美国国家公共电台 NPR--South Africa's president is facing calls for his resignation

South Africa's president is facing calls for his resignation

Transcript¹

Cyril Ramaphosa is also facing the threat of impeachment² over charges of alleged³ corruption⁴ and a story that centers on a sofa stuffed with cash.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

South Africa's president, Cyril Ramaphosa, is clinging to his political life and the party of Nelson Mandela, the ruling African National Congress, in a crisis mode. Ramaphosa is facing calls to resign and possible impeachment proceedings⁵ after an independent panel appointed by parliament alleged that he broke anti-corruption laws and violated the constitution.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

How he got here is a very convoluted⁶ story. It involves the allegations of a former spy, tales of a sofa stuffed with cash and the failure to declare the existence and subsequent theft of potentially millions of dollars. To unravel⁷ this tale, we are joined by Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg. Hey, Kate.

KATE BARTLETT: Good morning, Rachel.

MARTIN: OK. So one of the headlines in a South African newspaper this morning says the following, the end of a presidency⁸. How did we get here?

BARTLETT: Well, we'll see whether it's the end of a presidency very soon. Yesterday, it was reported Ramaphosa was willing and planning to resign. Today, he's apparently⁹ been convinced by his allies in the ANC to stay on and fight. This is a developing story and moving fast. A little bit of background about Ramaphosa. He was elected in 2018 on an anti-corruption platform after nine turbulent years of his predecessor¹⁰, Jacob Zuma, who was dogged by corruption allegations and scandal after scandal.

And, you know, many South Africans were delighted when Ramaphosa replaced Zuma, as he was seen to be clean. And he spoke¹¹ of a new dawn. But since then, critics say he's been slow to act against the rot in his party. Though, to give him due credit, in recent months, there have been arrests and court cases involving high-level people fingered in corruption cases. But now this scandal over a large, undisclosed amount of cash inexplicably¹² found stuffed in his sofa...

MARTIN: Oh, so it's his sofa that's stuffed with the cash?

BARTLETT: It was his sofa at his game farm. Yes.

MARTIN: And so what's the story of that?

BARTLETT: Yeah. So basically, there was a robbery in 2020. And the robbers took an undisclosed amount of cash - could be millions; it's all very murky¹³, the details - from the sofa. But we only found out about this two years later, a few months ago, when the country's former spy chief went and told the police about it. Now, the president, who is a keen breeder of prize buffalo¹⁴, says the cash is from a sale of one of his animals. And he denies any wrongdoing.

MARTIN: Wow. So just walk us through what we expect to happen in the next few days.

BARTLETT: Well, if Ramaphosa doesn't resign on his own accord over the next few days, there'll be a debate in parliament next Tuesday, during which legislatures could vote for his impeachment. Meanwhile, the opposition¹⁵ Democratic alliance is calling for early elections. Elections were slated¹⁶ for 2024. They want to bring them forward. And, you know, this comes at a crucial time because Ramaphosa is facing a leadership race in his own party in two weeks' time where he was clearly the main contender. But this scandal has thrown all of that into doubt now. You know, his party, the ANC, is riven by factionalism. And there have been knives out for him for years.

MARTIN: Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg. We appreciate you. Thank you so much, Kate.

BARTLETT: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 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。

5 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

6 convoluted   

adj.旋绕的；复杂的

参考例句：

• The snake slithered through a convoluted path.蛇在羊肠小道上爬行。
• The policy is so convoluted even college presidents are confused.这项政策太令人费解，甚至连大学校长们也是一头雾水。

7 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

8 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。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 inexplicably   

adv.无法说明地，难以理解地，令人难以理解的是

参考例句：

• Inexplicably, Mary said she loved John. 真是不可思议，玛丽说她爱约翰。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inexplicably, she never turned up. 令人不解的是，她从未露面。 来自辞典例句

13 murky   

adj.黑暗的，朦胧的；adv.阴暗地，混浊地；n.阴暗；昏暗

参考例句：

• She threw it into the river's murky depths.她把它扔进了混浊的河水深处。
• She had a decidedly murky past.她的历史背景令人捉摸不透。

14 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

15 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。

16 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。