2006年VOA标准英语-Malaysia's Ruling Party Meets Amid Leaders' Feu

By Roger Wilkison
Bangkok
13 November 2006 
  

Malaysia's PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, left, and former PM Mahathir Mohamad

Malaysia's ruling party is holding its annual assembly amid a bitter dispute between Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and his predecessor¹ Mahathir Mohamad.   The meeting could reveal whether the spat² has damaged Mr. Abdullah's standing³ within the party.

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The confrontation⁴ that could have materialized at the annual assembly of the United Malays National Organization will probably not occur because Mr. Mahathir, who is recovering from a mild heart attack, is not expected to attend.

For nearly a year, Mr. Mahathir has been waging a furious campaign against the man he hand-picked to succeed him as Malaysia's leader. He accuses Mr. Abdullah of corruption⁵, nepotism⁶ and mismanagement of the economy.

Mr. Abdullah has strenuously⁷ denied Mr. Mahathir's charges. But the Mahathir campaign has created uncertainty⁸ within the long-ruling party, the dominant⁹ political group representing the country's majority ethnic¹⁰ Malays, and within the country at large.

Analysts¹¹ had hoped that Mr. Mahathir's presence at the meeting would indicate how much influence he has among party leaders even though he stepped down in 2003 after 22 years in office. But they also say that, despite public pledges of support from most leaders for Mr. Abdullah, Mr. Mahathir's fierce attacks have raised questions about the prime minister's leadership.

William Case, who heads the Southeast Asia Research Center at the City University of Hong Kong, says the greater freedom Mr. Abdullah has allowed in debates at the assembly should indicate the level of his popularity within UMNO.

Case says Mr. Mahathir's allegations of corruption and economic mismanagement may have hurt Mr. Abdullah.

"We have long, of course, much respected Abdullah Badawi as Mr. Clean," said Case.  "That was his image, the source of his attractiveness. I think that some of the mud that Mahathir has thrown at Abdullah Badawi over this has in fact stuck."

"And the other major criticism is that the current prime minister is not managing the economy effectively," he continued. "There is widespread fear in Malaysia that the economy is not getting the direction and impetus¹² that it needs, the kind of political direction that Mahathir always used to provide."

Mr. Abdullah insists he will stay on in Malaysia's top job despite Mr. Mahathir's campaign to oust¹³ him. He says he needs more than a single term in office to see several projects through to fruition. The next election is not due until 2009, but Mr. Abdullah is expected to seek a fresh mandate¹⁴ as early as a year from now.

Mr. Mahathir has indicated that he has no plans to give up his steady stream of criticism of Mr. Abdullah and his government.

1 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

2 spat   

n.口角，掌击；v.发出呼噜呼噜声

参考例句：

• Her parents always have spats.她的父母经常有些小的口角。
• There is only a spat between the brother and sister.那只是兄妹间的小吵小闹。

3 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

4 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 nepotism   

n.任人唯亲；裙带关系

参考例句：

• The congressman lashed the president for his nepotism.国会议员抨击总统搞裙带关系。
• Many will regard his appointment as the kind of nepotism British banking ought to avoid.很多人会把他的任命看作是英国银行业应该避免的一种裙带关系。

7 strenuously   

adv.奋发地，费力地

参考例句：

• The company has strenuously defended its decision to reduce the workforce. 公司竭力为其裁员的决定辩护。
• She denied the accusation with some warmth, ie strenuously, forcefully. 她有些激动，竭力否认这一指责。

8 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。

9 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

10 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 impetus   

n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力

参考例句：

• This is the primary impetus behind the economic recovery.这是促使经济复苏的主要动力。
• Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas.她的讲话激发了我的思绪。

13 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

14 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。