2007年VOA标准英语-S. Africa Ruling Party Opens Policy Congress Am

By Scott Bobb
Johannesburg
27 June 2007

South Africa's ruling African National Congress has opened a major meeting aimed at preparing the party platform for elections in two years. The conference is to debate economic and social policies, but attention has been focused on political jockeying ahead of a congress later this year that will elect the head of the movement. Correspondent Scott Bobb reports from Johannesburg.

Delegates sing and dance at the opening of a policy conference of the ruling African National Congress, South Africa, 27 Jun 2007

Fifteen hundred stalwarts of the African National Congress opened with song and dance a policy conference pledging to do more to fight poverty, inequality and racism¹.

President Thabo Mbeki in his opening speech quickly moved to quash what he called a barrage² of propaganda that the congress would be sidetracked by a battle for the party leadership.

"This Policy Conference that has absolutely nothing to do with who is or will be a leader of the African National Congress," he said.

Mr. Mbeki this year completes his second term as ANC president. A half dozen party leaders have been identified as potential candidates for the job that to date has led to the presidency³ of the nation.

Mr. Mbeki can run for a third term as party president but is prevented by the constitution from running for a third term as president of the country.

Thabo Mbeki

In his speech, the South African president reminded delegates that the primary mission of the ANC is to work for the emancipation⁴ of the black majority, working people, the poor, women, youth and the disabled.

He said in the 13 years since the end of apartheid, South Africa had made important strides in removing what he characterized as the legacy⁵ of colonialism and apartheid. But he acknowledged that much remains⁶ to be done.

"Objectively and practically, it is not possible to solve problems that have accumulated over 350 years in the mere⁷ 13 years of our democracy," he said.

South Africa under Mr. Mbeki's leadership has shown strong economic growth, created a million jobs and produced a rising black middle class. But unemployment remains high, at 25 percent, and nearly half of the population lives in poverty.

The ANC is under increasing pressure to distribute the economic gains more evenly. The pressure has strained its alliance with trade unions and the Communist party.

However, Mr. Mbeki said each group took strength from the others and predicted their alliance would survive.

"The objective reality in our country is that the National Democratic Revolution cannot succeed if it does not contain among its motive⁸ forces our country's socialist⁹, trade union and civic¹⁰ movements," said Mr. Mbeki.

As the president spoke¹¹, several dozen demonstrators outside the hall reminded party delegates that the country was in the fourth week of a strike by public servants that has crippled public schools and health care centers.

The government last Friday presented its final offer and suspended negotiations¹². Although some unions have said they are willing to suspend the strike, others are pressing for more concessions¹³, primarily a wage increase above the government's offer of 7.5 percent.

1 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

2 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

3 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。

4 emancipation   

n.（从束缚、支配下）解放

参考例句：

• We must arouse them to fight for their own emancipation. 我们必须唤起他们为其自身的解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They rejoiced over their own emancipation. 他们为自己的解放感到欢欣鼓舞。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

8 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

9 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

10 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

12 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

13 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。