VOA标准英语2012--Experts: Chavez's Diagnosis Weakens Re-Election Chances

Experts: Chavez's Diagnosis¹ Weakens Re-Election Chances

Mr. Chavez disclosed his condition last week while visiting the site of a proposed tractor factory. He said he had been examined by doctors in Cuba who found a lesion in his pelvis where a cancerous tumor² was removed last year.
"I am in good physical shape to confront this new battle," he said.
But many Venezuelans are doubtful.
"Cancer is something different. It is not a game. He is sick," said Caracas resident Augusto Lopez.
Mr. Chavez has ruled Venezuela for 13 years and is hoping to be re-elected for another six in October.
At a discussion of the upcoming election at the Inter-American Dialogue in Washington, Roberto Brice?o-León of the Central University of Venezuela said the illness clearly weakens Mr. Chavez's chances.
"The normal reaction is: 'There should be somebody else,'" he said.
Mr. Chavez had chemotherapy last fall and insisted that he had fully³ recovered. Brice?o-León says the ruling party will now suffer because there is no clear successor.
The professor of sociology says autocratic leaders often seek to project an aura of virtual immortality⁴, but he says it is a double-edged sword.
"A mental representation of the power, that is at the same time very powerful because [it] really is effective in the control of the population," he said. "But at the same time, it is very weak, because it could disappear from one year to another, and when that disappears people lose respect of the power."
Venezuelans are taking it personally that Mr. Chavez tried to hide his health condition from them, says Rev⁵. Jose Virtuoso⁶, rector of the Catholic University Andres Bello.
"I think all of us Venezuelans are offended that there has not been more transparency over this, as there has been in other countries," he said.
Rev. Virtuoso gives the examples of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo, who was recently treated for cancer, and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who had a non-malignant thyroid removed.

1 diagnosis   

n.诊断，诊断结果，调查分析，判断

参考例句：

• His symptoms gave no obvious pointer to a possible diagnosis.他的症状无法作出明确的诊断。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做一次彻底的调查分析。

2 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

3 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

4 immortality   

n.不死，不朽

参考例句：

• belief in the immortality of the soul 灵魂不灭的信念
• It was like having immortality while you were still alive. 仿佛是当你仍然活着的时候就得到了永生。

5 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

6 virtuoso   

n.精于某种艺术或乐器的专家，行家里手

参考例句：

• He was gaining a reputation as a remarkable virtuoso.作为一位技艺非凡的大师，他声誉日隆。
• His father was a virtuoso horn player who belonged to the court orchestra.他的父亲是宫廷乐队中一个技巧精湛的圆号演奏家。