File photo of Nicolas Sarkozy. Nicolas Sarkozy was declared the most unpopular president in French history in a damning poll on Sunday. |
Nicolas Sarkozy was declared the most unpopular president in French history in a damning poll on Sunday ahead of the first round of the presidential elections next week, as the two leading candidates vied to rally voters in mass, open-air speeches in Paris. The capital's Place de la Concorde was transformed into a sea of red, white and blue, as Mr Sarkozy implored France's "silent majority" to confound forecasts that he will be trounced by Socialist rival Fran?ois Hollande in the presidential run-off on May 6. "They said you wouldn't come," Mr Sarkozy told a crowd his camp put at 150,000 but which appeared to be less than half that size. "Silent France has responded through your presence," he said, in a speech aimed at Right-wing traditionalists that attacked multiculturalism, teaching unions, affirmative action and Europe's open borders while defending families and hard work. Five miles to the East, the ambience was markedly festive as Mr Hollande told his troops before the Chateau de Vincennes that the first Socialist presidential victory in 24 years was now within their grasp. "Nothing is going to stop us," the front-runner told a diverse crowd his camp put at 100,000, and which included several French singers and artists. "I will be a president of justice. Before taking any decision, I will ask myself: 'Is this fair?'" "We have waited too long – 10 years in opposition. We have a duty to win." After a brief surge, the latest polls suggest Mr Sarkozy is heading for the electoral guillotine – tipped to trail Mr Hollande narrowly in the first round of the election next Sunday, only to lose the second round two weeks later by up to 14 percentage points. (Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
法國將于下周舉行首輪總統(tǒng)大選,而就在上周日的一項民意調查中,現(xiàn)任總統(tǒng)尼古拉-薩科奇被評為法國歷史上最不受歡迎的總統(tǒng)。兩位支持率領先的總統(tǒng)候選人正在巴黎舉行大規(guī)模競選集會,發(fā)表露天演講,競爭選民。 法國巴黎協(xié)和廣場變成紅色、白色和藍色的海洋。薩科奇請求法國“沉默的大多數(shù)”挫敗有關他將在5月6日的總統(tǒng)大選決戰(zhàn)中被社會黨競爭對手弗朗索瓦?奧朗德打敗的預測。 薩科奇對人群說:“他們說你們不會來。”薩科奇的陣營估計有15萬人到場,但看上去連一半都不到。 他說:“沉默的法國民眾已經通過你們的到場給出了回應。”他的此次演講主要針對右翼傳統(tǒng)主義者,右翼傳統(tǒng)主義者攻擊多元文化、教育工會、平權法案、歐洲的開放邊境政策,同時捍衛(wèi)家庭權力和辛苦勞動所得。 而就在東面五英里遠,氣氛卻猶如節(jié)日一般,奧朗德在溫森城堡前告訴自己的集會隊伍,24年來的首次社會黨總統(tǒng)選舉勝利已經穩(wěn)操勝券。 這位領先候選人對面前形形色色的人群說:“沒有什么能阻止我們。”他的競選陣營稱有10萬人到場,其中包括法國歌星和藝術家。 他說:“我將成為公平正義的總統(tǒng),在采取任何行動之前,我都會問自己,‘這樣公平嗎?’” “我們已經等了太久,已經當了10年反對黨,我們有責任勝出。” 在短期上升后,最新民調結果顯示,薩科奇勝選機會渺茫,下周日首輪選舉的支持率稍落后于奧朗德,而在兩周后的第二輪選舉中支持率則低出14個百分點。 相關閱讀 (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點津 Julie 編輯:陳丹妮) |
Vocabulary: trounce: 挫敗,責罵 run-off: 決賽,決勝選舉 put at: 估計為 affirmative action: 平權法案,平權行動 guillotine: 斷頭臺,截止辯論以付表決法 |