VOA标准英语2011--Tunisian Citizens Ready to Vote

Tunisian Citizens Ready to Vote

 

Ten months after ousting¹ longtime dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, Tunisians vote Sunday in their first democratic elections since independence. Tunisia's January revolution sparked the revolts now spreading across the Arab world. Much is at stake, and the elections are being closely watched, because they could emerge as possible model for the region.

After decades of one-party rule, Tunisians now have plenty of choice. Thousands of candidates are running in Sunday's elections to select a so-called Constituent² Assembly. The assembly is tasked to draw up a new constitution and chart a political roadmap for this North African country.

Political science professor Steven Ekovich of the American University of Paris has followed Tunisian politics for years. He says the vote is being closely watched, especially in Egypt and other parts of the Arab world.

"The Arab Spring started in Tunisia and if it's going to have any success, that success will also start in Tunisia," said Ekovich. "We know that if any country can do it, if any country can make a successful transition to democracy it will be Tunisia. And that will have enormous impact if it's successful, for example on Egypt. And Egypt is really the keystone to the Arab world."

A supporter of the Islamic Ennahda party displays her national flag during a rally in Ben Arous, south of Tunis, October 21, 2011.

Many Tunisians, like Waisi Adili, 34, are casting their vote for the first time. Adili, who is unemployed³, hopes the elections will usher⁴ in a political system that will bring human dignity and work.

Polls put Ennahdha as the clear frontrunner. The party that was banned under former dictator Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, is living up to its name, which means "Renaissance," in Arabic. Party spokeswoman Yusra Ghannouchi is the daughter of Ennahdha leader Rachid Ghannouchi. He returned to Tunisia in January, after more than two decades in exile in England. She says her father's party is about politics, not religion.

"We take inspiration from the ethical⁵ values of Islam which we believe are universal values - freedom, dignity, equality," said Ghannouchi. "Just like other parties might take inspiration from various liberal or leftist backgrounds. So religion is not something we believe the state will interfere⁶ in or impose, it is a matter of personal choice."

A British-educated doctoral student, the younger Ghannouchi says Ennahdha wants to preserve and develop the considerable rights of Tunisian women, who are considered the most emancipated⁷ in the Arab world.

"We have detailed⁸ in our program many policies that would advance women's rights further while stressing their right to education, to employment, to full equality including equal pay including combating all forms of violence against women," added Ghannouchi.

Ennahdha draws widespread support. At its last pre-election rally in the Tunis suburb of Ben Arous, women in headscarves mingled⁹ with some who were bare headed and wearing jeans.

Tunisia's recent political history has been orientated¹⁰ to the West. And many voters are eying a myriad¹¹ of more secular¹², leftist parties - like the Modern Democratic Pole (PDM coalition).

Handing out flyers on the main Habib Bourguiba Avenue during the last day of campaigning, PDM candidate, Samir Taieb warns against mixing religion and politics.

Taieb says Ennahdha represents a danger, not only because of its religious bent¹³, but because it had a hidden agenda. He warns it will roll back women's rights.

Women like university student Beya Ben Assin are also worried. Assin fears that if Ennahdha gains power, it may curtail¹⁴ her ability to speak, dress and work as she chooses.

There are 217 seats up for grabs and observers say that Ennahdha is unlikely to capture the majority. It is already in talks to form coalitions¹⁵. And what many Tunisians say is most important is that finally their vote will count.

1 ousting   

驱逐( oust的现在分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• The resulting financial chaos led to the ousting of Bristol-Myers' s boss. 随后引发的财政混乱导致了百时美施贵宝的总裁下台。
• The ousting of the president has drawn widespread criticism across Latin America and the wider world. 洪都拉斯总统被驱逐时间引起拉丁美洲甚至全世界的广泛批评。

2 constituent   

n.选民；成分，组分；adj.组成的，构成的

参考例句：

• Sugar is the main constituent of candy.食糖是糖果的主要成分。
• Fibre is a natural constituent of a healthy diet.纤维是健康饮食的天然组成部分。

3 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

4 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

5 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

6 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

7 emancipated   

adj.被解放的，不受约束的v.解放某人（尤指摆脱政治、法律或社会的束缚）( emancipate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Slaves were not emancipated until 1863 in the United States. 美国奴隶直到1863年才获得自由。
• Women are still struggling to be fully emancipated. 妇女仍在为彻底解放而斗争。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

9 mingled   

混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系]

参考例句：

• The sounds of laughter and singing mingled in the evening air. 笑声和歌声交织在夜空中。
• The man and the woman mingled as everyone started to relax. 当大家开始放松的时候，这一男一女就开始交往了。

10 orientated   

v.朝向( orientate的过去式和过去分词 )；面向；确定方向；使适应

参考例句：

• He orientated himself by finding a familiar landscape. 他寻见一处熟悉的景色，从而确定自己所处的方位。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They orientated the tennis court north and south. 他们把网球场定为南北向。 来自辞典例句

11 myriad   

adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量

参考例句：

• They offered no solution for all our myriad problems.对于我们数不清的问题他们束手无策。
• I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements.我花了三个星期做大量准备工作。

12 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。

13 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

14 curtail   

vt.截短，缩短；削减

参考例句：

• The government hopes to curtail public spending.政府希望缩减公共事业开支。
• The minister had to curtail his visit.部长不得不缩短访问日期。

15 coalitions   

结合体，同盟( coalition的名词复数 )； （两党或多党）联合政府

参考例句：

• History testifies to the ineptitude of coalitions in waging war. 历史昭示我们，多数国家联合作战，其进行甚为困难。
• All the coalitions in history have disintegrated sooner or later. 历史上任何联盟迟早都垮台了。