VOA常速英语2007年-Musharraf: Pakistan on 'Verge of Destabilizatio

By Barry Newhouse
Islamabad
03 November 2007

Pakistan's President General Pervez Musharraf has declared a state of emergency and suspended the constitution. In a nationally broadcast address, he partly blamed the judiciary for bringing Pakistan to what he called "the verge¹ of destabilization." VOA's Barry Newhouse reports from Islamabad that Mr. Musharraf's critics say the move undermines democracy and will inflame² militants³.

Hours after security forces blocked off key streets near government buildings and shut down phone lines and independent news stations, Mr. Musharraf appeared on state television to explain his decision. "Kindly⁴ understand the criticality of the environment inside Pakistan and around Pakistan," he said. "Pakistan is on the verge of destabilization."

The president cited rising violence from Islamic militants and a series of judicial⁵ decisions in recent months that he said have demoralized law enforcement officials, set known terrorists free and undermined his efforts to move the country toward democracy.

Mr. Musharraf - who spoke⁶ wearing civilian⁷ clothing, not his military uniform - said ever since he seized power in a military coup⁸ in 1999, he has been following a plan to return Pakistan to democratic rule. But he said the courts have undermined the transition. "Therefore I had to take this action in order to preserve the democratic transition which I initiated⁹ eight years back," he said.

The Supreme¹⁰ Court was expected to deliver a verdict in the coming days in a case that could overturn President Musharraf's unofficial re-election last month. Mr. Musharraf has sworn in a new group of senior judges, including a new Supreme Court chief justice. He issued a provisional constitutional order that suspended some fundamental rights. And a new press ordinance¹¹ bans publication of news about terrorist bombings and material that disrespects the head of state.

Mr. Musharraf's critics accused him of seizing power because he feared the Supreme Court would rule against him. "What is going to happen in Pakistan is that it's going to head towards anarchy," said Imran Khan, leader of the Movement for Justice opposition¹² party. "There will be more militancy¹³ in the country, there will be more people picking up arms because he's blocked the legal and democratic channels through which people could express their views."

Former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who abruptly¹⁴ returned to Pakistan Saturday after visiting family in Dubai, said Mr. Musharraf was imposing¹⁵ martial¹⁶ law, and Pakistanis would protest against it.

News reports indicate several of Mr. Musharraf's critics and political opponents, including Supreme Court justices and opposition leader Khan, were detained or placed under house arrest.

On Saturday evening in front of the President's House, about 50 protesters gathered at the police barriers, repeating a phrase frequently uttered by Pakistanis who are eager for the president to step down: "Go Musharraf Go. Go Musharraf Go. Go Musharraf Go."

Nearby security forces stood idle as the protesters chanted.

1 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

2 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

5 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

8 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。

9 initiated   

n. 创始人 adj. 新加入的 vt. 开始，创始，启蒙，介绍加入

参考例句：

• He has not yet been thoroughly initiated into the mysteries of computers. 他对计算机的奥秘尚未入门。
• The artist initiated the girl into the art world in France. 这个艺术家介绍这个女孩加入巴黎艺术界。

10 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

11 ordinance   

n.法令；条令；条例

参考例句：

• The Ordinance of 1785 provided the first land grants for educational purposes.1785年法案为教育目的提供了第一批土地。
• The city passed an ordinance compelling all outdoor lighting to be switched off at 9.00 PM.该市通过一条法令强令晚上九点关闭一切室外照明。

12 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。

13 militancy   

n.warlike behavior or tendency

参考例句：

• Full of militancy and revolutionary ardour, the people of all nationalities in the country are working hard for the realization of the four modernizations. 全国各族人民意气风发， 斗志昂扬，为实现四个现代化而奋战。
• The seniority system is another factor that leads to union militancy. 排资论辈制度也是导致工会好斗争的另一因素。

14 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

15 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

16 martial   

adj.战争的，军事的，尚武的，威武的

参考例句：

• The sound of martial music is always inspiring.军乐声总是鼓舞人心的。
• The officer was convicted of desertion at a court martial.这名军官在军事法庭上被判犯了擅离职守罪。