Small country, big example
Still an unusual success for democracy¡ª¡ïfingers crossed[1]
ON March 5th, Benin went to the polls for the fourth presidential election since multi-party democracy was introduced in 1990: no mean achievement in west Africa. Even more impressive was the fact that President Mathieu K¨¦r¨¦kou did not ¡ïstand for[2] re-election, nor did his great rival, Nic¨¦phore Soglo, who was president from 1991-96. Both have passed the constitution¡¯s age l_______¢Ù of 70. £¨1£©That respect for the constitution goes admirably against Africa¡¯s trend for heads of state to change the law to stay even longer in office.
Benin has fewer than 8m people. It is one of the p______¢Ú countries on earth. And yet, in Africa, it is also a democratic ¡ïexemplar[3]. Many of Africa¡¯s former French colonies brought in multi-party democracy only when forced to by the French¡ªin return for more aid¡ªin June 1990. £¨2£©Having abandoned Marxism, Mr K¨¦r¨¦kou, Benin¡¯s president and military ruler, not only legalised opposition parties several months before then, but also ¡ïstood down[4] after his electoral defeat to Mr Soglo in 1991. So Benin became the first African country where an incumbent ran for re-election, lost and graciously ¡ïbowed out[5]. Since then, d_________¢Û has implanted itself strongly in the minds of Benin¡¯s citizens. ¡°Our history is so terrible, with coups and years of problems, that now we all care about democracy very deeply,¡± says one of them.
NOTES£º£¨LONGMAN£©
1.keep¡fingers crossedÏ£ÍûÄܳɹ¦£¬ÈçÔ¸
to hope that something will happen the way you want
e.g. We¡¯rekeepingourfingers crossedthat she¡¯s going to be OK.ÎÒÃÇÖÔÐÄÏ£ÍûËýÄÜÒ»Çж¼ºÃ¡£Bingham is keeping his fingers crossed that Gray¡¯s withdrawal is the only one.±ö¶òÄ·Ï£Íû³ýÁ˸ñÀ×ûÈË»áÍ˳ö¡£
2. stand for £¨election£©×ö¡¡£¨Î¯Ô±»á¡¢Òé»á£©ºòÑ¡ÈË
£¨British English£©to try to become elected to a council, parliament etc [= run American English]
e.g.She announced her intention to stand for Parliament.ËýÐû²¼´òËã²Î¼ÓÒé»á¾ºÑ¡¡£
3.exemplar Ñù°å£¬Ä£·¶£¬µä·¶(exemplar of)
a good or typical example
e.g. Milt¡¯s career is an exemplar of survival in difficult times.Ã׶ûÌصÄÉúÑÄ¿ÉνÄæ¾³Éú´æµÄµä·¶¡£
4.stand down ͬÒâ³·¸Ú»òÍ£Ö¹¾ºÑ¡£¬¸øÆäËûÈË»ú»á£»ÒýÍË
to agree to leave your position or to stop trying to be elected, so that someone else can have a chance [= step down American English]
5.bow out ÓÉ¡¡Í˳ö£¬´ÓÈÝÒýÍË£»²»·´»Ú(bow out of)
1£©to stop taking part in an activity, job etc, especially one that you have been doing for a long time
e.g. Reeves thinks it is time for him to bow out of politics.Àï·ò˹¾õµÃÊÇʱºò¸æ±ðÕþÖÎÎę̀ÁË¡£
2£©to not do something that you have promised or agreed to do [= get out of]
e.g. You¡¯re not trying to bow out of this, are you?Äã²»»á˵»°²»Ëã»°°É£¬°¡£¿
6.urn ÎÍ£¬²èË®ºø£¬¹Ç»ÒºÐ
7.darkly ±¯É˵أ¬ÉúÆøµØ£¬Ð²ÆȵØ
in a sad, angry, or threatening way:
e.g. Fred scowled darkly at her.¸¥À׵¶ñºÝºÝµØ¿´×ÅËý¡£
8. take something at face value ²»¿¼ÂÇÄÚÔÚº¬Òå¶ø½ÓÊÜijÖÖÌõ¼þ»òÌýÐűðÈ˵Ļ°£¬ÐÅÒÔΪÕæ
to accept a situation or accept what someone says, without thinking there may be a hidden meaning:
e.g. You shouldn¡¯t always take his remarks at face value.ÄãÓ¦¸Ã×¢ÒâÒ»ÏÂËûµÄÏÒÍâÖ®Òô¡£
