VOA标准英语2008年-Pakistan's Musharraf Steps Down After Consultin

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf says he is resigning in order to avoid an impeachment¹ battle he says would harm the nation. In a live-broadcast speech to the nation Monday, Mr. Musharraf said he decided² to step down after consulting with his legal advisors³ and political allies. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins has this profile of the embattled Pakistani leader.
　
Outgoing Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf salutes⁴ as he leaves the presidential house in Islamabad, Pakistan, 18 Aug 2008

Pervez Musharraf burst into international prominence⁵ in 1999, when he led a military coup⁶ and forced Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif into exile.

His profile rose even higher after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States. The leadership of al-Qaida, which masterminded the attacks, was based in Afghanistan and Pakistan had supported the Taliban government in Kabul. But when President George Bush sent troops to Afghanistan to attack al-Qaida, Mr. Musharraf signed on as an ally in the war on terrorism.

In early 2008, he called terrorism the country's biggest problem.

"This is the greatest threat to Pakistan's being, and we have to have political reconciliation⁷ to fight this menace together," he said. "Let's unite, political reconciliation, and defeat these terrorists."

When he took power, then-General Musharraf promised he would bring prosperity and democracy to Pakistan.

He did introduce economic reforms that helped spur several years of economic growth. But experts such as Talat Masood, a Pakistani political analyst⁸, say he did not foster democracy.

"His greatest weakness has been that he weakened all institutions of the state, weakened them to a point where the country is moving from one crisis after another; that he posed that he was a democrat⁹, but in his true colors, was a dictator like anyone else," said Masood.

In 2001, he appointed himself president, and the next year he arranged a controversial referendum giving him a five-year term in office. Critics argued that it was illegal for a serving military officer to serve as president, and in 2003 he promised to resign from the military, but did not do so until late 2007, after he was re-elected.

Before the parliament held the 2007 presidential vote, his eligibility¹⁰ to run while in uniform was challenged in the Supreme¹¹ Court. Before the court ruled, Mr. Musharraf suspended Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, one of his persistent¹² critics.

But there were widespread protests in support of Chaudhry and Mr. Musharraf later allowed him to return to the court.

Parliament re-elected Mr. Musharraf by a landslide¹³ in October 2007, but it appeared that the Supreme Court might rule the vote invalid¹⁴. On November 3rd, he declared a state of emergency.

He suspended the constitution, jailed lawyers and thousands of political opponents, and imposed controls on the media. He also fired a number of judges, including Chaudhry, and appointed loyalists in their places.

Mr. Musharraf said the emergency was needed because of a growing Islamic insurgency¹⁵. Critics said the real purpose was to get rid of critical judges. Weeks after the emergency decree, the new judges declared his presidency¹⁶ legitimate¹⁷, and Mr. Musharraf lifted the emergency.

Pervez Musharraf was born in Delhi, in India, in August 1943. After independence from Britain and the partition of India that created Pakistan in 1947, the family migrated to Pakistan.

He was commissioned an army officer in 1964, and saw action in wars with Indian in 1965 and 1971.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appointed him army chief of staff and chairman of the joint¹⁸ chiefs of staff in 1998.

Mr. Musharraf had a reputation as a secular¹⁹ leader, and he vowed²⁰ repeatedly to battle Islamic extremism. However, during his rule, militant²¹ violence increased dramatically in Pakistan. Many international defense²² experts and political leaders said leaders and fighters from the al-Qaida group frequently took refuge in mountainous parts of Pakistan bordering Afghanistan.

 

1 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

2 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。

3 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

4 salutes   

n.致敬，欢迎，敬礼( salute的名词复数 )v.欢迎，致敬( salute的第三人称单数 )；赞扬，赞颂

参考例句：

• Poulengey salutes, and stands at the door awaiting orders. 波仑日行礼，站在门口听侯命令。 来自辞典例句
• A giant of the world salutes you. 一位世界的伟人向你敬礼呢。 来自辞典例句

5 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

6 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。

7 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

8 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。

9 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

10 eligibility   

n.合格，资格

参考例句：

• What are the eligibility requirements? 病人被选参加试验的要求是什么？ 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望
• Eligibility for HINARI access is based on gross national income (GNI). 进入HINARI获取计划是依据国民总收入来评定的。

11 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。

12 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

13 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

14 invalid   

n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的

参考例句：

• He will visit an invalid.他将要去看望一个病人。
• A passport that is out of date is invalid.护照过期是无效的。

15 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

16 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。

17 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

18 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

19 secular   

n.牧师，凡人；adj.世俗的，现世的，不朽的

参考例句：

• We live in an increasingly secular society.我们生活在一个日益非宗教的社会。
• Britain is a plural society in which the secular predominates.英国是个世俗主导的多元社会。

20 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

21 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

22 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。