2006年VOA标准英语-Hungarians Go to Polls Despite Heavy Flood

By Stefan Bos
Budapest
09 April 2006
 

A woman casts her vote in Pecs, 197 kms south of Budapest, during the first round of parliamentary elections in Hungary Sunday, April 9, 2006   
  
Hungarians are voting in their first parliamentary election since joining the European Union, despite concerns that heavy flooding complicates¹ the ballot² in several areas of the country. The election pits the free-market ruling left-wing coalition³ against the more protectionist rightist opposition⁴. Exit polls indicate a tight race between the governing Socialist⁵ Party and the center-right opposition.

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In Hungary more than 45,000 people, including soldiers, participated in shoring up dikes to ensure voters in flood stricken regions could participate in the country's fifth parliamentary ballot since it abandoned Communism in 1989.

Parts of Budapest and nearly 200 other towns and villages were affected⁶ by record floods, but authorities managed to open thousands of polling stations.

Hungary's eight million eligible⁷ voters could choose between the ruling Hungarian Socialist Party and its tiny liberal ally, the Alliance of Free Democrats⁸, which embrace globalization or the more protectionist center-right opposition.

Opinion polls suggest 44-year old Hungarian Socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany will likely win the close race against his main rightist opponent Viktor Orban of the conservative Fidesz party. It would mark the first time that a Hungarian government has been re-elected for a consecutive⁹ term since the collapse¹⁰ of Communism in 1989.

Mr. Gyurcsany, an ex-Communist youth boss who became a millionaire businessman, says Hungary should become "a nation of winners" by embracing what he calls "compassionate¹¹ capitalism¹²."

Ironically the 42-year old rightist Viktor Orban, a former anti-Communist dissident and ex-prime minister, has accused the Socialists¹³ of embracing "wild capitalism," and calls for more protectionism.

But both parties have promised to introduce tax cuts worth billions of dollars while at the same time pledging more social-program spending.

Economists¹⁴ say this is unrealistic as the country needs to halve¹⁵ its budget deficit¹⁶ to meet the 2010 target date to introduce the euro as the nation's official currency.

Some young voters, like 22-year old voter Robert Fernandy, who studies economics, complain that Hungarian politicians are not mature enough to make sensible business decisions.

"I was born in Germany and it is another [way of conducting] politics here [than] in Germany and France. I can only laugh about it, it is not serious for me. Because they do not speak about the things that are important for the country," said Fernandy. "I want to hear about the economy and I want to hear [what they want to do] about the unemployment. They only say: 'I want to create more jobs,' like 400,000 jobs as [Prime Minister] Gyurscany said. But it is not possible to make 400,000 jobs."

Analysts¹⁷ say that whoever comes to power will have little room to maneuver¹⁸ because of Hungary's budget deficit, which is the highest in the European Union relative to the size of the economy.

First official results expected later in the day. Voter turnout is expected to around 70 percent, roughly the same as the last elections in 2002.

1 complicates   

使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• What complicates the issue is the burden of history. 历史的重负使问题复杂化了。
• Russia as a great and ambitious power gravely complicates the situation. 俄国作为一个强大而有野心的国家，使得局势异常复杂。

2 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。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 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。

5 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。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

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 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

10 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

11 compassionate   

adj.有同情心的，表示同情的

参考例句：

• She is a compassionate person.她是一个有同情心的人。
• The compassionate judge gave the young offender a light sentence.慈悲的法官从轻判处了那个年轻罪犯。

12 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

13 socialists   

社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The socialists saw themselves as true heirs of the Enlightenment. 社会主义者认为自己是启蒙运动的真正继承者。
• The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. 社会党人1982年上台执政后，就把其政治信条弃之不顾。

14 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 halve   

vt.分成两半，平分；减少到一半

参考例句：

• Let's halve the project between our two teams.让我们两个队平均分担这项工程吧。
• I'll halve expenses with you.我要跟你平均分摊费用。

16 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

17 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。

18 maneuver   

n.策略[pl.]演习；v.(巧妙)控制；用策略

参考例句：

• All the fighters landed safely on the airport after the military maneuver.在军事演习后，所有战斗机都安全降落在机场上。
• I did get her attention with this maneuver.我用这个策略确实引起了她的注意。