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VOA常速英语2007年-Vote Buying Rampant During Thai Elections

时间:2008-01-12 05:32:39

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(单词翻译)

By Luis Ramirez
Bangkok
21 December 2007

Thailand holds general elections Sunday, heralding1 a return to democratic rule after the military coup3 of last year. As VOA's Luis Ramirez reports from Bangkok, with the return of democracy comes the old practice of vote-buying - a problem that persists despite government efforts to stamp it out.

 

Bangkok's Klong Toey neighborhood is home to some of the city's poorest slums. In the shadow of sleek4 new expressways and gleaming high-rise buildings sit wooden shacks5 with rusting6 corrugated7 iron roofs and festering open sewers8. This is home of those who have been left out of Thailand's economic miracle.

It is to poor communities like this that party workers looking to win votes flock at election time, handing out everything from umbrellas to clothing. But the most effective of the voter incentives9 is cash. The money is usually distributed by canvassers - often community chiefs - who promise a specific number of votes in exchange for cash handouts10.

A community leader lays out a sack stuffed with campaign materials and - speaking quietly so as not to be heard by passersby11 - explains how he is responsible for delivering the votes on election day. He does not wish to be named for fear of reprisals12, by both the authorities and the party that paid him.

"Suppose I promise 500 votes at a rate of [$16] for each vote. If on election day, the votes do not match up against the money disbursed13, I will be in trouble," he said. "If you accept, you must be able to deliver. Otherwise, as you have heard, election canvassers have been shot or otherwise hurt."

The interim14 government installed by the military has launched an aggressive campaign to stamp out vote buying like this. Penalties include imprisonment15 for both those who pay the money and those who accept it.

The measures appear to be having little effect.

All parties condemn16 the vote buying. But residents here and in other parts of Thailand accuse a number of parties - including the front-running People Power Party and the Democrat2 Party - of engaging in some form of the practice.

Nopadol Patama is deputy secretary general of the People Power Party - which residents say has been among those buying votes in the neighborhoods of Klong Toey.

"Vote-buying has been with Thailand for many years. The Election Commission, which is an independent body, has to take immediate17 action to curb18 vote buying," says Nopadol. "Political parties hate vote buying as much as the election commission. So, they have to enforce the law strictly19. We welcome strict law enforcement. Vote buying is not good."

The interim government's campaign against vote buying is part of its efforts to stamp out corruption20 - one of the reasons the military gave last year for carrying out the coup.


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1 heralding 689c5c3a0eba0f7ed29ba4b16dab3463     
v.预示( herald的现在分词 );宣布(好或重要)
参考例句:
  • It is the heralding of a new age of responsibilities. 那预示着一个充满责任的新时期的开始。 来自互联网
  • Streaks of faint light were rising, heralding a new day. 几道淡淡的晨曦正在升起,预示新的一天的来临。 来自互联网
2 democrat Xmkzf     
n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员
参考例句:
  • The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
  • About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后,他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。
3 coup co5z4     
n.政变;突然而成功的行动
参考例句:
  • The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
  • That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。
4 sleek zESzJ     
adj.光滑的,井然有序的;v.使光滑,梳拢
参考例句:
  • Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
  • The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。
5 shacks 10fad6885bef7d154b3947a97a2c36a9     
n.窝棚,简陋的小屋( shack的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • They live in shacks which they made out of wood. 他们住在用木头搭成的简陋的小屋里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Most people in Port au-Prince live in tin shacks. 太子港的大多数居民居住在铁皮棚里。 来自互联网
6 rusting 58458e5caedcd1cfd059f818dae47166     
n.生锈v.(使)生锈( rust的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • There was an old rusting bolt on the door. 门上有一个生锈的旧门闩。 来自辞典例句
  • Zinc can be used to cover other metals to stop them rusting. 锌可用来涂在其他金属表面以防锈。 来自辞典例句
7 corrugated 9720623d9668b6525e9b06a2e68734c3     
adj.波纹的;缩成皱纹的;波纹面的;波纹状的v.(使某物)起皱褶(corrugate的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • a corrugated iron roof 波纹铁屋顶
  • His brow corrugated with the effort of thinking. 他皱着眉头用心地思考。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 sewers f2c11b7b1b6091034471dfa6331095f6     
n.阴沟,污水管,下水道( sewer的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The sewers discharge out at sea. 下水道的污水排入海里。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Another municipal waste problem is street runoff into storm sewers. 有关都市废水的另外一个问题是进入雨水沟的街道雨水。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
9 incentives 884481806a10ef3017726acf079e8fa7     
激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 ); 刺激; 诱因; 动机
参考例句:
  • tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
  • Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者,提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
10 handouts 447505a1e297b8bcf79fa46be9e067f8     
救济品( handout的名词复数 ); 施舍物; 印刷品; 讲义
参考例句:
  • Soldiers oversee the food handouts. 士兵们看管着救济食品。
  • Even after losing his job, he was too proud to accept handouts. 甚至在失去工作后,他仍然很骄傲,不愿接受施舍。
11 passersby HmKzQJ     
n. 过路人(行人,经过者)
参考例句:
  • He had terrorized Oxford Street,where passersby had seen only his footprints. 他曾使牛津街笼罩了一片恐怖气氛,因为那儿的行人只能看到他的脚印,看不到他的人。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 文学
  • A person is marceling on a street, watching passersby passing. 街边烫发者打量着匆匆行人。
12 reprisals 1b3f77a774af41369e1f445cc33ad7c3     
n.报复(行为)( reprisal的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • They did not want to give evidence for fear of reprisals. 他们因为害怕报复而不想作证。
  • They took bloody reprisals against the leaders. 他们对领导进行了血腥的报复。 来自《简明英汉词典》
13 disbursed 4f19ba534204b531f6d4b9a8fe95cf89     
v.支出,付出( disburse的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • In the 2000—2008 school year, $426.5 million was disbursed to 349085 students. 2000至2008学年,共有349085名学生获发津贴,总额达4.265亿元。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The bank has disbursed over $350m for the project. 银行已经为这个项目支付了超过3.5亿美元。 来自辞典例句
14 interim z5wxB     
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 imprisonment I9Uxk     
n.关押,监禁,坐牢
参考例句:
  • His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
  • He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。
16 condemn zpxzp     
vt.谴责,指责;宣判(罪犯),判刑
参考例句:
  • Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他,而有些人谴责他。
  • We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。
17 immediate aapxh     
adj.立即的;直接的,最接近的;紧靠的
参考例句:
  • His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
  • We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。
18 curb LmRyy     
n.场外证券市场,场外交易;vt.制止,抑制
参考例句:
  • I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
  • You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。
19 strictly GtNwe     
adv.严厉地,严格地;严密地
参考例句:
  • His doctor is dieting him strictly.他的医生严格规定他的饮食。
  • The guests were seated strictly in order of precedence.客人严格按照地位高低就座。
20 corruption TzCxn     
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。

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