2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian Ruling Party Presidential Candidate La

By Sarah Simpson
Lagos
27 January 2007

Nigeria's ruling party, the People's Democratic Party, on Saturday launched its election campaign for the man the party hopes will succeed President Olusegun Obasanjo. Sarah Simpson reports for VOA from the southern city of Lagos.

 
A woman dances at the PDP rally in Lagos by Sarah Simpson
Waving flags and dancing, thousands of supporters of the People's Democratic Party gathered on the parade ground under a sweltering sun for the official start of Umaru Yar'Adua's election campaign.

Yar'Adua is President Obasanjo's hand-picked successor to run in April elections.

A previously¹ little known state governor from the north of Nigeria, Yar'Adua took the microphone dressed from head-to-toe in the red, white and green of his party. "PDP! PDP! Today I feel greatly honored and privileged to receive the PDP flag, as flag bearer of the People's Democratic Party - the greatest party in Africa," he said.

Yar'Adua promised to continue the work of his predecessor², and said he aimed to improve the lives of Nigerians in this oil-rich, but impoverished³ nation. "Nigeria today has a political leader and a political party that has been destined⁴ by providence⁵ to transform our country from an under-developed nation to one of the developed nations of the world," he said.

 
PDP presidential candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua, left, with current Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo on the right
President Obasanjo also made a speech. The one-time military leader turned elected president called on the crowd to continue to support the PDP and its chosen candidate for the sake of continuity. "We have a track record that must be maintained and if you listen to the presidential flag bearer, he will confirm what I have always said: we want continuity and change!," he said.

Nigeria is a federal state that binds⁶ together over 200 ethnic⁷ groups. Sometimes, that union is fraught⁸, and thousands of people have died in inter-ethnic and religious violence since Mr. Obasanjo became president in 1999.

To claim victory in the coming polls, Nigeria's next president will not only have to secure 50 percent of all votes cast, but will also have to win at least 25 percent of all votes in two-thirds of the country's 36 states.

Yar'Adua is a northerner and Muslim. His running mate, Goodluck Jonathan, comes from the Christian⁹ south of Nigeria.

Party leaders made much of that north-south alliance at Saturday's gathering¹⁰.

But, Evelyn Komi, a 52-year-old market woman, said she would vote for the ruling party simply because Goodluck Jonathan comes from her home state. "I will vote for them because they are my people. The Vice¹¹ is my man, he is a south-south president, that is why I am here," she said.

Presidential elections are scheduled for April 21.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

2 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

3 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

5 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

6 binds   

v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕

参考例句：

• Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

9 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。

10 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。