise and [to know] what the limit is but I think if it goes on for a couple of months it’s going to be very, very difficult to sustain,” Shifter said.

Vice President Maduro says the constitution allows the Supreme¹⁰ Court to set a new inauguration date and has dismissed speculation¹¹ that Chavez is no longer fit to continue as president. But Shifter says if Chavez is incapacitated or worse the opposition needs to press for new elections without seeming uncaring of the president’s condition.

“I think the opposition has to be careful also in dealing¹² with the tremendous emotional factor for Chavez. It can’t seem to be heartless,” Shifter said.

That emotional factor is at the forefront of government broadcasts of scenes of Chavez during happier times, in a seeming effort to forestall¹³ political chaos¹⁴ if he does not return to public life. 

1 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。

2 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

3 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 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。

6 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。

7 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。

8 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

9 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

10 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

11 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

12 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

13 forestall   

vt.抢在…之前采取行动；预先阻止

参考例句：

• I left the room to forestall involvements.我抢先离开了这房间以免受牵累。
• He followed this rule in order to forestall rumors.他遵守这条规矩是为了杜绝流言蜚语。

14 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。