VOA标准英语2010年-Tensions High Ahead of Afghan Vote

Polling centers across much of Afghanistan are due to open Saturday for the country's latest round of elections. Nearly 2,500 candidates are vying¹ for 249 seats in Afghanistan's lower house of parliament, or wolesi jirga. Expectations for the vote are cautious as violence worsens in the country and memories remain of widespread voter fraud allegations in previous elections.

Security arrangements

Afghan forces have increased security across the country a day before Afghans head to the polls.

Shayan Nabil lives in the capital Kabul, where there was a noticeable increase in the presence of Afghan security forces on the streets Friday.

"It is a positive sign that we see our police forces there on the streets and checking vehicles and cars everywhere to provide a secure environment for the people of Afghanistan to go to polls tomorrow," Nabil said.

Afghan Defense² Ministry³ spokesman Zahir Azimi tells VOA there are nearly 300,000 Afghan forces and 150,000 international forces participating in security for the election.

Apprehensions⁴

He cautions that they cannot ignore the Taliban's repeated threats to disrupt voting with countrywide attacks.

He says that the way the war is going, no one can guarantee a peaceful election. But he says they have taken all the possible measures for one. He says that by the support of the Afghan people and by the mercy of God, they hope it will happen.

Insurgents⁵ have killed several candidates and campaign workers in the run-up to the September 18 vote. Election officials also say roughly 15 percent of more than 6,000 polling centers will not open due to poor security.

Another major concern is voter fraud. Last year's fraud-marred presidential vote nearly undermined the credibility of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, both in Afghanistan and the international community.

As voting closes Saturday, polling officials are expected to compile their station's results and then send the result sheets and votes to a tally⁶ center in Kabul.

Role of election commission

The Independent Election Commission, which runs the election process, says it has taken high-tech⁷ measures to ensure transparency.

IEC Chairman Fazal Ahmad Mainawi says cameras will watch the officials counting votes in the tally center. In previous elections, there were concerns that some tally center employees were recording⁸ incorrect figures on purpose for certain candidates.

Mainawi also says the IEC's website will make all the information available to the public.

He says that besides publishing the figures, officials will scan each result sheet and publish them on the IEC website.

Sustained pressure

United Nations envoy⁹ to Afghanistan Staffan de Mistura acknowledged Saturday's vote would not be perfect, but said it would be an improvement from the presidential poll.

Some candidates also are seeing this election as a chance to confront government corruption¹⁰. Mr. Karzai has faced sustained pressure from the United States and its allies to combat it.

Earlier this month, U.S. President Barack Obama said that although some progress has been made, the government in Kabul is still a "long way" from where it needs to be.

Haroun Mir, a candidate from Kabul province, says the stakes are high in this election.

"If we fail this time and if the parliament is dysfunctional or will be dysfunctional like the Afghan government, I think the whole system will be paralyzed," Mir said.

He says if voter turnout remains¹¹ low or allegations of widespread voter fraud tarnishes¹² the election, the Taliban will win a major victory.

1 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

2 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。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 apprehensions   

疑惧

参考例句：

• He stood in a mixture of desire and apprehensions. 他怀着渴望和恐惧交加的心情伫立着。
• But subsequent cases have removed many of these apprehensions. 然而，随后的案例又消除了许多类似的忧虑。

5 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

6 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

7 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

8 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

9 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

10 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。

11 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。

12 tarnishes   

污点，瑕疵，无光泽( tarnish的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brass tarnishes quickly in wet weather. 天气潮湿时黄铜很快会失去光泽。
• This metal tarnishes easily. 这种金属易变色。