VOA常速英语2007-Benazir Bhutto Set to Return to Pakistan

By Chris Simkins
Washington
17 October 2007
 

Exiled former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto is set to return to her homeland this week (October 18th) in a possible power sharing agreement with President Pervez Musharraf. For producer Chris Simkins, VOA's Melinda Smith profiles Benazir Bhutto's life.

Benazir Bhutto has lived abroad for much of her life, and has not been inside Pakistan since 1999 when she was forced into exile for a second time.

VOA Senior Correspondent Gary Thomas first met Ms. Bhutto 10 years earlier. He says her life changed after her father and Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was deposed¹ in 1977 and executed two years later.

Thomas says, "Her father was arrested by a military ruler, Zia-ul Haq, who took over power in Pakistan and hanged her father and she herself spent some time in jail and under house arrest. That left a profound impression on her certainly in terms of her attitude towards military rulers and her ideas about what democracy is. There are ideas of western democracy, but they are certainly seen through the prism of a very personal vision of 'I am the one to implement² that democracy'."

Ms. Bhutto last returned to Pakistan more than 20 years ago to lead a pro-democracy movement, and in 1988 became the first woman prime minister of a Muslim-majority country in modern times. 

Lisa Curtis is a senior research fellow with the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C.  She says Ms. Bhutto understands her political base among low and middle income Pakistanis. "I think she does reach out to the people. She knows her constituents³ and she understands Pakistan and the various issues that face her constituents, she has to in order to get elected," says Curtis.

While prime minister, Ms. Bhutto made hunger and health care top priorities. She also is credited with bringing electricity to rural areas and led efforts to build schools across the country. But allegations of corruption⁴ tainted⁵ her time in office, and in 1990 her government was dismissed. Three years later she won re-election as prime minister only to again be forced out amid similar corruption scandals in 1996.

Pakistan's current president, General Pervez Musharraf, took power nearly 10 years ago in a military coup⁶ against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. That again drove Ms. Bhutto into exile. Now she plans to return to Pakistan after reaching a tentative agreement with President Musharraf to share power. General Musharraf has granted amnesty to Ms. Bhutto, ending all corruption cases against her.

Marvin Weinbaum is a South Asia expert with the Middle East Institute in Washington, D.C. He says Ms. Bhutto will need to acknowledge her past mistakes if she is to be a successful leader in Pakistan. "She wants to give the impression that this is a fresh start. She says she will restore democracy and she will be able to take on the extremists and claims she is the one who is most dedicated⁷ to that and she will bring a national mandate⁸ behind her to do that," Weinbaum told us. 

Other political analysts⁹ say it is uncertain whether Ms. Bhutto can generate the same popular support in Pakistan she once enjoyed.

1 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

3 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

7 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

8 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。

9 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。