VOA标准英语2009年-African Parliamentarians in Niger to Asses
时间：2019-02-12 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2009年(九月)
Members of the Pan-African Parliament are in Niger for separate talks with President Mamdou Tandja and his political opponents concerning the referendum that has extended the president's time in office.
African parliamentarians are in Niger to assess the political crisis, following last month's referendum. They are to report back to the Economic Community of West African States, which is considering sanctions against the Tandja government.
President Mamdou Tandja (File)
That referendum changed the constitution to give another three years in office and removed term limits that would have prevented the 71-year-old from running again.
The president says the results show voters in Niger want him to stay in power, in part, to complete several large infrastructure 1 projects including a Chinese oil refinery 2 and a French uranium mine.
Election officials say more than two-thirds of eligible 3 voters turned out for the referendum, and a resounding 4 92 percent voted to keep President Tandja in power.
The opposition 5 Niger Party for Democracy and Socialism believes turn-out was closer to five percent. Civil society groups are calling for ECOWAS leaders to suspend Niger from the regional alliance because President Tandja went ahead with the referendum after dismissing both the parliament and the constitutional court that opposed him.
ECOWAS leaders threatened to sanction President Tandja if he changed the constitution, but have not yet acted against him as they are waiting to hear from the delegation 6 of Pan-African Parliament members.
The European Union suspended aid to Niger over what it calls "grave violations 7" of the rule of law and democratic values. The French foreign ministry 8 says the president's actions threaten to weaken Niger's institutions in a "lasting 9 fashion."
Since the referendum, the Tandja government has accused nearly 30 opposition parliament members of financial crimes as part of an investigation 10 into legislative 11 expense claims.
The latest to be detained is opposition leader Mahamadou Issoufou, who was arrested shortly after security forces prevented him from leaving the country.
After being released on bail 12, Issoufou told reporters the financial charges against him are purely 13 political. He says the people of Niger will see that next year's budget will be half of this year's budget because international donors 14 are withholding 15 aid to protest what he calls President Tandja's dictatorship.
- We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
- We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。
- They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
- The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。
- 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。
- The astronaut was welcomed with joyous,resounding acclaim. 人们欢声雷动地迎接那位宇航员。
- He hit the water with a resounding slap. 他啪的一声拍了一下水。
- 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。
- The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
- We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。
- This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
- These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。
- They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
- We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。
- The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
- We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
- In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
- He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。
- Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
- Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。
- One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
- She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。
- I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
- This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。
- Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
- About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
- The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。