VOA常速英语2007年-US Urges Sharif, Others, to Join Pakistan Elect

By David Gollust
State Department
28 December 2007

The United States, in the wake of Benazir Bhutto's assassination¹, is urging all moderate Pakistani political forces including the party of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to take part in the country's planned elections. Mr. Sharif's Pakistani Muslim League said Thursday it will boycott² parliamentary elections scheduled for January 8. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

The State Department says U.S. diplomats³ are reaching out broadly to moderate Pakistani political parties in the wake of the assassination, urging them to join in the election process and to cooperate in fighting extremism.

Officials say Undersecretary for Political Affairs Nicolas Burns and Assistant Secretary for South Asia Richard Boucher are leading the effort, and calls have been made to, among others, leaders of Mr. Sharif's party.

The former Pakistani prime minister, arguably Pakistan's most prominent opposition⁴ figure after the death of Benazir Bhutto, Thursday called for the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf and said his party will boycott the election.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey said whether or not Mr. Sharif reconsiders the boycott is his own calculation to make, but said the United States believes all factions⁵ should support the elections and work to see that they are free, fair and transparent⁶.

"Our ongoing⁷ position with him, and with others, is that it's important again that moderate forces in Pakistan agree to work together, and we would certainly encourage him as well as all others, as well as all political parties, to participate in the process again with an eye toward insuring there is the broadest possible opportunity for the Pakistani people to choose among a variety of legitimate⁸ political actors in the country," he said.

The Bush administration said in the immediate⁹ aftermath of the assassination of Ms. Bhutto that Pakistanis should honor her memory by going forward with the electoral process, and that there should be no postponement¹⁰ of the voting or re-imposition of emergency rule .

But Casey told reporters there is "nothing magic" about the January 8 date, and that the United States would support a finite delay in the voting if that is the consensus¹¹ view of Pakistanis.

"We believe that if elections can proceed as scheduled, smoothly¹² and safely, then we would certainly encourage that happening," he said. "I think regardless of whether they happen on the 8th or some date shortly thereafter, what's important is that there is a certainty on the part of not only Pakistan's political leadership but the Pakistani people, that there will be a date certain that they will be choosing their new government and leadership."

Casey said he is unaware¹³ of any suggestion by officials of the Musharraf government, in post-assassination conversations they had with U.S. officials, that emergency rule might be re-imposed.

The United States strongly opposed President Musharraf's declaration of emergency rule in November which he rescinded¹⁴ earlier this month under international pressure.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and White House National Security Adviser¹⁵ Stephen Hadley paid separate visits to Pakistan's embassy in Washington Friday to sign a condolence book.

Thursday, Rice made telephone calls to Ms. Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari and to Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the second-ranking official in Ms. Bhutto's Pakistan Peoples Party.

1 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

2 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

6 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

7 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

8 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

11 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

12 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

13 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

14 rescinded   

v.废除，取消( rescind的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Rescinded civil acts shall be null and void from the very beginning. 被撤销的民事行为从行为开始起无效。 来自互联网
• They accepted his advice and rescinded the original plan. 他们听从了他的劝告，撤销了原计划。 来自互联网

15 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

16 override   

vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于

参考例句：

• The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
• I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。

17 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。