VOA标准英语2009年-Croatia to Hold Presidential Runoff Vo

Photo: AP
Presidential candidate Ivo Josipovic of Left-leaning opposition¹ Social Democrat², casts his ballot³ at a polling station in Zagreb, 27 Dec 2009

Official results show Social Democrat Ivo Josipovic has won the most votes in the first round of Croatia's presidential election, but not enough for a first round victory.  Josipovic will face the controversial mayor of the capital Zagreb in a run-off election next month.

Croatia's electoral commission says Social Democrat candidate Ivo Josipovic won the most votes in the first round of Croatia's presidential poll with more than 32 percent of the vote.

His main opponent, the controversial mayor of Zagreb Milan Bandic, came in second with nearly 15 percent of the ballots⁴.

The men will face each other in a final election round on January 10th, since they failed to gain the minimum of 50 percent plus one vote to win outright⁵.

Josipovic's supporters are already celebrating.

They welcome the results as confirmation⁶ many people support their candidate's anti-corruption⁷ drive.  They are also pleased he received the most votes of the 12 candidates running to replace popular President Stipe Mesic.

Mr. Mesic helped discourage nationalism and encouraged a shift to the West with his country's entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, earlier this year.

But he failed to achieve Croatian membership in the European Union, partly because of a border dispute with neighboring Slovenia.  There are also Western concerns over high-level corruption in the country.

Josipovic says he wants to tackle crime in the former Yugoslav republic.

Josipovic tells supporters Sunday's vote was between justice or injustice⁸.  He says he is thankful to those who saw the light voted for him because, in his words, they "want a better and fairer Croatia" without lawlessness.  Josipovic says he is the best candidate to fight Croatia's notorious crime and corruption and to make the Balkan nation a better place to live.
 
But even his supporters say the 52-year old Josipovic lacks political charisma⁹. 

AP
Independent presidential candidate and Zagreb's mayor Milan Bandic at his campaign headquarters in Zagreb, 28 Dec 2009

Mayor Bandic is a controversial figure with media reports that he fled police after being caught driving drunk and allegations he fixes bids for city work projects linked to his friends, while overpaying his aids.
 
But Bandic, who denies the charges, draws enthusiastic crowds.

Mayor Bandic says Croatia needs an independent candidate like himself who, he says, knows the life of ordinary people.  He suggests his opponent may just serve the interests of the Social Democrats¹⁰, who he claims try to have a remote control over the presidency¹¹.  Bandic claims his experience as Zagreb mayor in the past 10 years shows that he knows what it takes to be president.

Both Bandic and Josipovic want their country to join the European Union by 2012.   

Outgoing President Mesic says he is disappointed nearly 60 percent of the country's voters stayed home Sunday.

He says the low turnout was expected as in his words "the campaign was boring".  While they agree on E.U. membership, he says, none of the candidates came up with a clear and passionate¹² vision for Croatia's economic recovery."

Analysts¹³ say the Balkan country is struggling with its worst economic slump¹⁴ since independence in 1991, as consumption, investments and exports have tumbled.

1 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。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 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。

4 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

6 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

7 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。

8 injustice   

n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利

参考例句：

• They complained of injustice in the way they had been treated.他们抱怨受到不公平的对待。
• All his life he has been struggling against injustice.他一生都在与不公正现象作斗争。

9 charisma   

n.(大众爱戴的)领袖气质，魅力

参考例句：

• He has enormous charisma. He is a giant of a man.他有超凡的个人魅力，是个伟人。
• I don't have the charisma to pull a crowd this size.我没有那么大的魅力，能吸引这么多人。

10 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》

11 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

12 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

13 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。

14 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。