VOA常速英语2007年-Labor Party Victory Expected in Australian Elec

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
23 November 2007

Australia's political leaders have made their final pleas to voters ahead of Saturday's federal election. The conservative Prime Minister John Howard is widely tipped to lose power after more than a decade in office. His rival, Labor¹'s Kevin Rudd, says Australia needs new leadership. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

Australia's political fate is now in the hands of 13.5 million voters.

Recent opinion polls have consistently put Labor ahead of John Howard's conservative coalition² government. One prominent newspaper says 'Howard Needs A Miracle' to win.

Mr. Howard became prime minister in 1996 and has overseen³ a period of unprecedented⁴ economic growth. His government has forged closer trade ties with the United States as well as China and Japan. Unemployment is at a 30-year low.

John Howard, 68,  has campaigned strongly on the strength of the economy and firmly believes he can win another term in office despite what the opinions polls say.

"They couldn't be more wrong. My heart is in getting the coalition across the line," he said. "To those people who are still undecided, if you think the country is heading in the right direction then you shouldn't change the government."

Climate change, education and health care are crucial election issues. Both parties have promised multi-billion dollar tax cuts and in many areas there is little to choose between Labor and Mr. Howard's conservatives.

Labor's Kevin Rudd, however, has promised to immediately sign the Kyoto Protocol⁵ on climate change, which the Howard government has refused to do, claiming it would damage Australia's economy.

Labor has also pledged to withdraw Australian troops from Iraq whereas Mr. Howard says the soldiers will stay indefinitely. Both sides of the political divide support Australia's involvement in the U.S.-led campaign in Afghanistan.

Rudd, a 50-year-old former diplomat⁶, describes himself as an 'economic conservative' to appeal to voters struggling with mortgages after a series of interest rate rises.

The Labor leader says it is time for change.

"After 11 years Mr. Howard has lost touch with working families. He's become so used to being in office that he no longer understands what fairness actually means," Rudd said. "After 11 years Mr. Howard has become stuck in the past."

Labor needs 16 additional seats in the 150-member House of Representatives to win the election. Australians will also cast ballots⁷ for the Senate, the upper house of parliament.

Voting in Australia is compulsory⁸ and the results of the election are expected late Saturday.

1 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。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 overseen   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was overseen stealing the letters. 他被人撞见在偷信件。 来自辞典例句
• It will be overseen by ThomasLi, director of IBM China Research Laboratory. 该实验室由IBM中国研究院院长李实恭(ThomasLi)引导。 来自互联网

4 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

5 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

6 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。

7 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。