VOA常速英语2007年-Former US Diplomat Warns Pakistan at the ‘Tippi

By Ravi Khanna
Washington, D.C.
12 November 2007
 
It has been more than a week since President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule in Pakistan, a move accompanied by daily protests throughout the country. A former state department official who was in charge of South Asian policy warns the president and military general's action threatens to unravel¹ his nation's progress toward establishing democracy.

VOA's Ravi Khanna last week spoke² with former Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Karl Inderfurth who, as a professor at the Elliott School of International Affairs, keeps a close eye on the developments in Pakistan.

Friday, police cordoned³ off Benazir Bhutto's residence, putting the former prime minister under house arrest. Her supporters were arrested protesting the emergency rule declared by President Pervez Musharraf.

Former Ambassador Karl Inderfurth calls this moment in Pakistan's history the tipping point to or away from democracy. He says he hopes President Musharraf will keep his word and tip the country toward democratic rule.

"Indeed, he said to me the first time -- I met him in January 2000 -- when I asked, when would he restore democracy.   He said, 'We have not had democracy in this country. It has been a sham⁴ democracy.'  He said:  'My intent is to move toward establishing a true democracy, a real democracy’."

Pro-Taliban extremists operating in the tribal⁵ areas, Musharraf says, want to create a theocratic⁶ state.  Inderfurth agrees but says, by declaring an emergency, the general is punishing moderates and going against his stated goal of a moderate Pakistan.

"If that is his aim and objective -- not to risk alienating⁷ those forces within Pakistani society that also support those founding principles of Pakistan -- I don't understand why then they are being hauled off to jail, the Constitution suspended, elections postponed,” says Inderfurth. “Whatever these things are, they are not helpful for bringing the forces of moderation together.  It is only dividing them."

In the past, President Bush has been one of Mursharraf's strong supporters.  This week, Mr. Bush urged the general to hold elections as soon as possible and resign as military chief.  But Inderfurth says Washington has limited ability to pressure General Musharraf.

"The United States does not have great leverage⁸ here. It should not try to meddle⁹ in Pakistan's internal affairs. But the United States should be seen as standing¹⁰ for these forces of moderation and seen as standing for a movement toward democratic rule," says the ambassador.

Pakistan's two important neighbors, India and Afghanistan, have repeatedly said that a stable and prosperous Pakistan is in their own interest.  Inderfurth says the other countries of the region are also watching the situation very carefully.

"Bangladesh, of course, is now having military involvement in the caretaker regime because of its domestic problems. Sri Lanka has seen a resumption of a civil war between the government and LTTE [Tamil Tigers, separatists fighters].  So what happens in Pakistan can either lend to further instability in the region or conversely and more constructively¹¹ to a movement toward democracy."

The former assistant secretary of state says he hopes at this crucial moment in history Mursharraf will follow the will of the people.

1 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

2 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。

3 cordoned   

v.封锁，用警戒线围住( cordon的过去式 )

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the area until the bomb was defused. 警方封锁了这个地区直到炸弹被拆除为止。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 sham   

n./adj.假冒(的)，虚伪(的)

参考例句：

• They cunningly played the game of sham peace.他们狡滑地玩弄假和平的把戏。
• His love was a mere sham.他的爱情是虚假的。

5 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

6 theocratic   

adj.神权的，神权政治的

参考例句：

• The priest caste wields considerable power in this rigidly theocratic society. 祭司阶层(priestcaste)在这个严格的神权社会中掌握着相当大的权力。 来自互联网
• The heartland of Islam, by contrast, is theocratic. 相反，伊斯兰教的核心地带则是神权政治。 来自互联网

7 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

8 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

9 meddle   

v.干预，干涉，插手

参考例句：

• I hope he doesn't try to meddle in my affairs.我希望他不来干预我的事情。
• Do not meddle in things that do not concern you.别参与和自己无关的事。

10 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

11 constructively   

ad.有益的，积极的

参考例句：

• Collecting, by occupying spare time so constructively, makes a person contented, with no time for boredom. 如此富有意义地利用业余时间来进行收藏，会使人怡然自得，无暇烦恼。
• The HKSAR will continue to participate constructively in these activities. 香港会继续积极参与这些活动。