美国国家公共电台 NPR--Projected win of Tunisia's constitutional referendum poses a threat to democracy

Projected win of Tunisia's constitutional referendum poses a threat to democracy

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Aymen Bessalah, policy analyst² at Tunisia-based nonprofit Al Bawsala, about the referendum extending presidential powers, and what it means for the North African country.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

Tunisia was the birthplace of the Arab Spring, a wave of revolts against autocratic rulers in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2011, anti-government protests opened the door to Tunisian democracy. But exit polls suggest that when voters went to the polls yesterday, they overwhelmingly passed a constitutional referendum giving near-total power to the current president, Kais Saied. Critics had said this constitutional rewrite could effectively end Tunisia's experiment in democracy. Joining me from Tunis is Aymen Bessalah. He's a policy analyst for the non-governmental organization Al Bawsala, which advocates for human rights and transparency in government in Tunisia. Good morning.

AYMEN BESSALAH: Good morning. How are you?

FADEL: Good morning. I'm doing fine. So what does the fact that it looks like it passed mean for the future of governance in Tunisia?

BESSALAH: Well, this constitution basically enshrines what Kais Saied has already been doing according to his Decree 117, passed in last September, and through which he was ruling by decrees, centralizing and mobilizing the legislative³ and executive powers and also through which he undermined the independence of the judiciary. What this constitution does, it solidifies⁴ these powers, makes them constitutional. And still, he will continue to rule by decree until a parliament is elected.

FADEL: So that means then Tunisia goes back to autocratic rule?

BESSALAH: It's a sad moment for us. How long will it last? How will the opposition⁵ respond? How long will it take for an expected crackdown and limits on civil society and the civic⁶ space in general? All of these are important elements to keep track of.

FADEL: This referendum is high stakes. Only about 1-in-4 eligible⁷ voters actually cast a ballot⁸. Why?

BESSALAH: I mean, Tunisians have become generally disenchanted and disillusioned⁹ by the discrepancies¹⁰ and the gap between political elites¹² and their grievances¹³ and priorities, which are mainly socioeconomic. So there is a general detachment from casting votes. And it is why also 90% of the over 2 million that voted actually voted yes.

FADEL: So people preferring a strongman than the uncertainty¹⁴ of the last 11 years?

BESSALAH: It wasn't just a vote for a strongman or for President Saied himself, but it was also a vote against what is perceived to be a closed political elite¹¹ system that does not care about the grievances of the citizens.

FADEL: It's been more than a decade since the uprisings of 2011 sparked by Tunisia. And Tunisia has been seen as a bright spot. What do you believe is the legacy¹⁵ of those revolts?

BESSALAH: So Tunisia has been definitely put on the metaphorical¹⁶ pedestal that it was the successful example of the Arab Spring, which wasn't a spring at all. There were revolts, civil wars, foreign interventionism in many countries. So there was, like, this idea of romanticizing and fetishizing the success of the democratic transition to be promoted as something that can be done in the region, which is, in and of itself, somewhat orientalist and reductionist.

FADEL: Aymen Bessalah is a policy analyst of the Tunisia-based NGO Al Bawsala. Thank you for your time.

BESSALAH: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 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。

3 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

4 solidifies   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的第三人称单数 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• Jelly solidifies as it gets cold. 肉冻冷却就凝固。
• It is stirred with 10%sodium carbonate solution(50ml)and then with water (50ml), after which It'solidifies. 与10％碳酸钠溶液（50毫升）混合搅拌，然后再用50毫升水混合搅拌，从而析出固体。

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 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

7 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。

8 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。

9 disillusioned   

a.不再抱幻想的，大失所望的，幻想破灭的

参考例句：

• I soon became disillusioned with the job. 我不久便对这个工作不再抱幻想了。
• Many people who are disillusioned in reality assimilate life to a dream. 许多对现实失望的人把人生比作一场梦。

10 discrepancies   

n.差异，不符合（之处），不一致（之处）( discrepancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• wide discrepancies in prices quoted for the work 这项工作的报价出入很大
• When both versions of the story were collated,major discrepancies were found. 在将这个故事的两个版本对照后，找出了主要的不符之处。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 elites   

精华( elite的名词复数 )； 精锐； 上层集团； （统称）掌权人物

参考例句：

• The elites are by their nature a factor contributing to underdevelopment. 这些上层人物天生是助长欠发达的因素。
• Elites always detest gifted and nimble outsiders. 社会名流对天赋聪明、多才多艺的局外人一向嫌恶。

13 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 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。

16 metaphorical   

a.隐喻的，比喻的

参考例句：

• Here, then, we have a metaphorical substitution on a metonymic axis. 这样，我们在换喻（者翻译为转喻，一种以部分代替整体的修辞方法）上就有了一个隐喻的替代。
• So, in a metaphorical sense, entropy is arrow of time. 所以说，我们可以这样作个比喻：熵像是时间之矢。