VOA标准英语2013--马里选举会成为非洲的一个范本?

 

Could Mali's Election Be a Model for Africa? 马里选举会成为非洲的一个范本?

Mali has moved a step closer to making a smooth transition of power following the peaceful and conciliatory concession¹ of losing presidential candidate Soumaila Cisse.  The mostly calm presidential run-off in the West African nation stands in stark² contrast to the often contentious³ elections across much of Africa. 

Even before election officials had formally released results of the presidential race, Soumaila Cisse reached out to apparent winner, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. Cisse went to Keita's house in the Malian capital, Bamako, to congratulate him.

"President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has won this election gracefully⁴. It is my duty to congratulate him," he said. 

Malian citizens reacted by expressing their gratitude⁵ to Cisse for how he handled defeat.  Taxi driver Boubacar Diarra said the concession could help move the country forward.

"For us, it is really good because if you realize you have been beaten and you go and congratulate the other for his victory, that will make our democracy better," he said.

In contrast, Zimbabwe's presidential election, like previous ones in that country, ended on a sour note.  Losing candidate Morgan Tsvangirai and his supporters said the polling was rigged and were challenging the results in court.

The winner, incumbent⁶ President Robert Mugabe, has shown little patience with supporters of his longtime rival.

"Those that are depressed⁷ about losing the elections can go and hang themselves if they wish so," he said.

Richard Downie, deputy director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said differences in the way the international community has treated the two countries had an impact on the election outcomes.

"There were a lot of people invested in the international community in making Mali’s election work whereas in the case of Zimbabwe, I think it is really a failure of the broader international community, the non-African community, which really seems to have reached a dead end in knowing how to deal with Zimbabwe and knowing how to deal with a president who is absolutely determined⁸ to stay in power," he said.

But Downie said he would be careful about holding up Mali's election as a model for its neighbors on the continent.

"There has been a lot of scrutiny⁹, international scrutiny, on this election in trying to get things right and return the country to some semblance¹⁰ of normality," he said. "And really, I think the elections are just the first phase [of] what will be a very long process to restore Mali to peace again."

He said the really tough work starts now for Mali's President-elect Keita, who will have to piece the country back together again, following last year's insurgency¹¹ in the north, and promote national reconciliation¹².

1 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

2 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

3 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

4 gracefully   

ad.大大方方地；优美地

参考例句：

• She sank gracefully down onto a cushion at his feet. 她优雅地坐到他脚旁的垫子上。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line. 新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

5 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。

6 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

7 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

8 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

9 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

10 semblance   

n.外貌，外表

参考例句：

• Her semblance of anger frightened the children.她生气的样子使孩子们感到害怕。
• Those clouds have the semblance of a large head.那些云的形状像一个巨大的人头。

11 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

12 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。