VOA慢速英语2009年-IN THE NEWS - A Second Term for Karzai; US

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

People in Afghanistan were supposed to vote again Saturday for president. But earlier this week the Independent Election Commission declared Hamid Karzai the winner of a second term. His only remaining opponent had withdrawn¹. Abdullah Abdullah said he did not believe the second vote would be any more fair.
　
Afghan President Hamid Karzai

International observers found widespread cheating in the election in August. Investigators² rejected almost one-third of the ballots³ for President Karzai. That denied him the majority needed to avoid a runoff election.

But Abdullah Abdullah withdrew Sunday after the president rejected his demands -- including dismissal of the head of the election commission.

Western leaders called on President Karzai to improve governance and security. He told reporters that he will "continue to make every possible effort," in his words, to end government corruption⁴.

President Obama says the proof is going to be not in words but in actions. This week was the first anniversary of his own election. And one decision weighing heavily on him is whether to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan to fight the Taliban and al-Qaida.

His top general there has warned that the eight-year effort to defeat the insurgency⁵ could fail without more troops. Sixty-eight thousand Americans and forty thousand other foreign troops are already in the war.

Critics have accused the president of taking too long. Administration officials say they expect a decision in the coming weeks.

This week, two American states, Virginia and New Jersey⁶, elected governors. Republican Party candidates won both elections. Barack Obama won both states last year, and spent time campaigning for the Democrats⁷ in this year's races.

Some people said the results showed displeasure with his policies. Others noted⁸ that a majority of voters said they did not consider him in their decision.

Next November are the midterm elections. Democrats now control Congress and the White House. But historically the party that controls the White House suffers losses in elections halfway⁹ through a president's first term.

The economy is starting to improve. But high unemployment and issues like reform of the health care system could influence public opinion.

On Thursday, the president thanked two groups for giving their support to a health care bill in the House of Representatives. One is a doctors group, the American Medical Association. The other is AARP, representing forty million older Americans.

On Friday President Obama signed into law a bill that extends payments for the unemployed¹⁰ and expands a tax credit for homebuyers.

But also Friday, the government reported that the unemployment rate was ten and two-tenths percent in October. That was higher than expected, and above ten percent for the first time in twenty-six years. But job losses have been slowing.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. I'm Mario Ritter.

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

6 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

9 halfway   

adj.中途的，不彻底的，部分的；adv.半路地，在中途，在半途

参考例句：

• We had got only halfway when it began to get dark.走到半路，天就黑了。
• In study the worst danger is give up halfway.在学习上，最忌讳的是有始无终。

10 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。