VOA标准英语2011--Tunisian Women Seeking Place in Future P

Women have been active participants in anti-government protests that toppled the leaders of Tunisia and Egypt. Now, as Tunisia turns the page on authoritarian¹ rule, women are seeking their place in the future political makeup² of this North African country.
There was a familiar sound in the January protests that ousted³ Tunisia's strongman president Zine el Abidine Ben Ali. The sound of women -- like teacher Ledia Nebli, who participated in rallies against the regime in downtown Tunis with her husband and three daughters.
Nebli says that of course women were beside men in the demonstrations⁴ -- they wanted freedom after more than two decades of authoritarian rule.
Tunisia's women have been beside men in many other ways -- starting with the fight for independence from France more than half a century ago. Many like reporter Samar Neguida are proud of their role.
"Women in Tunisia -- they have more rights than anywhere else in the Arab region and the whole Middle East region. They are allowed to vote, they are allowed to have cars -- not like women in Saudi Arabia. They have rights in the parliament -- more than 25 percent of the lower house of deputies is made up of women."
Now, Tunisian women are searching for their place in this new post-Ben Ali landscape. Some fear the re-emergence of the once-banned Ennadha Islamist party.
The party's leader, Rachid Ghanouchi, argues he has no intention of imposing⁵ his beliefs on Tunisians. But women like Faten Abdelkefi -- a 33-year-old mother of three and a major participant in the Facebook revolt that drove Ben Ali from power -- were out in force demonstrating against his return late last month.
Abdelkefi says Tunisian women are concerned they may lose the rights they gained if Ennadha emerges as a major political force.
But others like Neguida note that championing women's rights also served as a pretext⁶ to give legitimacy⁷ to Ben Ali's staunchly secular⁸ - but undemocratic -- regime.
"It was, in one way or another, helping⁹ Ben Ali. Because he was fighting Islamists by taking off women's veils for example."
With elections expected within six months, women are now considering what part they will play in the political process.
Blogger Abdelkefi says women were so worried about the Islamists returning, they paid less attention to their place in the current interim¹⁰ government -- where only two of the 23 ministers are women. Not one of the 24 newly named governors is a woman.
Abdelkefi suggests one longstanding group -- the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women -- could be reshaped into a political party.
Abdelkefi is also keeping an eye on women in other Arab countries, now roiled¹¹ by their own anti-government protests. She says she has been cheering on her counterparts in Egypt who helped drive longtime President Hosni Mubarak from office on Friday.

1 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

2 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

3 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

4 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

5 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

6 pretext   

n.借口，托词

参考例句：

• He used his headache as a pretext for not going to school.他借口头疼而不去上学。
• He didn't attend that meeting under the pretext of sickness.他以生病为借口，没参加那个会议。

7 legitimacy   

n.合法，正当

参考例句：

• The newspaper was directly challenging the government's legitimacy.报纸直接质疑政府的合法性。
• Managing from the top down,we operate with full legitimacy.我们进行由上而下的管理有充分的合法性。

8 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。

9 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

10 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

11 roiled   

v.搅混（液体）( roil的过去式和过去分词 )；使烦恼；使不安；使生气

参考例句：

• American society is being roiled by the controversy over homosexual marriage. 当今美国社会正被有关同性恋婚姻的争论搞得不得安宁。 来自互联网
• In the past few months, instability has roiled Tibet and Tibetan-inhabited areas. 在过去的几个月里，西藏和藏人居住区不稳定。 来自互联网