2007年VOA标准英语-Nigeria Faces Uncertain Future Under New Leader

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
29 May 2007

Even as Nigeria marks the inauguration¹ of its new leader Umaru Yar'Adua, many in the West African nation claim to know very little about their president. Gilbert da Costa in this background report for VOA, profiles the 56-year-old and discusses the challenges that may define his presidency².

 

Umaru Yar'Adua, 56, waves to  supporters after he is sworn in in Abuja, 29 May 2007

Nigeria's incoming president, Umaru Yar'Adua, is often portrayed³ as a private, introspective man.

The reclusive former Muslim governor comes from the northern state of Katsina and is not a major political mover or shaker. But he boasts a political pedigree that dates back to the 1960s when his father was appointed as a minister in the post-independence administration.

Yar'Adua also is the first university graduate to rule Nigeria. He says his love of books shaped his political philosophy.

 

"My late brother kept a library at home. And I was going through his library, one book that really had tremendous impact on me was Kwame Nkrumah's Collapse⁴ of the Congo," he said. "I think that book, more than any other book I read, opened a window for me; national and international politics, in terms of the political economy of Africa and the world, and even the current globalization. From then on until now, it has become a habit of mine that I always go to sleep reading."

 

Critics of Yar'Adua see his low-key personality as a sign of weakness and question his ability to rule one of Africa's most corrupt⁵ and unpredictable nations.

 

"He is an anonymous⁶ politician, his position on any major issue is not known, and he is media-shy; apparently⁷, he has health problems," said Maxi Okwu, an opposition⁸ leader in Abuja. "Honestly, I worry, for such a man who is foggy. He is not the kind of president Nigeria needs at the moment."

 

 

But even his critics acknowledge that Yar'Adua has shown remarkable⁹ integrity in the running of Katsina state. Despite spending more than any other state on schools and infrastructure¹⁰, Yar'Adua claims he is leaving Katsina with a $60 million surplus after inheriting substantial debt when he took office in 1999.

 

Yar'Adua won a massive victory in the April poll, but there is a dark cloud hovering¹¹ over that win as critics question the legitimacy¹² of the election.

 

Political analyst¹³ Mike Ogar says the administration will have to grapple with this issue.

 

"I think that the number one challenge is how the new team can generate confidence because of the crisis of legitimacy, which nobody can wish away," Ogar said.

 

One of Yar'Adua's biggest challenges is addressing widespread poverty. Despite being the world's sixth-largest producer of crude oil, with huge reserves of mineral and agricultural resources, Ogar says Nigerians living standards have gotten worse.

 

"There is no gainsaying¹⁴ the fact that we exist in situations that are less than optimal¹⁵ for Nigerians. There is no water, there is no light, our infrastructure is in bad shape. You name it and there is a problem there," he said.

 

One bright spot, however, is Yar'Adua's image as a straight-shooter who has not been tainted¹⁶ by runaway¹⁷ corruption¹⁸.

 

Yar'Adua's former campaign manager, Alhaji Abdu Mashi has known the new president for 30 years and says Yar'Adua's talents will change the face of Nigeria.

 

"People are entitled to their own opinion, but for those of us who know Yar'Adua being a very hard working and trustworthy person, I am sure he is capable to hold this country tight," Mashi said. "This country of ours, Nigeria, needs a leader who is transparent¹⁹, who is honest and hardworking and we find all these qualities in Umaru Yar'Adua. So I am very optimistic that Yar'Adua will lead the country very well."

 

While many are still trying to anticipate what Yar'Adua's presidency will mean, there is a sense of relief that Nigeria has finally made a democratic transition in a country still scarred by decades of military dictatorship.

1 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

3 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

5 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

6 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

7 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

8 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。

9 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

10 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

11 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

12 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

13 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

14 gainsaying   

v.否认，反驳( gainsay的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• There is no gainsaying his honesty. 他的诚实是不可否认的。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• There is no gainsaying the fact that brinkmanship is a dangerous game. 不可能否认这样的事实：即战争的边缘政策是一种危险的游戏。 来自辞典例句

15 optimal   

adj.最适宜的；最理想的；最令人满意的

参考例句：

• What is the optimal mix of private and public property rights in natural resources?私人和国家的自然资源产权的最适宜的组合是什么？
• Optimal path planning is a key link for the sailing contest.帆船最优行驶路径规划是帆船比赛取胜的关键环节。

16 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 runaway   

n.逃走的人，逃亡，亡命者；adj.逃亡的，逃走的

参考例句：

• The police have not found the runaway to date.警察迄今没抓到逃犯。
• He was praised for bringing up the runaway horse.他勒住了脱缰之马受到了表扬。

18 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。

19 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。