VOA标准英语2009年-Mali's President Declines to Sign Legislat

The president of Mali has declined to sign a controversial new family code that would have expanded women's rights. The code, which had been passed by Mali's national assembly, was strongly opposed by Islamic leaders in the predominately Muslim West African country.
　
Some 50,000 people demonstrate in Bamako to protest legislation that would boost women's rights in Mali, 22 Aug 2009

Tens of thousands of Malians have been holding protests and expressing outrage¹ since the National Assembly adopted the new family code in early August.

The code's more than 1,100 new articles would have increased women's rights by reforming laws with regards to land ownership, inheritance, education, employment and marriage.

Supporters of the code, more than a decade in the making, praised it as enhancing the rights of women and girls, who they say have been traditionally viewed as second-class citizens.

Islamic leaders said the new code contains provisions that are an affront² to the country's traditional values and religious beliefs. They had vowed³ to block enforcement of the code, and even threatened violence.
　
Mali President Amadou Toumani Toure

Mali's President Amadou Toumani Toure announced Wednesday that he is sending the family code back to the National Assembly for additional revisions to correct what he called "a few imperfections."

He says that after meeting with government institutions, religious leaders and the legal community, he made this decision for the sake of preserving peace, stability and national unity⁴. He says he is sending the code back to the legislature for a second reading so that it can obtain the support and understanding of Mali's citizens.

At the heart of the controversy⁵ were changes to marriage laws, including articles that set the legal minimum age for marriage at 18, recognize only civil marriages, allow joint⁶ property ownership, expand parental⁷ rights, and extend inheritance rights to girls.

Muslims comprise 90 percent of Mali's 12 million people. Even as women's groups applauded the code as a way to combat the forced marriage of young girls and give wives more economic power, many Mali women opposed it as an attack on traditional values.

Supporters of the code had blamed much of the controversy on misinformation and a lack of understanding of the code, which was written in French, a language that only 20 percent of the population can read or write.

The president said he had taken these misunderstandings into account and his decision was not easy.

He says that it is important to remember that this code contains 1,143 articles, of which less than 10 caused disagreement. The rest of the articles do not pose a problem. He says that after this last correction, the law will be accepted and more respected by Malians.

Mali's family code has not been changed since 1962, a year after independence. Mr. Toure recognized those who had worked on the legislation and assured them that this new code, nearly a decade in the making, was not being abandoned entirely⁸.

 

1 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

2 affront   

n./v.侮辱，触怒

参考例句：

• Your behaviour is an affront to public decency.你的行为有伤风化。
• This remark caused affront to many people.这句话得罪了不少人。

3 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。

4 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。

5 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

6 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。

7 parental   

adj.父母的；父的；母的

参考例句：

• He encourages parental involvement in the running of school.他鼓励学生家长参与学校的管理。
• Children always revolt against parental disciplines.孩子们总是反抗父母的管束。

8 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。