2007年VOA标准英语-Pakistan Officials Try to Stem Violence

By Benjamin Sand
Islamabad
14 May 2007

Pakistani troops have been told to "shoot on sight" if need be to control political violence in the southern city of Karachi. Pakistani authorities have banned political rallies in the city, where at least 38 people were killed in two days of street battles between government and opposition¹ supporters. VOA correspondent Benjamin Sand reports from Islamabad.

Officials in Karachi say they are doing everything they can to prevent another outbreak of violence.

The government banned demonstrations² and thousands of paramilitary forces have been deployed³ throughout the port city.

The government on Sunday gave the troops authority to shoot on sight to halt clashes between pro-government activists⁴ and supporters of the country's suspended chief justice, Iftakhar Chaudhry.

Opposition leaders called a nationwide strike on Monday and shops in major cities throughout the country were closed.

Senator Fahatullah Babar, a spokesman for the opposition Pakistan People's Party, says President Pervez Musharraf bears responsibility for the recent violence.

"Today's strike is an expression of the complete lack of trust in the man," he said. "The present regime has utterly⁵ failed to deliver and people now want a change of guard to fair and free elections."

Supporters of Pakistani opposition party run after setting on fire a vehicle during a gun battle between two rival groups in Karachi, 12 May 2007

The fighting erupted Saturday when pro-government activists tried to stop opposition groups from gathering⁶ in Karachi to support the chief justice.

Witnesses say government forces made no effort to control the violence as it swept through the city, ultimately forcing Chaudhry to abandon plans to address a public rally.

 

President Musharraf suspended the chief justice two months ago on charges of misconduct.

The judge's supporters say the president removed Chaudhry to reassert control over the increasingly independent judiciary.

The legal community and political opposition have mounted increasingly confrontational⁷ rallies to protest Chaudhry's removal.

Political analysts⁸ here say the standoff is the greatest challenge to General Musharraf since he took power in 1999 military coup⁹.

Rasul Bahksh Rais is a professor of political science at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. He says public support for the president is at an all time low and Mr. Musharraf has lost the political capacity to defend himself.

"He can prolong and linger on, but I don't think he has got any good options to defuse the situation," he said.

President Musharraf is expected to seek another five-year term in office from Pakistan's national assembly later this year.

His critics say the move is unconstitutional and vow¹⁰ to challenge it in Pakistan's Supreme¹¹ Court.

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 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 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。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 confrontational   

adj.挑衅的；对抗的

参考例句：

• Fans love rappers partly because they strike such a confrontational pose. 乐迷热爱这些饶舌艺人一定程度上是因为他们所采取的那种战斗姿态。 来自互联网
• You prefer a non confrontational approach when it comes to resolving disputes. 面对争端，你不喜欢采用对抗性的手段来解决。 来自互联网

8 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。

9 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。

10 vow   

n.誓(言)，誓约；v.起誓，立誓

参考例句：

• My parents are under a vow to go to church every Sunday.我父母许愿，每星期日都去做礼拜。
• I am under a vow to drink no wine.我已立誓戒酒。

11 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。