2007年VOA标准英语-Former Russian President Boris Yeltsin Dies of

By Lisa McAdams
Moscow
23 April 2007

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Russian President Boris Yeltsin waves as he arrives at Helsinki airport (File photo - 20 Mar 1997)

Russia's first freely elected president, Boris Yeltsin, has died of heart failure at the age of 76. VOA's Lisa Mcadams in Moscow reports on initial reaction to Mr. Yeltsin's death:

A Kremlin spokesman announced word of the former president's death just as many Russians were making their way home from work.

Among the first to react to the news was former Soviet² President Mikhail Gorbachev, whom Yeltsin replaced in 1991. He said Mr. Yeltsin did a lot for Russia, even though, Gorbachev added, he committed serious errors.

Former Prime Minister Sergei Stepashin credited Mr. Yeltsin with preventing a civil war in Russia, and risking himself and his career, when he stood atop a tank outside the Russian White House to resist an attempted Soviet coup³ in August, 1991.

Stepashin urged Russians to remember the good work done by Yeltsin - work that pushed Russia to embrace democracy and a free-market economy.

But Viktor Kremenyuk of the U.S.-Canada Institute told VOA he thinks that for the majority of Russians, Yeltsin's death will go largely unnoticed.

"Maybe there will be some ritual memories and another glass of vodka. But otherwise, I do not think that the people really remember him for anything. His rule is associated with disorder⁴, with favoritism, with some drastic moves, which led to nothing. I mean the shooting of the parliament, the war in Chechnya, I mean the economic crisis in 1998. For the people, you know, they did not bring any relief into their life," he said.

But Kremenyuk credits Mr. Yeltsin with plucking a then-unknown Vladimir Putin to be his successor as president, after his dramatic New Year's Eve resignation at the end of 1999. Kremenyuk says that decision by Mr. Yeltsin has proved popular among Russians.

Visiting U.S. Defense⁵ Secretary Robert Gates, who earlier held talks with President Putin in Moscow, offered his condolences to the Russian people. He described Mr. Yeltsin as an important figure in history.

Mr. Yeltsin is survived by his wife, Naina, two daughters and several grandchildren. Funeral Plans are pending⁶.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

2 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

3 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

4 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。