2006年VOA标准英语-Russian Democracy - Forward or Backward?

By Peter Fedynsky
Washington, D.C.
17 May 2006
 
watch report on Russia

  
  
The collapse¹ of the Soviet² Union in 1991 raised hopes Russia would become more democratic and less authoritarian³.  In the 1990's the country's media, political parties, and non-governmental organizations gained a measure of independence from the Kremlin, but so did criminals.  As VOA's Peter Fedynsky reports, top U.S. officials are concerned that Russia today is reverting⁴ to authoritarian rule, and wondering if relations are headed for a cooling-off.

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently remarked, "Clearly, the use of energy the way that it was used concerning Ukraine is a problem."

Then, Vice⁵ President Richard Cheney said, "Other actions by the Russian government have been counterproductive and could begin to affect relations with other countries."

A couple in Moscow being questioned by police  
  
In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin responded to recent high-level American criticism of Russia with a veiled reference to the United States as a predator⁶. "We see what's happening in the world.  Comrade wolf, so to speak, knows whom to eat.  He eats and listens to no one."

At issue are perceptions about the state of Russian democracy.  Secretary Rice says some elements of it "seem to be going the wrong way," including a crackdown on non-governmental organizations.  President Putin insists Russia is implementing⁷ its own version of democratic rule.  He calls it "sovereign democracy."

 
Andrew Kuchins 
  
"What does that really mean?" asks Andrew Kuchins, Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, D.C.

"And what does it mean actually for Russia's relations with Europe, the United States and some of its neighbors?"

In a recent examination of these questions at Carnegie, Sergei Markov, a Moscow-based political scientist with close Kremlin ties, deflected⁸ criticism of Russia with charges against the U.S.

Sergei Markov   
  
"When I look at Iraq, I think it's not Russia which is going in the wrong direction; it's the United States that is going in the wrong direction," said Mr. Markov.

"In the wrong direction?  Yes," agrees Michael McFaul, political science professor at Stanford University. However he notes,  "I just don't understand why invoking⁹ America and Iraq somehow then, is an excuse for what is happening in Russia.  Moreover, I would say that the comparison is not equal.  Because unlike the Russian system today, I would say that for all of those ills of the American democracy, which I think are real, there are mechanisms¹⁰ for correction.

McFaul, who is opposed to the Bush administration, points to front-page articles in American newspapers critical of the government's domestic surveillance program.  He says Russian media do not have similar independence to criticize the Kremlin. 

Sergei Markov concedes that Russia is not a democracy, but insists Russians want it.  "Public opinion supports, by the way, most of the characteristics of democracy, like free and fair elections, free media, right of opposition¹¹, and others."

Markov says the problem is that Russia's initial encounter with democracy in the 1990s was associated with anarchy¹² -- mafia killings¹³ on city streets, fraud, corruption¹⁴, illegal privatization and loss of international prestige.  As a result, Markov says democracy is in fourth place as a priority among Russians behind concerns about security, stability, and the economy.

U.S. officials say democratic rule would address those concerns, and serve the interests not only of Russia, but other democracies.

1 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。

2 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

3 authoritarian   

n./adj.专制(的)，专制主义者，独裁主义者

参考例句：

• Foreign diplomats suspect him of authoritarian tendencies.各国外交官怀疑他有着独裁主义倾向。
• The authoritarian policy wasn't proved to be a success.独裁主义的政策证明并不成功。

4 reverting   

恢复( revert的现在分词 )； 重提； 回到…上； 归还

参考例句：

• The boss came back from holiday all relaxed and smiling, but now he's reverting to type. 老板刚度假回来时十分随和，满面笑容，现在又恢复原样了。
• The conversation kept reverting to the subject of money. 谈话的内容总是离不开钱的事。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 predator   

n.捕食其它动物的动物；捕食者

参考例句：

• The final part of this chapter was devoted to a brief summary of predator species.本章最后部分简要总结了食肉动物。
• Komodo dragon is the largest living lizard and a fearsome predator.科摩多龙是目前存在的最大蜥蜴，它是一种令人恐惧的捕食性动物。

7 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

8 deflected   

偏离的

参考例句：

• The ball deflected off Reid's body into the goal. 球打在里德身上反弹进球门。
• Most of its particles are deflected. 此物质的料子大多是偏斜的。

9 invoking   

v.援引( invoke的现在分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• You can customise the behavior of the Asynchronous Server and hence re-brand it by defining your own command set for invoking services. 通过定义自己调用服务的命令集，您可以定制自定义异步服务器的行为，通过为调用服务定义自己的命令集从而对它重新标记。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You can customize the behavior of the Asynchronous Server and hence re-brand it by defining your own command set for invoking services. 通过定义自己调用服务的命令集，您可以定制自定义异步服务器的行为，通过为调用服务定义自己的命令集从而对它重新标记。 来自辞典例句

10 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 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。

12 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

13 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

14 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。