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Millions of voters in Nepal braved threats of violence and harsh terrain¹ to cast ballots³ in a historic election to choose a 601-member national assembly that is to write a constitution. The twice-delayed election is being closely monitored by tens of thousands of domestic and 850 international observers, including former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

数百万尼泊尔选民冒着暴力威胁，不顾道路陡峭，纷纷前往投票站，选举一个有601名成员的制宪议会。这次历史性选举曾经两次延期。数千名尼泊尔人和包括前美国总统卡特在内的850名国际选举观察员密切监察这次选举过程。

Nearly 4,000 candidates from more than 50 parties were on the ballot² across Nepal, Thursday. The election is the latest step in a long and sometimes violent transition from a Himalayan feudal⁴ kingdom to a multi-ethnic⁵ modern republic, under democratic government.

尼泊尔50多个政党的近4千名侯选人在星期四的全国选举中竞争。尼泊尔正在从一个封建君主制王国转变成为一个由民主政府统治的多民族现代共和国，这次选举是在这个漫长转型过程中迈出的最新一步。

In the capital, voter Kehav Raj Bajracharya says he was not worried about violence at his polling station in Kathmandu, but he did hear of attacks in other areas.

首都加德满都的选民拉吉.巴吉拉查亚说，他并不担心他的投票站会发生暴力，但是他听说其他地区发生了袭击事件。

He says he is happy to vote after a delay of so many years, because the election will uplift ethnic groups that he says have been suppressed.

他说，在多年的拖延之后，他很高兴参加投票，因为选举能够提升少数族裔的地位。他说，少数族裔一直受到压制。

The balloting⁶ to choose a constituent⁷ assembly results from a 2006 peace pact⁸ between the government and the Maoists, who waged a decade-long war to try to rid Nepal of the monarchy⁹. The formerly¹⁰ autocratic king remains¹¹ in place, but he is powerless and a multi-party coalition¹², which includes the former rebels, now runs the government and has put Nepal onto the path of a democratic republic.

这次投票是选举一个制宪议会。这是尼泊尔政府跟毛派组织2006年达成协议的结果。毛派组织为了推翻尼泊尔君主制进行了长达10年的战争。过去专制的国王仍然在位，但他现在已经没有实权。目前包括前毛派反政府组织在内的多党联盟组成政府，将尼泊尔推上民主共和的道路。

Voter Pushpa Banya cast her ballot, just across the road from one of the Royal Palace gates.

在尼泊尔王宫一个大门外马路对面的投票站里，选民普士帕.班雅投出了她的一票。

The housewife says Nepal still needs the king, but that hopefully the civilian-run government resulting from the election will be good for the country, when it becomes a republic.

这名家庭妇女说，尼泊尔仍然需要一位国王，不过她希望，当尼泊尔成为一个共和国时，民选产生的文职政府将对国家有益。

Long lines were reported at many polling stations, reflecting the intense interest in the election.

据报导，很多投票站外选民排起长队，这表明选民对这次选举热情很高。

The most high-profile election observer here, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, tells VOA News the biggest worry now is whether election losers will peacefully accept the peoples' verdict.

前美国总统吉米.卡特是最知名的选举观察员。他对记者说，现在最大的担忧是，落选的人是否会平静地接受选民的决定。

"Here, the expectations might be quite high among people that are almost inevitably¹³ going to be disappointed," Mr. Carter said. "But we have their prior commitment that they will accept the results, even disappointing, in a peaceful way."

卡特说：“一些对结果抱有很高期望的人不可避免地会感到失望。不过我们已经得到他们的承诺，既使失望，他们有将和平地接受选举结果。”

Aside from pre-election violence that saw candidates and partisans¹⁴ killed, the exercise of democracy in harsh terrain is taking its toll¹⁵ in other ways. Some polling officials fell ill with high-altitude sickness or were delayed by heavy snowfall. Some yak¹⁶ herders, hearing on the radio they should cast their ballots, left their animals in the care of their children and trekked¹⁷ for days to polling stations.

Although preliminary results for some districts are expected to be announced within a day or two, a definitive¹⁸ picture could take weeks to emerge from the 240 constituencies.

虽然一些地区的初步选举结果预计会在一两天内宣布，但是整个240个选区的确切投票结果恐怕需要几个星期的时间才能揭晓。