VOA常速英语2008年-British PM: Patience With Mugabe Running Out

By Tendai Maphosa
London
12 April 2008

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned that the international community's patience with Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe is running out. As Tendai Maphosa reports from London, Mr. Brown said he is "appalled¹" at the latest developments in the country.

In his strongest attack on the Zimbabwean leader since general elections in Zimbabwe two weeks ago, Prime Minister Brown said he does not understand why it is taking so long to announce the election result.  Speaking on British television, Mr. Brown said he is appalled by signs that Mr. Mugabe is once again resorting to violence and intimidation².  

"The international community will look to Zimbabwe for a declaration of elections and of elections and if there is to be a future election that there is proper international monitoring of what's going on," he said.  "The whole eyes of the world are on Zimbabwe now."

Mr. Brown's comments came before an emergency meeting in Zambia of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). The meeting, in the capital Lusaka, was called to discuss the failure of Zimbabwe's electoral commission to announce results of the voting two weeks ago, and the ensuing political crisis. 

Mr. Mugabe is not attending the meeting.  He has said there is no crisis in Zimbabwe.

En route to Lusaka on Saturday, South African president Thabo Mbeki stopped in Harare to meet with Mr. Mugabe.  

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Mr. Mugabe said he does not think much of Mr. Brown.

"Brown is the world," he said.  "Sure, the world is losing patience, but I know Brown is a little, tiny dot."
 
So far, Zimbabwe's electoral commission has announced only parliamentary results of the national elections two weeks ago.  

Opposition³ leader Morgan Tsvangirai, of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), has claimed victory over Mr. Mugabe in the presidential contest.  State media have suggested that none of the candidates won a majority and that a second-round run-off will be necessary.

The MDC has now accused Mr. Mugabe of staging a coup⁴ d'etat.  It has appealed to the High Court to force the commission to publish the election results. 

A Zimbabwean High Court judge has said he will rule Monday on the appeal.

1 appalled   

v.使惊骇，使充满恐惧( appall的过去式和过去分词)adj.惊骇的；丧胆的

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• They were appalled by the reports of the nuclear war. 他们被核战争的报道吓坏了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

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 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。