VOA标准英语2011--Many Thai Voters Uncertain as Elections

Many Thai Voters Uncertain as Elections Draw Near

Thailand is readying for general elections Sunday seen as marking a further test of country's democratic institutions. Opinion polls indicate a tight race, with about one third of voters still undecided. Thailand's recent troubled political past is weighing upon people's uncertainty² in choosing the next leader in fragile economic times.
Adorning³ the walls of Na Buk's home in Baan Plah Kao in northeast Thailand are calendars, images of revered⁴ Thai King Bhumipol Adulyadej, marking each year.
This Sunday Na Buk, a retired⁵ domestic worker, will join 46 million other eligible⁶ voters in choosing a new government from more than 40 parties and some 3,800 candidates.
The prize is a place in the 500-seat parliament. Competition has been strong.
Thailand's 26th Election
?Main Candidates:
- Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva
The Oxford⁷ educated Abhisit enjoys strong backing from the Thai military and the country's royalist elite⁸. He was appointed prime minister in 2008, following two years of political upheaval⁹ triggered by a 2006 military coup¹⁰ that toppled then- Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Controversial court rulings later disbanded two pro-Thaksin ruling parties accused of electoral fraud, clearing the way for the rise to power of Abhisit and his Democrat¹ Party.
- Yingluck Shinawatra
Yingluck is the younger sister of deposed¹¹ Prime Minister Thaksin, who faces a two-year prison term at home and currently lives in exile in Dubai. As head of the populist opposition¹² Puea Thai party, the 44- year-old businesswoman - like her exiled brother - enjoys broad support by Thailand's rural and urban lower classes, as well as some "new money" business people.
- Others
A total of 29 parties are contesting the election.
?The Parliament:
Voters will fill 375 seats in the 500-seat parliament, with lawmakers serving four-year terms. The remaining 125 seats will be filled by the parties, based on the percentage of votes each party wins.
?The Electorate¹³
There are about 47 million voters in the country of 67 million residents, and voter turnout in recent polls has been high. Nearly 75 percent of the electorate voted in 2007 polls.
?The Military
Thailand's military has a long history of interfering¹⁴ in politics, having mounted 18 coups¹⁵ or attempted coups since 1932, and its powerful army chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, recently urged the Thai public to elect "good people."
Regional interests
Surveys say the northeast provinces are a stronghold of the opposition Pheu Thai Party led by businesswoman Yingluck Shinawatra, 44, the sister of former prime minister and Thai telecom tycoon¹⁶, Thaksin Shinawatra.
Fighting to make up ground is the governing Democrat Party of Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. Despite living in Pheu Thai's political heartland, Na Buk says she supports Abhisit.
Na Buk says she supports Abhisit because his government has helped local communities with funding and she believes he is good person.
The election, the first since 2007, is being held a year after Thai security personnel forced an end to two months of anti-government protests in Bangkok.
The rallies, led by pro-Thaksin United Democratic Front against Dictatorship (UDD) or red shirts, had attempted to force the Abhisit government from power by occupying the capital's main business district. Clashes between soldiers and protesters left more than 90 people dead and hundreds injured.
The Bon Gai community in central Bangkok was at the center of fighting.
Du, a street restaurant owner, says she cannot decide who she will vote for between the ruling party and the main opposition Pheu Thai. She says after the violence of a year ago she is tired of politics and fears the problems will persist even after the election.
Economic concerns
The Bon Gai community people say the main concern lies with the economy and rising food and fuel prices.
Yeng, a restaurant owner and Pheu Thai supporter, says life for the poor has been getting harder. He adds that past governments have ignored the poor. Prices of goods are rising and people do not have enough money. He says he hopes a new prime minister will solve the problems.
But after years of political conflict in Thailand fears remain that the election may fail to resolve the tensions in the country.
Chuwit Kamolvisit, the leader of the Rak Thailand (Love Thailand) Party and a former massage¹⁷ parlor¹⁸ owner turned politician, doubts the election will end the conflicts in Thai society, but it may ease the mounting pressures building over recent years.
"No it does not resolve anything," said Kamolvisit. "But it releases something. You know it is like a bubble. So what the election is for is to release some pressure in Thai society and it is good. So the problem we have two big parties - Pheu Thai and Prachatipat [Democrats¹⁹] - they are fighting. They want to be the government that is what they want to do."
Political strategy
The Democrat Party's has followed a political strategy of warning voters that the election of a Pheu Thai government will trigger further troubled times ahead.
"People have a clear view of comparing between Khun Yingluck and Khun Abhisit as to who is best fit to lead Thailand," said Democrat Party spokesman is Baranuj Smutharak. "The choice will be clear whether Thailand moves ahead and can continue with its path towards stability, towards peace to whether the country will need to be reset²⁰ and go back to square one."
The Pheu Thai Party, running ahead of the Democrats in opinion polls, has a similar, opposite argument. The party says the election of Yingluck will mark a step to reconciliation²¹ in Thailand.
Pheu Thai member Kanawat Wasingsangworn says regardless of the outcome, all stakeholders should accept the outcome of the vote.
"I positively²² hope that this election will at least pave the way to at least open talks for reconciliation and basically if every party, every stakeholder in this country accepts the rule of the game, just accept the result of the election, that should at least to a certain level put this country back to normal," he said.
Undecided voters
Recent opinion polls say as many as 30 percent of the 46 million eligible voters remain undecided about which party they will support.
Chantana Banpasirichot, is a political scientist from Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University who says voters have much to weigh before heading to the ballot²³ box.
"I think people have a lot to think [about]," she noted²⁴. "Maybe it's not simply a choice of policy, different policies; they have been thinking, but not revealing. Not sure if their choice could mean a big change in how the country is running. So for example the amnesty for Thaksin and probably more than that - could mean a big change to a number of people."
Analysts²⁵ say the outcome Thailand's general elections Sunday will set the stage for fresh political turbulence²⁶ if the political players fail to accept the outcome.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

