美国国家公共电台 NPR--Sri Lanka's president flees the country amid an economic crisis

Sri Lanka's president flees the country amid an economic crisis

Transcript¹

NPR speaks with Ahilan Kadirgamar, a political economist² and senior lecturer at the University of Jaffna, about the president of Sri Lanka, who has fled the country.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Have you seen the videos of protests in Sri Lanka? The president has fled the country. The prime minister is leading in his place but says he will resign by today - all of this after protesters pushed into leadership offices demanding people step down. They're protesting after an economic disaster. We have called Ahilan Kadirgamar, who is vice³ president of the Federation⁴ of University Teachers Associations, which is one of the groups protesting.

Welcome.

AHILAN KADIRGAMAR: Thank you for having me.

INSKEEP: What is the situation in your country today?

KADIRGAMAR: It's - today has been a day of turmoil⁵. The president has fled the country, and the prime minister was trying to maneuver⁶ himself into the position of president. The president has appointed him as acting⁷ president, but everything is very unclear as to how this political scenario⁸ would move forward. Meantime, there are valiant⁹ protests in Colombo, and they have invaded the prime minister's office. All of this brings up questions about how the country is going to move forward.

We need political stability. And one question that really comes up is whether finally we would abolish the office of the executive president. This was brought about four decades ago, and it puts huge amount of powers and concentrates powers in one individual, which has led to so much corruption¹⁰ and patronage¹¹, and that office needs to be abolished. And that's been the consensus¹² in the country. But no government has done that so far. So this might be an opening also to abolish the presidency¹³ and then work towards creating the economic stability that we need.

INSKEEP: Is there enough of the government still in place that there can be some kind of transition or transfer of power within the rule of existing law?

KADIRGAMAR: There would have to be an all-party interim¹⁴ government. It might even be a minority government. And we hope that, you know, in about six months to a year, that interim government could then pave way for elections to have a fresh mandate¹⁵. But given the conditions in the country, that there is not enough petrol or diesel¹⁶ for even transport, it's very hard to move towards an election immediately. But once there is some amount of political stability and, more importantly, economic relief is given to the people - because the people are really suffering on a day-to-day level without even food - and then, hopefully, we can go towards elections and create a new government and then think about the questions of economic reform and rebuilding our economy.

INSKEEP: In all of this chaos¹⁷, have you had a moment of feeling triumphant¹⁸ that you're getting what you want?

KADIRGAMAR: In a way, yes, because people have been struggling. The entire country has become politicized. You know, in day-to-day conversations, everybody's talking about the future of the country. And the protests have mostly been nonviolent. The military and the police have been tear gassing the protesters. But there is this will in the country to make much of our democracy. So it is a great moment for democracy in Sri Lanka.

INSKEEP: Ahilan Kadirgamar is a political economist and senior lecturer at the University of Jaffna in Sri Lanka. Thank you so much.

KADIRGAMAR: Thank you.

(SOUNDBITE OF TOR'S "VAULTS")

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 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

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 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。

7 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

8 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

9 valiant   

adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人

参考例句：

• He had the fame of being very valiant.他的勇敢是出名的。
• Despite valiant efforts by the finance minister,inflation rose to 36%.尽管财政部部长采取了一系列果决措施，通货膨胀率还是涨到了36%。

10 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。

11 patronage   

n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场

参考例句：

• Though it was not yet noon,there was considerable patronage.虽然时间未到中午，店中已有许多顾客惠顾。
• I am sorry to say that my patronage ends with this.很抱歉，我的赞助只能到此为止。

12 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

13 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。

14 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

15 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

16 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

17 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

18 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。