VOA标准英语2014--分析师称巴基斯坦的政治动荡伤害国家形象

 

Analysts¹: Pakistan's Political Turmoil² in Pakistan Hurts its Image 分析师称巴基斯坦的政治动荡伤害国家形象

Analysts warn the political turmoil in Pakistan spurred by protests in the capital has resulted in a setback³ for the country’s foreign policy priorities as well as its image as a stable democracy.  

Recent mass street protests in Pakistan's capital Islamabad have reinforced the worst kinds of stereotypes⁴ about the country, says veteran Pakistan-watcher Marvin Weinbaum, of the Middle East Institute.

“...that the country is volatile⁵, that the country has not ever been able to resolve the differences between civilian⁶ and military government rule, that Pakistan is a dangerous state, therefore, because of the fact that it is a nuclear state,” he said.

The protesters, led by opposition⁷ politician Imran Khan and Canada-based cleric Tahirul Qadri, allege⁸ rigging in the last general election and blame the government for a culture of corruption⁹ and nepotism¹⁰.  Their critics claim that Pakistan’s powerful military is behind them. The military has ruled the country either directly or indirectly¹¹ for most of its existence and is widely believed to control its foreign policy.  

While Pakistan grapples with its internal turmoil, the South Asian nation is losing opportunities that were likely to come its way, says former U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter.

“...and the more unsettled a situation you have in the international media, the harder it is for international investors¹² to take advantage of what could be a very advantageous¹³ situation in Pakistan,” he said.

The protests come at a time when the region faces significant changes in its political and strategic landscape, and Munter feels that Pakistan needs to focus on the bigger picture.

“The impact will be simply that the foreign policy will, I believe, take kind of a back seat to the domestic issues, and this is not the time that the foreign policy should,” he said.

But the foreign policy of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is what some believe caused this crisis in the first place. He is seen to have made too many friendly overtures¹⁴ towards India, and that, supposedly, made the military unhappy.

“There is an underlying¹⁵ feeling that the military really doesn’t want to see anything that resembles a rapport¹⁶ with India,” said Middle East Institute's Marvin Weinbaum.

Meanwhile, the United States is counting on stability in Pakistan, both for its withdrawal¹⁷ from Afghanistan and for the long term stability of the region.

“There’s clearly a great deal at stake for the United States here. But the United States is constrained¹⁸ from really expressing itself on these issues," Weinbaum said. "It can only use what quiet ways it has to suggest that, for heaven’s sake, find a political way out.”

Last year’s general elections in Pakistan and the peaceful transfer of power from one civilian government to another had raised expectations that Pakistan was on its way to becoming a normal democracy.

The recent turmoil has shattered some of those hopes and reinforced the idea that Pakistan has much work to do to balance its civil-military relationship.

1 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。

2 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

3 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

4 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

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 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

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 nepotism   

n.任人唯亲；裙带关系

参考例句：

• The congressman lashed the president for his nepotism.国会议员抨击总统搞裙带关系。
• Many will regard his appointment as the kind of nepotism British banking ought to avoid.很多人会把他的任命看作是英国银行业应该避免的一种裙带关系。

11 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

12 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

13 advantageous   

adj.有利的；有帮助的

参考例句：

• Injections of vitamin C are obviously advantageous.注射维生素C显然是有利的。
• You're in a very advantageous position.你处于非常有利的地位。

14 overtures   

n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲

参考例句：

• Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好，样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句

15 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

16 rapport   

n.和睦，意见一致

参考例句：

• She has an excellent rapport with her staff.她跟她职员的关系非常融洽。
• We developed a high degree of trust and a considerable personal rapport.我们发展了高度的互相信任和不错的私人融洽关系。

17 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

18 constrained   

adj.束缚的,节制的

参考例句：

• The evidence was so compelling that he felt constrained to accept it. 证据是那样的令人折服，他觉得不得不接受。
• I feel constrained to write and ask for your forgiveness. 我不得不写信请你原谅。