3 adorning   

修饰，装饰物

参考例句：

• Many have gems adorning their foreheads, and gold bands on their arms. 许多人在前额上挂着宝石，手臂上戴着金饰。
• The commandments, or rules, are like pure white pearls adorning the wearer. （喻）戒律洁白，可以庄严人身，好像晶莹可爱的宝珠。

4 revered   

v.崇敬，尊崇，敬畏( revere的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• A number of institutions revered and respected in earlier times have become Aunt Sally for the present generation. 一些早年受到尊崇的惯例，现在已经成了这代人嘲弄的对象了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Chinese revered corn as a gift from heaven. 中国人将谷物奉为上天的恩赐。 来自辞典例句

5 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

6 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

7 Oxford   

n.牛津（英国城市）

参考例句：

• At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
• This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。

8 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

9 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

10 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

11 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

14 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

15 coups   

n.意外而成功的行动( coup的名词复数 )；政变；努力办到难办的事

参考例句：

• China has seen many political coups within the ruling class. 中国统治阶级内部发生过很多政变。 来自互联网
• Thailand has had eighteen coups or coup attendance since nineteen thirty-two. 泰国1932年以来有18次政变或参加政变。 来自互联网

16 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

17 massage   

n.按摩，揉；vt.按摩，揉，美化，奉承，篡改数据

参考例句：

• He is really quite skilled in doing massage.他的按摩技术确实不错。
• Massage helps relieve the tension in one's muscles.按摩可使僵硬的肌肉松弛。

18 parlor   

n.店铺，营业室；会客室，客厅

参考例句：

• She was lying on a small settee in the parlor.她躺在客厅的一张小长椅上。
• Is there a pizza parlor in the neighborhood?附近有没有比萨店？

19 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

21 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

22 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

23 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

24 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

25 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

26 turbulence   

n.喧嚣，狂暴，骚乱，湍流

参考例句：

• The turbulence caused the plane to turn over.空气的激流导致飞机翻转。
• The world advances amidst turbulence.世界在动荡中前进。