VOA常速英语2007年-Opposition Wins Romania's First European Electi

By Stefan Bos
Budapest
26 November 2007

First official results show the centrist opposition¹ party of Romanian President Traian Basescu has won Romania's first European Parliament elections since it joined the European Union this year. As Stefan Bos reports from Budapest, representatives of the country's large Hungarian minority also secured seats in the European Parliament.

 

Election officials say opposition parties received the most votes in elections for Romania's 35 representatives in the European Parliament.

 

Results show that nearly one in three voters cast ballots² Sunday for the Democratic Party of President Traian Basescu, while its fellow opposition Social Democratic Party came in second with about 20 percent of the vote.

They beat the ruling National Liberal Party of Prime Minister Calin Popescu Tariceanu. He has been criticized by Romanians for his perceived failure to implement³ reforms aimed at improving living standards, that were promised when the country enthusiastically joined the European Union, January .

 

The E.U. executive branch, the European Commission, has threatened to cut-off more than $260 million in aid to Romania next month, unless the government improves the way it handles agriculture subsidies⁴ and tackles corruption⁵.

 

The leader of the victorious⁶ Democrats⁷, Emil Boc, suggests the election results show his party is popular among voters seeking change.

 

The Democratic Party has received most votes, he tells supporters. In his words the party is now "the most important political force in Romania."

 

Among others securing seats in the European Parliament are representatives of Romania's one and one half million ethnic⁸-Hungarians. They include an independent candidate, Reformed Bishop⁹ Laszlo Tokes, who played a key role in Romania's 1989 revolution against Communist rule.

 

Bishop Tokes says he wants to cooperate in the European Parliament with the main political party of ethnic Hungarians, known as the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, or RMDSZ.

 

"We are focused on the national interests of Hungarians in Romania," Tokes says. And he adds: Next week I will meet the Hungarian RMDSZ party, to work on a wide strategy to make the dreams of ethnic Hungarians a reality."

 

High on his wish list is improving educational opportunities and a more controversial demand for more autonomy for ethnic Hungarians. They mostly live in Transylvania, an area that belonged to Hungary till the 1920 Treaty of Trianon handed the region to Romania.

 

Government and opposition officials in neighboring Hungary say they are pleased that ethnic Hungarians will be represented in the European Parliament.

1 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。

2 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》

3 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。

4 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 victorious   

adj.胜利的，得胜的

参考例句：

• We are certain to be victorious.我们定会胜利。
• The victorious army returned in triumph.获胜的部队凯旋而归。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

9 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。