VOA标准英语2014--2014年,索马里政府政治动荡

 

For Somalis, 2014 Marked by Political Instability Within Government 2014年,索马里政府政治动荡

NAIROBI—

While Somalia has long been torn apart by warfare¹ and violence, this year one of the country's biggest challenges has come from within the government, as political infighting curtails² the country's progress, threatens security gains and disappoints the international community.

A political standoff in Somalia ended in a vote of no-confidence this month.

By a vote of 153 to 80, Prime Minister Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed was removed from office, following a feud³ with President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud over a cabinet reshuffle.

Ahmed was the second prime minister voted out within a year.

Somali political analyst⁴ Abdiwahab Sheikh Abdisamad says the political dispute between the two leaders, who come from different clans⁶, is mostly personal.

“It is not issue-based, it's personality-based. 'Either my way, or the highway' — that's what's going on.”

The process was marred⁷ by charges of favoritism, clan⁵ politics and accusations⁸ that lawmakers were promised cash in exchange for no-confidence votes.

The political turbulence⁹ has frustrated¹⁰ the international community.

Ahead of a conference on Somalia in the Danish capital Copenhagen in November, U.N. Envoy¹¹ Nicholas Kay said political instability is threatening Somalia's future.

“The key state-building laws, commissions and processes need to be established," he said. "This is make or break. There is no time to lose.”

President Mohamud, who pushed for the dismissal of the prime minister, has repeatedly defended the government's right to make its own decisions.

“Somali expectations are clearly that Somalia must be allowed to lead its own transformation¹² in a manner that's compatible to its own circumstances,” he said.

Meantime, Somalia has made headway in its fight against al-Qaida linked al-Shabab militants¹³, who have waged a years-long insurgency¹⁴ against the Somali government and international groups working in the country.

A joint¹⁵ military offensive by African Union peacekeepers and the Somali army has forced the Islamist fighters from areas they previously¹⁶ controlled and took back the militants' coastal¹⁷ headquarters, the town of Barawe, this year.

In September, a U.S. drone strike in southern Somalia killed top al-Shabab leader, Ahmed Abdi Godane.

But all of these security gains could be put at risk if the government cannot sort out its internal differences.

“Unless they come together, unless they come back to their senses, unless they have seen and they realize that the country needs a leader who can convert his energy and commitment into results, this will go on,” said Abdisamad, the Somali analyst.

Going forward, the government says it is committed to a strategy known as Vision 2016, which calls for — in the next two years — a constitutional review, completion of the federal system, and an election — lofty goals that analysts¹⁸ say will be difficult to meet given the unpredictable political climate.

1 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

2 curtails   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The obsequious brush curtails truth deference to the canvas which is narrow. 谄媚的画笔依从狭窄的画布把真理打了折扣。 来自互联网
• The obsequious brush curtails truth in deference to the canvas which is narrow. 阿谀的画笔顺从目光短浅的画布，真理因而被削弱。 来自互联网

3 feud   

n.长期不和；世仇；v.长期争斗；世代结仇

参考例句：

• How did he start his feud with his neighbor?他是怎样和邻居开始争吵起来的？
• The two tribes were long at feud with each other.这两个部族长期不和。

4 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。

5 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

6 clans   

宗族( clan的名词复数 )； 氏族； 庞大的家族； 宗派

参考例句：

• There are many clans in European countries. 欧洲国家有很多党派。
• The women were the great power among the clans [gentes], as everywhere else. 妇女在克兰〈氏族〉里，乃至一般在任何地方，都有很大的势力。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源

7 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

8 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

9 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。

10 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

12 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

13 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

14 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

15 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

16 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

17 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

18 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。