VOA标准英语2010年-Centrist Groups Take Early Lead in Ira

Counting and data input¹ workers at the Independent High Electoral Commission in Baghdad, Iraq, 11 Mar² 2010, as data is calculated before an election result can be declared

The first partial results from Iraq's national elections Sunday indicate the Shi'ite coalition³ led by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has a slight lead in two mainly Shi'ite provinces in the south.  Another centrist bloc⁴, Iraqiya, appears to be doing well in the north.  The votes continue to be counted, some candidates are raising objections.

The early numbers appear to confirm projections⁵ this would be a tight race.   Prime Minister Maliki's centrist State of Law coalition has the edge over the Iraqi National Alliance.  The more overtly⁶ religious Shi'ite faction⁷, with ties to Iran, had put up a strong campaign in the south.

 The results reflect 30 percent of the vote in Babil and Najaf provinces.  Iraqiya, the cross-sectarian coalition led by former Prime Minister Iyad Allawi is ahead in Diyala and Salahuddin provinces, north of Baghdad.  In the far north, Kurdish parties, joined by newcomer Change, are expected to retain their seats in the 325-member parliament. 

Even before the first results were announced, there were rumblings of discontent.   The last-minute disqualification of 55 candidates left open the question of how their supporters' votes would be counted.  And, a member of the Iraqi National Alliance is demanding candidates be allowed to review the results before they are made public.

The complete count is not expected for at least a week.  At that time, officials will begin hearing complaints that could have an impact on the outcome of any given race.   Final, officials results are not expected before the end of the month.

Despite delays and violence that marred⁸ early voting and balloting⁹ on Sunday, Iraqis for the most part are expressing satisfaction the vote, the second national election since the U.S. led invasion in 2003, went as well as it did.

The muezzin of the Shi'ite al Zahara mosque¹⁰ in Baghdad, Jabar Abbas Aziz, believes the days of sectarian divide are over.

He says Iraqis do not have a problem between Sunnis and Shi'ites.  He believes the problem was made up by people outside the country, not inside Iraq.

Many voters made clear their desire for stability, and all that it will bring.  Rahim al Mamouri, who works as handyman for the Iraqi military says as long as the next government can ensure security, Iraqis will be all right.

Mamouri says stability will open the gates for Western companies to invest in Iraq, which in turn means Iraqis will have more jobs.

It may be some time before the new government will be formed.  With the top coalition only expected to have a plurality of seats, political observers expect a lengthy¹¹ period of intense back-room deals and compromises.
 

1 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

2 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

5 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

6 overtly   

ad.公开地

参考例句：

• There were some overtly erotic scenes in the film. 影片中有一些公开色情场面。
• Nietzsche rejected God's law and wrote some overtly blasphemous things. 尼采拒绝上帝的律法，并且写了一些渎神的作品。

7 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

8 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

9 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

10 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

11 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。