8 Die in Clashes over Controversial Iranian Election

8 Die in Clashes over Controversial Iranian Election

Patricia Nunan

At least eight people have died in clashes in southern Iran in disputes over Friday's controversial parliamentary election. Early results show that Iran's Islamic hardliners have won by a landslide¹ over the nation's reformist parties, but voter turnout was extremely low.

Officials in Iran's southern town of Firouzabad say violence broke out when people grew angry over an apparent win by a conservative candidate in the parliamentary election. In the town of Izeh, police and protesters clashed because of a dispute over election results.

Iran's Islamic conservatives look set to win control of the 290 member parliament, in an election that continues to generate controversy². The Interior Ministry³ says just 50.6 percent of Iran's 46 million eligible⁴ voters went to the polls, making it the lowest voter turnout since the 1979 Islamic revolution.

The ballot⁵ was boycotted⁷ by most reformist parties after Iran's conservative Guardians⁸ Council barred more than 2,300 reformist candidates from running. Reformists call the move an attempt by the hardliners to cling to power.

That assertion was supported by the US State Department, which has said the election was not free and fair.

Speaking in Sunday, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi rejected Washington's charge. "We know that Americans are not welcoming real democracy here. What they are saying is only to make some pressure, to make some hue⁹ and cries on that. I believe the election was free and legal - that is what I can tell you."

Iran's reformists swept to a two-thirds majority in parliament in the last election, in 2000, on promises they would liberalize society. But their moves have met with staunch resistance from hardliners, including the Guardians Council, an unelected body which can veto parliamentary decisions.

But analysts¹⁰ say those failures have brought about disillusionment throughout Iran, and apathy¹¹ by voters, including 28-year-old Reza. He said he does not trust the results of the election because there is no difference between reformists and conservatives, they are all the same. He adds that everyone his age thinks the same way.

Final election results are expected in the coming days.

 

注释：

clash [klAF] n. 冲突，撞击声

Islamic [Iz5lAmIk] adj. 伊斯兰的，伊斯兰教的

hardliner [hB:dlainE] n. 强硬路线者

landslide [5lAndslaId] n. 压倒性的胜利

turnout [5tE:naut] n. 出席者，出席人数

controversy [5kCntrEvE:si] n. 争论，辩论

Interior Ministry  内政部部长

eligible [5elidVEbl] adj. 符合条件的，合格的

poll [pEul] n. 选举之投票

ballot [5bAlEt] n. 投票

boycott⁶ [5bCIkRt] vt. 联合抵制

Guardians Council  监理人理事会

cling to  依靠，坚持

State Department  （美国）国务院

Foreign Ministry  外交部

make some hue and cries  大喊大叫

liberalize [5libErElaiz] 自由化

staunch [stC:n(t)F] adj. 坚定的

veto [5vi:tEu] vt. 否决，禁止

disillusionment [9dIsI5ljU:VEnmEnt] n. 觉醒

apathy [5ApEWi] n. 冷漠

 

1 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

2 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

7 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

8 guardians   

监护人( guardian的名词复数 )； 保护者，维护者

参考例句：

• Farmers should be guardians of the countryside. 农民应是乡村的保卫者。
• The police are guardians of law and order. 警察是法律和秩序的护卫者。

9 hue   

n.色度；色调；样子

参考例句：

• The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
• The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 apathy   

n.漠不关心，无动于衷；冷淡

参考例句：

• He was sunk in apathy after his failure.他失败后心恢意冷。
• She heard the story with apathy.她听了这个故事无动于衷。