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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Egyptians lined up for hours Monday to take part in the nation's first post-revolution parliamentary elections. While logistics for the staggered, three-month process are daunting1, so far, voters seemed pleased to be able to make their voices heard.
The line stretched for blocks outside a polling station in Cairo, with some voters hopeful that this election, unlike those of decades past, will count.
Student Farah, her uncovered hair standing2 out in a line mostly of veiled women, said she came to ensure a good future for all Egyptians.
"We want now to participate in everything in our country. I could participate last year, or the previous period, but I wasn't sure my voice will take the original steps in our process. Now I'm sure, insha'allah that my voice will be heard," said Farah.
Despite a crackdown in past days on anti-military protests in the capital's Tahrir Square, the vote was proceeding3 peacefully across much of Cairo governorate, one of several regions of the country taking part in this first stage of elections.
The three month process is being hailed as a milestone5 for Egypt, a country dominated by a military-backed government for nearly 60 years. Political analyst6 Hassan Nafae said that as imperfect as the vote may be, it may answer a fundamental question.
"This is a very, very important election in just one sense: It will, for the first time, show us who represents what exactly, because we really don't know," said Nafae.
In Alexandria, where the two-day first round of voting also was underway, a spokesman for the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party told VOA that in two districts where Islamist parties were popular, ballots7 didn't arrive until noon. He added the army was being cooperative, though, helping8 to establish security at polling places - a scene he described as "remarkable9."
Islamists hope to do well in this voting, both the Freedom and Justice party, and the more fundamentalist [Salafist] Al Nour party.
Marwa Mohammed, standing in line to cast her vote in Cairo, came to give her support to the Salafists.
Fully4 covered in a niqab, she said the party represents her: "It will fulfill10 my future demands, God willing."
Nearby, another voter hoped for a more mainstream11 government. Mariam, a dentist wearing the more common hijab, or headscarf, said her main hope is that this new wave of popular participation12 continues.
"I'm really not sure how it will go, but I'm aiming for a moderate Egypt. I'm aiming for a better future for our kids and I need to see a more proactive people in the community, and more of a literate13 community rather than what we had before," said Mariam.
Cairo-based analyst Nafae said that is likely to happen, even though he believes the parliament being elected now will be weakened because there will be no new constitution until next year, and the military vows14 to prolong its rule.
"I am not optimistic about the next parliament, but I am optimistic about the future because I do believe that the Egyptian people are much more aware than before and they will work very hard until they achieve all the objectives of the revolution," said Nafae.
The first round of voting ends Tuesday, with runoff elections set for two weeks from now. Other regions in the country will begin their voting next month.
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1 daunting | |
adj.使人畏缩的 | |
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2 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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3 proceeding | |
n.行动,进行,(pl.)会议录,学报 | |
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4 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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5 milestone | |
n.里程碑;划时代的事件 | |
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6 analyst | |
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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7 ballots | |
n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 );选举;选票;投票总数v.(使)投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 ) | |
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8 helping | |
n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的,辅助的 | |
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9 remarkable | |
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的 | |
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10 fulfill | |
vt.履行,实现,完成;满足,使满意 | |
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11 mainstream | |
n.(思想或行为的)主流;adj.主流的 | |
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12 participation | |
n.参与,参加,分享 | |
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13 literate | |
n.学者;adj.精通文学的,受过教育的 | |
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14 vows | |
誓言( vow的名词复数 ); 郑重宣布,许愿 | |
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