V哦慢速英语2016--菲律宾新总统承诺打击犯罪和腐败

AS IT IS 2016-05-19 Philippines' Duterte Promises to Cut Crime, Corruption¹ 菲律宾新总统承诺打击犯罪和腐败

Rodrigo Duterte -- newly elected Philippine President -- is promising² major changes for his country’s 102 million people.

Including himself.

His tough campaign for president led some to call him the “Donald Trump³ of the Philippines.” Like Trump, Duterte sometimes made crude statements during his campaign for his nation’s top elected office.

One week after he won the election, Duterte met with reporters in his hometown of Davao, where he was mayor for 22 years.

Duterte, who takes office June 30, talked about what he would do as president. He suggested his own behavior would change.

He promised a return of the death penalty, allowing police to shoot people involved with organized crime, a ban on smoking and drinking in public areas, and punishing parents who allow children out after 10 p.m.

The government would also crack down on speeding and drunken driving and reduce noise at night, such as loud music so people can sleep, Duterte said. And he promised to fight corruption.

Duterte also seemed to say he would not be the same person who, as a candidate, cursed and made jokes some considered tasteless.

“I have to get used to being the top honcho of the Philippines,” he said.

Patricio Abinales, director of the Asia Studies Program at the University of Hawaii, said many compare Duterte to Trump.

But he disagrees. Unlike Trump, a successful businessman who is running for president as an outsider, Duterte has been an elected government official – mayor – for 22 years, Abinales said.

His promise to reduce crime appealed to voters, Abinales said. As mayor, he put in place tough penalties for crime. But Human Rights Watch said he went too far, using death squads⁴ to kill more than 1,000 people.

During his meeting with reporters this week, Duterte talked about hanging people for crimes and letting the public watch.

While running for president, Duterte angered some officials in Australia, the United States and Singapore.

Australian officials criticized him after he told a crude joke about a lay minister from Australia who was held hostage, raped⁵, and then had her throat slashed⁶ in 1989.

Duterte said: “I was angry because she was raped, that’s one thing. But she was so beautiful, the mayor should have been first. What a waste.” Duterte later apologized.

About Singapore, Duterte became angry when Singapore’s government said reports that its leaders supported him were not true. Duterte reacted by saying he’d like to burn Singapore’s flag.

Duterte also questioned what role the United States played in the 2002 bombing at a Davao hotel.

The bombing was linked to an American man, who escaped. Duterte questioned if the United States government helped the man escape. Last year, he said, the bombing made him feel a “hatred” for the United States.

Abinales of the University of Hawaii said relations between Duterte and the United States probably will be good if the U.S. explains what it knows about the bombing.

Donald Emmerson is director of Stanford University’s Southeast Asia Program. As is the case with Trump, Emmerson said, it is hard to say what kind of foreign policy Duterte will put together.

“One can argue that the rhetoric⁷ in the American presidential campaign also fits the caveat⁸, which is it is not what you say when you are trying to be elected, but what you end up saying and doing” when you are in office, Emmerson said.

Duterte met this week with the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines. He said the meeting is good sign relations between his country and China will improve.

Philippine relations with China have been tense over China’s claims in the South China Sea. The dispute over one of the world’s most important waterways also involves Vietnam, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

Some in the United States worry the Philippines might negotiate to give China control over the Scarborough Shoal in return for more investment in the Philippines.

Emmerson said it is not at all clear what position Duterte will take. But he said it is clear the Philippines and its new president will have more to say because, in 2017, the Philippines becomes chair of the Association of Southeast Asian nations.

In his meeting with reporters this week, Duterte said he plans to be a different kind of president. He said he would use his own pickup⁹ truck, rather than the limousine¹⁰ – or big car – provided the president.

“This is not royalty¹¹ … I’m your president. I would just consider me equal to you in terms of rights and responsibilities,” Duterte said.

Words in This Story

crude – adj. rude in a way that makes people uncomfortable especially talking about sexual matters in a rude way

crack down – v. serious attempt to punish people for doing something that is not allowed

curse – v. to use offensive words when you speak

honcho - n. the top person in an organization or group

rhetoric – n. language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable

caveat – n. an explanation or warning that should be remembered when you are doing or thinking about something

royalty – n. members of the royal family

1 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。

2 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 squads   

n.（军队中的）班( squad的名词复数 )；（暗杀）小组；体育运动的运动（代表）队；（对付某类犯罪活动的）警察队伍

参考例句：

• Anti-riot squads were called out to deal with the situation. 防暴队奉命出动以对付这一局势。 来自辞典例句
• Three squads constitute a platoon. 三个班组成一个排。 来自辞典例句

5 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

6 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

8 caveat   

n.警告； 防止误解的说明

参考例句：

• I would offer a caveat for those who want to join me in the dual calling.为防止发生误解，我想对那些想要步我后尘的人提出警告。
• As I have written before,that's quite a caveat.正如我以前所写，那确实是个警告。

9 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

10 limousine   

n.豪华轿车

参考例句：

• A chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady.司机为这个高贵的女士打开了豪华轿车的车门。
• We arrived in fine style in a hired limousine.我们很气派地乘坐出租的豪华汽车到达那里。

11 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。