Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (C) casts his vote on an electronic ballot box in a polling station in Moscow March 4, 2012.(Agencies) |
Vladimir Putin triumphed in Russia's presidential election on Sunday and, tears rolling down his cheeks, called his victory a turning point that had prevented the country falling into the hands of enemies. Putin's opponents complained of widespread fraud, refused to recognize the results and said they would press ahead on Monday with the biggest protests since he rose to power 12 years ago. But the former KGB spy said he had won a "clean" victory and was on course to return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister with almost 65 percent of votes, partial results showed. "I promised you we would win. We have won. Glory to Russia," Putin, dressed in an anorak and flanked by outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev, told tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters at a late-evening victory rally under the red walls of the Kremlin. Denouncing attempts to "destroy Russia's statehood and usurp power," he said: "The Russian people have shown today that such scenarios will not succeed in our land ... They shall not pass!" The crowd at one point chanted: "Putin! Putin! Putin!" Some danced to keep warm and drank vodka from plastic glasses, with empty bottles crunching underfoot. It was a defiant and angry speech which left Putin, 59, on collision course with the mainly middle-class protesters in Moscow and other big cities who have staged huge rallies since a disputed parliamentary poll on December 4. Two exit polls showed Putin with 58-59 percent of the votes and incomplete results showed him winning more than 64 percent. The protest organizers, who see Putin as an autocratic leader whose return to power will stymie hope of economic and political reforms, said their demonstrations would now grow. (Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
上周日,弗拉基米爾?普京在俄羅斯總統(tǒng)大選中勝出后喜極而泣。他表示自己的勝利是避免國家落入敵人手里的歷史轉折點。 普京的反對者則表示,大選存在許多舞弊現(xiàn)象,拒絕承認選舉結果,誓言周一將繼續(xù)舉行普京上臺12年以來的最大規(guī)模的示威抗議活動。 但普京表示,自己贏得“干干凈凈”,即將在四年的總理生涯后重返總統(tǒng)寶座。部分投票結果顯示,普京的支持率接近65%。普京曾是一名克格勃間諜。 周日晚間,在克里姆林宮的紅墻外舉行的一次慶祝勝利集會上,普京對數(shù)萬名熱情的支持者說:“我曾向你們保證我們會贏。我們贏了。榮耀屬于俄羅斯!”。當時他身穿厚夾克,即將離職的現(xiàn)任總統(tǒng)德米特里?梅德韋杰夫站在他身旁。 普京譴責了那些試圖“破壞俄羅斯的國家地位以及篡奪權力”的企圖。他說:“俄羅斯人民今天已經(jīng)證實,這種事在我們的國土上不會成功……他們無法成功!” 人群一度高呼“普京!普京!普京!”一些人跳著舞保暖,拿著塑料杯子喝伏特加酒,腳邊到處是破碎的空瓶子。 這場挑釁性的和令人氣憤的演說使得59歲的普京面臨著來自莫斯科和其他大城市的中產(chǎn)階級的抗議。自去年12月4日有爭議的議會投票后,這些抗議人士已經(jīng)組織了數(shù)次大規(guī)模集會。 兩次投票后民調顯示,普京支持率高達58%至59%,據(jù)不完全統(tǒng)計,普京此次大選的得票率超過64%。 抗議組織者表示他們將繼續(xù)舉行活動。他們認為普京專制,重返總統(tǒng)寶座會妨礙經(jīng)濟和政治改革。 相關閱讀 (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Julie 編輯:陳丹妮) |
Vocabulary: press ahead: 繼續(xù)進行 anorak: 厚夾克,滑雪衫 outgoing: 即將離職的 flag-waving: 狂熱愛國主義的 usurp: 篡奪,奪取 exit poll: 投票后民意調查 stymie: 使陷困境,妨礙 |