2006年VOA标准英语-Hezbollah, Allies Call for Mass Protests in Leb

By Challiss McDonough
Beirut
30 November 2006

The pro-Syrian opposition¹ in Lebanon, led by Hezbollah, has called for mass protests aimed at bringing down the anti-Syrian government and replacing it with what they call a government of national unity².  As VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough reports from Beirut, there are concerns that the anti-government demonstrations⁴ could spark violence, coming so soon after the assassination⁵ of the Lebanese minister of industry last week.

 
Hassan Nasrallah 
Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said Lebanon's government has "proven incompetent⁶ and failed to deliver on its promises or achieve anything significant."

"If we want to tackle the crises and face the challenges that exist locally, regionally and internationally at this point, we must cooperate, join forces and unite our efforts," he said. "This can be achieved only through a government of national unity."

Hezbollah and its allies delayed their protests after the assassination of Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel last Tuesday.  All sides feared that anti-government protests at such a sensitive time might spark violence.

But Gemayel was buried a week ago, and Hezbollah clearly thinks the demonstrations have been delayed long enough.  Shortly before Nasrallah made his statement on Hezbollah's al-Manar television station, the opposition groups announced that the protests would begin at three o'clock on Friday afternoon.

Amid continued fears of unrest, Nasrallah was at pains to make it clear that the demonstration³ is to be peaceful.

"All you Lebanese, from different regions, groups, beliefs, religions and backgrounds, you are all invited into a peaceful, popular and civilized⁷ movement," he said.

 
Supporters hang a banner of Hezbollah's Christian⁸ ally Michel Aoun, as army troops arrive on the scene to separate about 700 supporters of pro-Syrian and anti-Syrian factions⁹ in Beirut
But, Lebanon's security services are taking no chances.  Heavy barricades¹⁰, barbed wire, armored vehicles and lots of soldiers have been deployed¹¹ around the downtown area housing the main government complex.  The prime minister and several members of his cabinet have been living in the compound since Gemayel was killed, out of fear for their own safety.

The president of the government-allied Future Youth movement, Nader Nakib, says opposition protests are fine, as long as they pursue their goals through peaceful methods.  But he did not sound entirely¹² convinced that they would.

"First of all, they have the right to demonstrate against the government," he said. "They don't have the right to do it in a forceful way," he said.  "This is democracy, right?  So they can demonstrate, they can do anything, but their freedom stops at the extent of our freedom and everybody else's freedom."

The government is headed by a coalition¹³ that calls itself the March 14 movement, named after the massive protests starting on that day in 2005 that eventually forced Syria out of the country.  The cabinet, until recently, did contain six pro-Syrian ministers, five Shi'ites from Hezbollah and Amal, and one Christian loyal to President Emile Lahoud.

All six resigned recently over a plan to ask for an international tribunal to prosecute¹⁴ the people responsible for the string of political assassinations¹⁵.  The pro-Syrian opposition says the government is now illegitimate since it has no Shi'ite representation.  They are calling for a government of national unity, in which the opposition parties together would have just over one-third of the posts, giving them veto power over cabinet decisions.

Hezbollah and Amal are not seeking more cabinet seats for themselves, since under Lebanon's "confessional system" of government, the number of seats for Shi'ites is fixed¹⁶.  They are demanding representation for their main Christian ally, General Michel Aoun and his Free Patriotic¹⁷ Movement.  General Aoun has called on his supporters to join the protests.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

5 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

6 incompetent   

adj.无能力的，不能胜任的

参考例句：

• He is utterly incompetent at his job.他完全不能胜任他的工作。
• He is incompetent at working with his hands.他动手能力不行。

7 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

8 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

9 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

10 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

11 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

12 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

14 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

15 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

16 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

17 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。