2007年VOA标准英语-Mauritanians Cast Ballots in Post-Coup Presiden

By Kari Barber
Dakar
25 March 2007

Mauritanians are choosing their president at the ballot² box in the country's first presidential runoff. The polls pit former minister Sidi Ould Sheik Abdallahi against longtime opposition³ leader Ahmed Ould Daddah. Kari Barber reports from Dakar that Sunday's ballot marks the final stage in transferring the nation to civilian⁴ rule following a 2005 military coup⁵.

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A man casts his vote for president at a polling station in Nouakchott, 25 Mar 2007

Leaders of the military junta⁶ that overthrew⁷ President Maaouiya Ould Taya in a bloodless coup say they will hand leadership of the nation over to the winner of Sunday's election. Since independence from France, Mauritania has suffered years of coups⁸ and dictatorships.

Local analyst⁹ Racine Sy spent the morning visiting polling stations to watch the process unfold.

"The atmosphere was friendly and everything was done in a perfect way," said Sy. "I went to two different polling stations, and what I saw is that people are there and they are trying to do their civic¹⁰ duty peacefully and without problem."

In the first round of voting Abdallahi received 25 percent of the vote and Ould Daddah got about 21 percent.

Both Abdallahi and Ould Daddah are economists¹¹ who served as government ministers.

Chief election observer for the European Commission, Marie Anne Isler Beguin, says the election has gone well. She says complaints have been about campaign workers offering voters taxi rides and tea.

"It could be a problem if the different parties ask people to vote for them, but that is not the case. They are just doing a little propaganda on both sides," she said.

Many of the 17 candidates who lost out in the first round have given their support to Abdallahi, including fourth-place finisher Messaoud Ould Boulkheir.

Boulkheir says he hopes that when the results come out and a new government is named, Mauritania will remain peaceful.

Boulkheir says nothing will be gained from violence. He says the candidates need to remember that in a democracy sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.

Mauritanian journalist Salem Bokari says he is optimistic that when the elections have finished, the military will follow through on their promise to hand over power.

"Now it seems that the military will leave power three weeks after this vote. I think that now everything is clear for this," he said.

Military leaders had promised not to interfere¹² in the election process and to let democracy take its course. There was some criticism early in the campaign period that the junta was supporting Abdallahi, which military leaders and Abdallahi denied.

Commentators¹³ inside and outside Mauritania have largely held that military leaders have abided by their promise to steer¹⁴ the nation toward democracy.

Final results are expected to be announced by Tuesday.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

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 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。

4 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

5 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

6 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

7 overthrew   

overthrow的过去式

参考例句：

• The people finally rose up and overthrew the reactionary regime. 人们终于起来把反动的政权推翻了。
• They overthrew their King. 他们推翻了国王。

8 coups   

n.意外而成功的行动( coup的名词复数 )；政变；努力办到难办的事

参考例句：

• China has seen many political coups within the ruling class. 中国统治阶级内部发生过很多政变。 来自互联网
• Thailand has had eighteen coups or coup attendance since nineteen thirty-two. 泰国1932年以来有18次政变或参加政变。 来自互联网

9 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。

10 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。

11 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》

12 interfere   

v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰

参考例句：

• If we interfere, it may do more harm than good.如果我们干预的话，可能弊多利少。
• When others interfere in the affair,it always makes troubles. 别人一卷入这一事件，棘手的事情就来了。

13 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。