2006年VOA标准英语-Sri Lanka's Ruling Party Heads for Victory
时间：2018-12-16 作者：英语课 分类：2006年VOA标准英语（三月）
By Anjana Pasricha
New Delhi
31 March 2006
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, March 31, 2006
Sri Lanka's ruling party is heading for a sweeping 1 victory in local elections, raising hopes that President Mahinda Rajapakse will be able to build on a recent peace initiative with Tamil Tiger rebels.
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President Mahinda Rajapakse's United People's Freedom Alliance has made a stronger-than-expected showing in local elections, winning a majority of the districts that were contested.
In contrast, a Marxist ally of the president, the Peoples Liberation Front, or JVP, fared poorly, despite widespread expectations that the party would substantially increase its share of seats.
The JPV is part of the President's coalition 2 government, but had fought the local elections independently.
The main opposition 3 party, the United National Party, also trailed the ruling alliance.
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, the Director of Colombo's Center for Policy Alternatives, says the results are being seen as an endorsement 4 of President Rajapakse, who opened peace talks with the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam last month despite reservations from hard-line allies like the JVP.
"In terms of the peace process, there is some space to be able to say that because the JPV has not fared as well as they expected to, that the President's hand is somewhat strengthened, and that he would have greater room for maneuver," he said.
The JVP, whose supporters are among Sri Lanka's Sinhalese majority, was widely seen as an impediment to turning a four-year ceasefire with the Tamil rebels into a lasting 5 peace.
The rebels have fought a violent, two-decade-long insurgency 6, demanding an autonomous 7 Tamil homeland in the north and east of the country. The JVP opposes giving concessions 8 to the minority Tamils.
President Rajapakse, too, originally promised a tough line with the rebels when he fought national elections alongside his allies four months ago. But he changed tack 9 when a four-year-old ceasefire came close to collapsing 10.
His government has now held one round of peace talks with the rebels. The two sides are due to hold a second round next month in Switzerland.
Jehan Perera, head of the National Peace Council in Colombo, says he hopes the election results will make it possible for the government to take a more conciliatory line with the Tamil Tigers, also known as the LTTE.
"It is my hope that after these elections, the President will feel more liberated 11 to be more proactive," said Perera. "He will follow a more proactive and accommodative policy toward the LTTE that will lead to a reinvigoration of the peace process."
A 2002 truce 12 with the rebels raised hopes of settling Sri Lanka's ethnic 13 conflict, but efforts to negotiate a concrete settlement have been unsuccessful so far.
- The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
- Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？
- The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
- Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。
- 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。
- We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
- His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。
- 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。
- 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
- They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
- This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。
- The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
- The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。
- He is hammering a tack into the wall to hang a picture.他正往墙上钉一枚平头钉用来挂画。
- We are going to tack the map on the wall.我们打算把这张地图钉在墙上。
- Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
- The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。
- The city was liberated by the advancing army. 军队向前挺进，解放了那座城市。
- The heat brings about a chemical reaction, and oxygen is liberated. 热量引起化学反应，释放出氧气。