VOA标准英语2013--Turkey Protests Symptomatic of Deeper Problems

 

Turkey Protests Symptomatic of Deeper Problems

 

Fires burned in central Istanbul as police moved to clear Taksim Square, the focal point of the protests. The move further angered the activists¹, who have vowed² not to back down. And they seem to be gaining support in the country’s mainstream³, including a protest march by lawyers.

Turkey’s Islamist Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dismissed the protesters as “na?ve” and “emotional,” and suggested they are influenced by “foreign elements.”

Some see deep divisions

But Turkey expert Dimitar Bachev of the European Council on Foreign Relations disagrees.

“It is a symptom of a crisis. This is an important turning point because a substantive⁴ segment of the electorate⁵ has shown a yellow card to the prime minister. Many people in the ruling party have drawn⁶ the right lessons. But judging by the heavy-handed, angry reaction of the prime minister, positive developments won’t be easy,” said Bachev.

For many Turks, this is about what they call ‘creeping Islamization’ of their once staunchly secular⁷ society. It also is about what some see as a government that after 10 years in power, however, is just not listening to anyone who opposes it.

Turkey expert Gül Berna ?zcan of Royal Holloway University of London, visits the country frequently.

“Each time I traveled to Turkey, I saw the society more divided, more angry, more dismayed by the government. But also they felt helpless. Some people could even speculate some months ago when I was in Turkey that this could end up with a civil war because people are so polarized,” said ?zcan.

Demanding rights, inclusion

In spite of the widespread protests, Turkey is nowhere near that. Analysts⁹ say the government has a lot to do to repair its image, though, even among some of its own supporters. More broadly, analyst⁸ ?zcan sees something positive amid the all the unrest.

“Long term, this a very healthy development, showing that people want to actually have their rights and they are ready to defend it,” said ?zcan.

What’s needed, many analysts say, is for the ruling party to recognize that and move to be more inclusive, rather than just sending in the security forces. 

1 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》

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

4 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。

5 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

6 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

7 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

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 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。