2006年VOA标准英语-Singapore Elections Seen as Test for Prime

By Nancy-Amelia Collins
Singapore
05 May 2006
 

Lee Hsien Loong waves to supporters during a rally in the financial district of Singapore, May 3, 2006   
  
The Singapore elections Saturday are being seen as the first test of the popularity of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, who took up the post in 2004. Although his ruling People's Action Party is virtually assured of a majority of seats in parliament, even a small improvement by the tiny opposition¹ could prove an embarrassment² for Mr. Lee.

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Analysts³ here say Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong wants a crushing victory in Saturday's election, one that will demolish⁴ the opposition and confirm the 54-year-old's mandate⁵ as Singapore's leader.

His party has been the dominant⁶ force since 1959, when Singapore, then a British colony, was first granted self-rule, and Mr. Lee's father, Lee Kuan Yew⁷, was made prime minister.

The party's worst showing came in 1991, when it lost four seats and gained only 61 percent of the vote. Analysts say that for the younger Mr. Lee to claim a mandate, the PAP must do no worse than that: it must win at least 80 of the 84 available seats.

The tiny opposition, which currently holds two seats, is fielding 47 candidates this time.

Sinapan Samydorai is president of Singapore's Think Centre, which promotes democratic freedom. He says the opposition has also broken with past practice by fielding strong candidates in this race, most of them professionals.

"It's very interesting to look that the candidates they put up [they] are very credible⁸ and very knowledgeable⁹. It goes along, it matches the PAP candidates," he said.

No one predicts a PAP loss, because the ruling party delivers what most people here want - economic growth, jobs, good education, and health care.

But this wealthy city-state's 4.4 million people pay a price for enjoying one of the world's highest standards of living. Freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are limited, and the government tightly controls the nation's news media.

PAP support comes from older voters, who watched Singapore change from a backwater into an economic powerhouse. They are used to being taken care of by the government, which plays a pervasive¹⁰ role in their lives.

Prime Minister Lee has played on this dependence¹¹ during his campaign, reminding the people the PAP is there to take care of their needs.

"So you need to take temp? Somebody's there. You need to check the drains? Somebody is there. Once in a while, I also go and check, just to make sure," he said.
 
 
Opposition party members from The Workers Party, James Gomez, left, and Sylvia Lim, center, cheer with their supporters, April 27, 2006  
  
Candidate James Gomez of the opposition Workers Party calls the PAP short on delivery but long on rhetoric¹².

"It should not be the politics of arrogance¹³, claiming 'I know everything.' Let's ignore them. We move on to the real issues like the cost of living, jobs, the elderly in Singapore, health care costs, education, and our future," he said.

Lee Kuan Yew, the prime minister's 82-year-old father, has long since turned over official leadership of the party, but he still holds the specially¹⁴ created post of Minister Mentor¹⁵. He was unopposed for the parliamentary seat in his long-time district.
 
 

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 embarrassment   

n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫

参考例句：

• She could have died away with embarrassment.她窘迫得要死。
• Coughing at a concert can be a real embarrassment.在音乐会上咳嗽真会使人难堪。

3 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。

4 demolish   

v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等)

参考例句：

• They're going to demolish that old building.他们将拆毁那座旧建筑物。
• He was helping to demolish an underground garage when part of the roof collapsed.他当时正在帮忙拆除一个地下汽车库，屋顶的一部份突然倒塌。

5 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

6 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

7 yew   

n.紫杉属树木

参考例句：

• The leaves of yew trees are poisonous to cattle.紫杉树叶会令牛中毒。
• All parts of the yew tree are poisonous,including the berries.紫杉的各个部分都有毒，包括浆果。

8 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

9 knowledgeable   

adj.知识渊博的；有见识的

参考例句：

• He's quite knowledgeable about the theatre.他对戏剧很有心得。
• He made some knowledgeable remarks at the meeting.他在会上的发言颇有见地。

10 pervasive   

adj.普遍的；遍布的，(到处)弥漫的；渗透性的

参考例句：

• It is the most pervasive compound on earth.它是地球上最普遍的化合物。
• The adverse health effects of car exhaust are pervasive and difficult to measure.汽车尾气对人类健康所构成的有害影响是普遍的，并且难以估算。

11 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

12 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。

13 arrogance   

n.傲慢，自大

参考例句：

• His arrogance comes out in every speech he makes.他每次讲话都表现得骄傲自大。
• Arrogance arrested his progress.骄傲阻碍了他的进步。

14 specially   

adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地

参考例句：

• They are specially packaged so that they stack easily.它们经过特别包装以便于堆放。
• The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings.这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。

15 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。