VOA常速英语2007年-Rivals Prepare For Australian Election Showdown

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
20 November 2007

Australians go to the polls this Saturday, with conservative Prime Minister John Howard fighting for his political life against his left-of-center rival, Kevin Rudd. Mr. Howard has been in office for more than a decade, and is seeking a fifth consecutive¹ term as leader. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

 

Australians have a clear choice in this election. Prime Minister John Howard has been in power since 1996, and his re-election campaign is emphasizing his experience. Mr. Howard, a 68-year-old former solicitor², says his rival, Labor³ Party leader Kevin Rudd, should not be trusted to manage a prosperous economy or handle national security.

One major point of difference between Rudd and the prime minister is the war in Iraq.

 

In a fiery⁴ televised debate in late October, the Labor leader said he would pull Australian soldiers out of Iraq if he wins the election, while Mr. Howard insisted the troops should stay until their job was done.

 

"When the rotation⁵ ends in about the middle of next year, I believe that that force will undertake an even greater training role to bring the Iraqi forces up to a situation where they can look after themselves - which, after all, is the practical end result of our commitment," he said.

 

"Mr. Howard, why should Australians believe you any more about where that will go," Rudd countered, "when on the eve of the last election, you said, in response to a question, that you would not increase our troops in Iraq, and as soon as you won the election you virtually doubled our troops in Iraq?"

 

John Howard is Australia's second longest-serving prime minister. His critics insist he has become stale and unimaginative.

His loyal supporters, such as Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, say Mr. Howard's experience should be valued and not thrown away.

"I know John Howard and regardless of his, you know, chronological⁶ age, this is a man who's extraordinarily⁷ energetic and fit and I think people can see that (he) is absolutely consumed with the job," Downer said. "I think there's a tremendous virtue⁸ in sticking with what you know and what works well, rather than just changing for the sake of changing. It's always a risk to change."

Labor's Kevin Rudd is 50. During the campaign, Rudd has been promoting himself as a younger, more vigorous alternative to Mr. Howard.

Labor's deputy leader, Julia Gillard, says voters are ready for a change.

"Even people who have been good supporters of the Howard government would probably say to themselves that the best days of this government are behind it, not in front of it, and if you say yes to that question, then I think you've got to think about the alternative, and I think Kevin is developing and showing the skills of a leader," she said.

A defining element of the Howard years has been the prime minister's strong friendship with U.S. President George Bush, which has helped shape Australia's foreign policy. Canberra has deployed⁹ troops to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

Still, John Hart, a political scientist at the Australian National University, says Mr. Howard and his pro-American policies register far more strongly in Australia than in the U.S.

"Most Americans wouldn't recognize him if he walked down Fifth Avenue during the rush hour. I don't think he features highly on American's agenda," Hart noted¹⁰. "It's quite clear the Howard-Bush relationship has been a very close and personal one…there is still a lot of Americans who'd be surprised if you told them that Australia had actually committed troops to fight in Iraq."

Despite his pledge to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq, Rudd has promised to maintain the close alliance with the United States.

Rudd, a former diplomat¹¹, also hopes to enhance Canberra's relations in Asia. John Hart says Rudd could be especially effective with China, where his linguistic¹² abilities and his knowledge of the country could be of use to both Australia and the United States.

"Rudd's language ability plus his deep knowledge of Chinese affairs may help Australia have a bigger impact in China than it does at the moment, and that might in turn might be very helpful for the alliance with the United States, if the United States is willing to take Kevin Rudd into its confidence and make use of him when it comes to matters relating to its relationship with China," he said.

The vote is on Saturday, and opinion polls have consistently put Rudd ahead of Mr. Howard. Analysts¹³ have said the prime minister might even lose his own parliamentary seat.

John Howard, though, is a wily politician and a proven campaigner. He has come from behind to win elections in the past.

1 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

2 solicitor   

n.初级律师，事务律师

参考例句：

• The solicitor's advice gave me food for thought.律师的指点值得我深思。
• The solicitor moved for an adjournment of the case.律师请求将这个案件的诉讼延期。

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

5 rotation   

n.旋转；循环，轮流

参考例句：

• Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
• The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。

6 chronological   

adj.按年月顺序排列的，年代学的

参考例句：

• The paintings are exhibited in chronological sequence.这些画是按创作的时间顺序展出的。
• Give me the dates in chronological order.把日期按年月顺序给我。

7 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

8 virtue   

n.德行，美德；贞操；优点；功效，效力

参考例句：

• He was considered to be a paragon of virtue.他被认为是品德尽善尽美的典范。
• You need to decorate your mind with virtue.你应该用德行美化心灵。

9 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

12 linguistic   

adj.语言的，语言学的

参考例句：

• She is pursuing her linguistic researches.她在从事语言学的研究。
• The ability to write is a supreme test of linguistic competence.写作能力是对语言能力的最高形式的测试。

13 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。