VOA标准英语2013--Venezuelans Vote for Chavez Successor

 

Venezuelans Vote for Chavez Successor

Early on this election day the voting lines were shorter than expected in some parts of Caracas. Nicolas Maduro, the successor to the popular Hugo Chavez, who died of cancer last month, is counting on a high turnout by the poor to continue the Socialist¹ Party's rule in Venezuela.

Acting² President Maduro has casting himself as his mentor's "son" during the campaign, and has promised to continue oil-funded policies that cut poverty from 50 to 29 percent with popular health, education and food programs.

Maria Ortega said she voted for Maduro because that is what President Chavez wanted. 

She said Venezuelans have a lot of faith and confidence in Maduro, and if Chavez put him there it was for a reason. She adds he did it with all his heart and voters must go with their hearts to support the legacy³ of Hugo Chavez.

Maduro is favored, but polls have showed challenger Henrique Capriles gaining in the past week. 

Many voters say they are frustrated⁴ with the stagnant⁵ economy, the double-digit inflation, chronic⁶ power outages, and shortages of food and medicine. The soaring crime rate is also a major issue for voters. Venezuela has among the world's highest homicide and kidnapping rates.

Capriles Supporter Joselyn Fernandez said she was thinking about her young niece when she voted.

She said she does not want her to live in a dictatorship, she is just starting life. Fernandez said she wants her niece to live and have a good life, so that she can go out on the street with a sense of security and get a good education.

The opposition⁷ has complained that Maduro has used the state bureaucracy of nearly 2.7-million workers and government-owned media to unfairly support his campaign. But the voting process in Venezuela is generally considered fair and impartial⁸.

Election official Juan Martinez said witnesses or observers from each party are on hand at polling stations to make sure there is no voter fraud. 

He said the witness, that is who the observers are, is looking to see that voters show the official identification and that it is not a copy or some other paper.

Nearly 19-million people across the country are eligible⁹ to vote.

Whoever wins will inherit a politically polarized country, but also the control of the biggest oil reserves in an OPEC nation. Left-leaning Latin American governments from Cuba to Bolivia are also watching this election closely to see if the generous economic aid provided by President Chavez will continue. 

1 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

2 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

3 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

4 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

6 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

7 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。

8 impartial   

adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的

参考例句：

• He gave an impartial view of the state of affairs in Ireland.他对爱尔兰的事态发表了公正的看法。
• Careers officers offer impartial advice to all pupils.就业指导员向所有学生提供公正无私的建议。

9 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。