voa标准英语2008-Bangladesh Mobilizes Security Forces Ahead of Cr

Bangladesh is putting hundreds of thousands of uniformed personnel and civilian¹ monitors onto the streets in hopes of securing a fair and peaceful election Monday. The national parliamentary balloting² is to clear the way for the government caretakers, installed by the army in early 2007, to return power to a democratically elected government.
　

Police officers frisk a man who arrives to attend a rally addressed by Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, 26 Dec 2008

For Bangladesh this will be the third try at democracy since the country won independence from Pakistan in 1971.

The military-backed government, in place for nearly two years, in one of its final acts, has sent the army onto the streets after the lifting of emergency law to try to ensure a peaceful election.

Keeping the Peace
　

Bangladesh Nationalist Party, (BNP) supporters march in Dhaka, 26 Dec 2008

In past elections, rallies would often end with violent clashes between supporters of the Awami League and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. An estimated 600,000 enforcement officers and soldiers this time are trying to keep peace and there appears to be serious restraint by the parties to keep their supporters in line.

The actual balloting will be scrutinized³ by 200,000 monitors and 2,000 foreign observers.

The chairman of the National Election Observation Council, university professor Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, told VOA the observers should help mitigate⁴ any attempts at rigging the results.

"It'll boost confidence in the process. We know that the whole world is looking at us. Apart from them we the local observers are here. So if you combine both the national and international effort, we get a real sort-of confidence-building measure, he said.

The parliamentary election is meant to restore democracy and usher⁵ in a new era, hopefully devoid⁶ of the corruption⁷ and violence of the past.

The Next PM: Hasina or Zia?
　

Former prime minister Shaikh Hasina of the Awami League, 26 Dec 2008

It is almost certain that the next prime minister will be either Sheik Hasina of the Awami League or the BNP's Kaleda Zia. The two women, known as the "Battling Begums" for their fierce rivalry⁸, have each previously⁹ served as prime minister. Both were jailed by the interim¹⁰ government on graft¹¹ charges.

One survey found that about 150 candidates are either facing murder or corruption charges. But Professor Kalimullah said criminal suspects are free to contest the election until their appeals to the Supreme¹² Court are exhausted¹³.

"Both the parties, they have candidates like them. And those people were tried under state of emergency by kangaroo courts, quote, unquote. So those are doubtful sort of verdicts, as well," he said.

What also still remains¹⁴ in doubt is, despite the best effort of the election commission and the caretaker government, whether Monday's balloting can be conducted fairly and peacefully. Also critical for the return to democracy: the losers accepting the outcome and agreeing to challenge the next government in parliament rather than on the streets.

1 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

2 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

3 scrutinized   

v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比

4 mitigate   

vt.（使）减轻，（使）缓和

参考例句：

• The government is trying to mitigate the effects of inflation.政府正试图缓和通货膨胀的影响。
• Governments should endeavour to mitigate distress.政府应努力缓解贫困问题。

5 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

6 devoid   

adj.全无的，缺乏的

参考例句：

• He is completely devoid of humour.他十分缺乏幽默。
• The house is totally devoid of furniture.这所房子里什么家具都没有。

7 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。

8 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

10 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

11 graft   

n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接

参考例句：

• I am having a skin graft on my arm soon.我马上就要接受手臂的皮肤移植手术。
• The minister became rich through graft.这位部长透过贪污受贿致富。

12 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。

13 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

14 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。