VOA标准英语2015--活动人士称尼日利亚应该推迟选举

 

Activists¹: Nigeria Elections Should Be Postponed² 活动人士称尼日利亚应该推迟选举

WASHINGTON—

Nigerian expatriates and activists recently gathered in Washington to denounce the deadly raids and massacres³ by the militant⁴ group Boko Haram. Some also urged that next month’s presidential elections be postponed.

As the Nigerian flag flapped in the wind at the country’s embassy in Washington, Nigerians living in the U.S. and other activists braved the cold to decry⁵ the recent attacks by the militant group Boko Haram.

“It’s been estimated that 30,000 people have been killed. We have 3.3 million people who’ve been displaced from their homes," said rally co-organizer Omolola Adele-Oso. “We want to show solidarity⁶ to the people of Nigeria to say that we see them, we care about them and we are sending our prayers.”

Oludare Ogunde said he is amazed that his country has not been able to stop the Boko Haram insurgency⁷. "I can go to Nigeria right now and mobilize people in the south and go deal with the issue in the north," he said.

“Boko Haram is about 1,000 people. Even if it was 10,000, how can they overwhelm a nation that’s about 180 million people with a strong military? It doesn’t make any sense,” said Ogunde.

Amnesty International recently released satellite images of Baga and nearby Doron Baga, two towns in far northeastern Nigeria, that it says show the ruins of thousands of structures burned down soon after Boko Haram seized the area January 3.

Amnesty International USA co-organized the Washington rally. Adotei Akwei, the group's managing director of government relations, said Boko Haram should be an issue in Nigeria's upcoming elections.

“It is not currently being discussed as a major challenge to either candidate or political party," said Akwei. "That shouldn’t be the case. This should be the most important thing that people address, about how do you protect people and how do you address this threat.”

Some of those at the rally did not think the elections should take place at all. .

Juliet Muriuki is from Kenya, but attended the rally out of concern for Nigeria. She questioned how fair elections could be held if it is not safe to vote in several northeastern states.

“Until this issue of Boko Haram has been dealt with to an acceptable level for the Nigerian people, the election needs to be postponed,” said Muriuki.

President Goodluck Jonathan's national security adviser⁸, Sambo Dasuki, speaking in London, also suggested the vote should be delayed.

"Look at the possibility of shifting this thing and doing it when everybody has a card, because it doesn't cost you anything, it is still within the law and it is safer for all of us," said Dasuki.

Nigeria's independent electoral commission says it will do whatever it can to ensure the hundreds of thousands of displaced northeasterners will be able to cast their votes.

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

3 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

5 decry   

v.危难，谴责

参考例句：

• Some people will decry this,insisting that President Obama should have tried harder to gain bipartisan support.有些人会对此表示谴责，坚持说奥巴马总统原本应该更加努力获得两党的支持。
• Now you decry him as another Hitler because he is a threat to the controlling interest of oil in the middle east.现在你却因为他对中东石油控制权益构成了威胁而谴责他为另一个希特勒。

6 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

7 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

8 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。