Actor Glover Supports Aristide's Return to Haiti

    Hollywood actor Danny Glover is the latest celebrity(名声) making a push for former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide to return to his homeland.
    Glover, who starred in the "Lethal¹ Weapon（致命武器）" movies, is chairman of the U.S.-based human rights group TransAfrica Forum². He flew Thursday to South Africa where Aristide has been living in exile.
    Glover wrote on the TransAfrica Forum website the purpose of his trip was to show solidarity³ with the people of Haiti and help return a leader they twice elected with "overwhelming support."Aristide expressed a desire to go back to Haiti after former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier made a surprise return in January. The United States has urged Aristide to delay his return, warning it could disrupt Sunday's presidential elections.
    South Africa's government Thursday said Aristide is free to go whenever he wants. Presidency⁴ Minister Collins Chabane said Haitian officials have granted the former Haitian president a passport and that Johannesburg "can't hold him hostage."Aristide was driven from office by armed rebels in February 2004 and sent into exile. He fled first to the Central African Republic and Jamaica before settling in South Africa.
    Washington has strongly supported the current electoral process as critical to Haiti's stability after years of political turmoil⁵ and the disastrous⁶ January 2010 earthquake. The runoff election pits former first lady Mirlande Manigat against popular entertainer Michel Martelly.
    Martelly was initially⁷ excluded from the runoff until international observers reviewed the first round results and recommended he advance to the second round instead of the ruling party candidate, Jude Celestin. The observers cited fraud and irregularities in the first round of balloting⁸, which took place in November.
    Celestin was later dropped from the runoff. The person who wins the election will succeed outgoing President Rene Preval.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

4 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

5 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。

6 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句