2007年VOA标准英语-Nigerian President Mulls Unity Government

By Gilbert da Costa
Abuja
26 June 2007

Nigeria's new President Umaru Yar'Adua is contemplating¹ the formation of a national unity² government in a bid to unite his fractious nation. Mr. Yar'Adua has been holding talks with leaders of Nigeria's three main opposition³ parties. For VOA, Gilbert da Costa reports that the opposition is already divided on the prospect⁴ of working with the new government.

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

The All Nigeria People's Party, the Action Congress and Progressive Peoples Alliance do not recognize Mr. Yar'Adua's election victory in April because of alleged⁵ vote-rigging. At least two of these political parties are challenging the results in court.

But cracks within the opposition are beginning to show as Mr. Yar'Adua presses for unity.

Ibrahim Modibo of the All Nigeria People's Party says the party is willing to attend Tuesday's meeting with the president to hear what he has to offer.

"The team will go and listen to what the president has to say, before it will come back to the leadership of the party and present what the president has said," he said. The leadership of the party will have the final say as to whether we are going to participate, and what we are going to do with the case in court. All will be decided⁶ by the leadership of the party."

Analysts⁸ see Mr. Yar'Adua's plan to bring in opposition figures into the fold is a way of quelling⁹ criticism. So far, Nigerians say the president has failed to move quickly on pressing issues, such as the violence in the oil-rich Niger Delta¹⁰ and the recent strike against rising gas prices.

People stand next to their motor bikes as they await fuel to arrive during a nationwide general strike in Lagos, Nigeria, 21 Jun 2007

But political analyst⁷ Maxi Okwu says the real problem is the president's leadership style is out of tune¹¹ with the expectations of most Nigerians.

"Nigeria is a nation in a hurry," he said.  "We love drama, so Nigerians are a little bit impatient. Even the labor¹² confrontation¹³ [strike] ought not to have occurred if Yar'Adua had done politics on the 29th May by repudiating¹⁴ all the last-minute measures put in place by [former president] Obasanjo. I think Yar'Adua has to move faster."

Mr. Yar'Adua, in another effort to strike a conciliatory tone, said Monday he regretted the hardship experienced by Nigerians as a result of the four-day nationwide strike over fuel price increases. The president thanked organized labor and Nigerians for their understanding and patience.

1 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 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。

4 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

5 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 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。

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 quelling   

v.（用武力）制止，结束，镇压( quell的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Quelling her grief, she said 'Good-bye! 'again and went on. 她把悲痛压下去，二番说了一声再见，又转身走去了。 来自辞典例句
• The police succeeded in quelling the riot. 警方把暴乱镇压了下去。 来自辞典例句

10 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

11 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

13 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

14 repudiating   

v.（正式地）否认( repudiate的现在分词 )；拒绝接受；拒绝与…往来；拒不履行（法律义务）

参考例句：

• Instead of repudiating what he had done, he gloried in it. 他不但没有否定自己做过的事，反而引以为荣。 来自辞典例句
• He accused the government of tearing up(ie repudiating)the negotiated agreement. 他控告政府撕毁（不履行）协议。 来自互联网