VOA标准英语2013--Anti-US Accusations in Venezuela Seen as Campaign Rhetoric

Anti-US Accusations² in Venezuela Seen as Campaign Rhetoric³

Maduro contends Washington has been plotting to assassinate⁴ opposition⁵ leader Henrique Capriles, and has specifically named two former U.S. officials as part of the alleged⁶ conspiracy⁷. They worked in the Bush administration, but are not current U.S. government employees. 

“I’m addressing President Obama and Roger Noriega and Otto Reich, Pentagon officials and the CIA. They are behind a plan to kill the presidential candidate of the Venezuelan right wing, to create chaos⁸ in Venezuela,” said Maduro.

The U.S. State Department has dismissed the accusation¹.

"The United States categorically rejects allegations of any U.S. government involvement in any plot to destabilize the Venezuelan government or to harm anyone in Venezuela," said State Department Spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

And so, too, does former Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega, now an analyst⁹ at the American Enterprise Institute.

“I don’t have any relation with the U.S. government. I was an administration official in the past, and really I have been quite critical of the current administration,” said Noriega.

Cynthia Arnson, a Latin American analyst at the Wilson Center in Washington, said that Maduro's accusation is similar to those made by President Hugo Chavez during election cycles. 

“We have seen in the past the use of the international threat from the United States of imperialism¹⁰ to maintain a united Chavista base,” said Arnson.

Noriega offers his own theory. He said that Maduro, with help from Cuba, may raise the threat of U.S. intervention¹¹ to sanction political violence against his opponents. 

“My concern is that maybe Maduro, or I should say his Cubans who are manipulating the succession in Venezuela, are signaling the possible use of political violence in Venezuela,” he said.

Arnson said the Obama administration should be cautious. 

“Maintain silence for now. Don’t say too much. Don’t be a factor in the electoral campaign in Venezuela. This is what has been the strategy for a long time, including in 2012, and they should continue like this,” said Arnson.

And if the situation does not deteriorate¹², she said that after the election there still might be an opening for the U.S. and Venezuela to repair their relationship. 

1 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

2 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

3 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

4 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

5 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。

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

8 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 imperialism   

n.帝国主义，帝国主义政策

参考例句：

• They held the imperialism in contempt.他们鄙视帝国主义。
• Imperialism has not been able to subjugate China.帝国主义不能征服中国。

11 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

12 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。