2006年VOA标准英语-Abe Elected Leader of Japan's Governing Party

By Steve Herman
Tokyo
20 September 2006

In Japan, it is Shinzo Abe by a landslide¹. The government's chief cabinet secretary, as expected, has swept the election for leadership of the Liberal Democratic Party, putting him in position to take over as prime minister next week.

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Shinzo Abe (file photo)  
  
In an intra-party contest that pitted three members of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's cabinet against each other, the early favorite, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, easily defeated Foreign Minister Taro² Aso and Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki to become party president Wednesday.

Since the L.D.P. has a majority in the lower house of Parliament, Abe is now considered a shoo-in to be selected prime minister by the house on September 26.

Abe whose grandfather and great uncle were prime ministers, captured two-thirds of the 702 votes in the election at the party's Tokyo headquarters.

When the official tally³ was announced, L.D.P. lawmakers in the auditorium⁴ cheered Abe's victory.

Abe, in his first news conference as party chief, pledged to carry on the economic reforms of the Koizumi administration, and confront issues arising from the nation's population decline. He repeated his oft-stated campaign theme of making Japan "a beautiful country."

Prime Minister Koizumi, stepping down after five years in the post, offered Abe immediate⁵ congratulations, but told party lawmakers that his successor must now prove himself.

He says while the L.D.P. has put its faith in Abe, the new party president has to convince the public of his ability to lead the country.

Abe, who will be 52 on Thursday, is poised⁶ to become the first Japanese prime minister born after the Second World War. 
 

Gerald Curtis  
  
Columbia University Professor Gerald Curtis is an expert on Japanese politics. He says the young and relatively⁷ inexperienced politician has to outline specifics of his policy goals quickly. Otherwise, he says, people will focus on Abe's style rather than substance, prompting unflattering comparisons with the charismatic Mr. Koizumi.

"As long as people think about style, he's going to look like a weak shadow of Prime Minister Koizumi," he said. "So he has to push something in the way of substance. And there, frankly⁸, at the moment, it's very hard to see where the substance is in his policies."

Abe is viewed as a conservative who favors rewriting Japan's U.S.-imposed post-war constitution. Article 9 of the constitution limits Japan's military to a self-defense⁹ role. Abe favors modifying the clause to allow Japan to freely engage in foreign peacekeeping operations and take a more equal partnership¹⁰ for its defense, now primarily provided by American forces.

He has also pledged to improve relations with Japan's neighbors, especially China and South Korea, which are leery of any increase in Japanese militarism. If selected prime minister, his goals should become clearer on September 29, when he will be required to give a policy speech.

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 taro   

n.芋，芋头

参考例句：

• Main grain crop has taro,corn,banana to wait.主要粮食作物有芋头、玉米、芭蕉等。
• You celebrate your birthday with taro,red bean and butter.用红豆、芋头和黄油给自己过生日。

3 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

4 auditorium   

n.观众席，听众席；会堂，礼堂

参考例句：

• The teacher gathered all the pupils in the auditorium.老师把全体同学集合在礼堂内。
• The stage is thrust forward into the auditorium.舞台向前突出，伸入观众席。

5 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

6 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

9 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

10 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。