Taiwan
Elects First Female President
VOA News
Last updated on: January 16, 2016 3:09 PM (source)
Taiwan Elects First
Female President
台灣選出首位女總統
William Ide
Last updated on: January 16, 2016 3:09 PM
TAIPEI, TAIWAN—
Taiwan’s voters elected
Tsai Ing-wen Saturday as the island’s first female president,
delivering a crushing defeat to the Nationalist Party (KMT), which has
focused heavily on growing relations with China since coming to power
eight years ago.
Her independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party also won a majority in the legislature for the
first time, a development that could have a big impact on economic
policies with China.
Speaking with the press shortly after her KMT opponent, Eric Chu, conceded defeat,
Tsai pledged to maintain peace
with the world’s second largest economy and maintain stable relations
with Beijing.
Respect needed
Saturday’s victory for Tsai was the biggest landslide
since Taiwan began holding direct presidential elections. Tsai says the
vote was a statement of the will of the Taiwanese people as a “democratic country.”
“Our democratic system, national identity, international space must be
respected, any forms of suppression will harm the stability of
cross-strait relations,” Tsai said.
China considers self-ruled Taiwan to be part of its (China's) territory and has threatened to use
military force against the island if it ever sought formal independence.
Shortly after the results were announced, China’s Taiwan Affairs
Office, which is tasked with managing relations with Taipei, said it
would continue to oppose any Taiwan independence activities.
A statement published by the state-run Xinhua news agency said China’s
determination to protect its territory was “hard as rock.”
Following a civil war in 1949, the Nationalist Party fled to Taiwan, where much like the
Communist Party on the mainland, it ruled with an iron fist for decades.
But unlike China, Taiwan eventually allowed multi-party politics and
democratized, holding its first democratic elections in 1996.
Tsai will assume office on May 20 and the new legislature will hold its
first session in early February.
US congratulation
Washington congratulated Tsai and her party on the victory shortly
after the results was [were] announced.
“We also congratulate the people of Taiwan for once again demonstrating
the strength of their robust
democratic system,” according to a State Department statement. “We
share with the people of Taiwan a profound interest in the continuation
of cross-Strait peace and stability.”
Rise from ashes
The KMT’s candidate, Chu, said he will resign as head of the party and
has apologized for its loss in the elections.
"We've lost," Chu said in speech just hours after polls closed. "The KMT has suffered
an election defeat. We haven't worked hard enough and we failed voters'
expectations."
Chu pledged that the party would learn from its historic loss and rise again from
the ashes.
Chu’s party not only lost the presidency by three million votes, but
also lost 24 seats in the legislature.
Challenges ahead
Dealing with the island’s biggest trading partner, China, and helping
strengthen a faltering
economy and wage stagnation — particularly for young workers — are some
of the challenges Tsai will face in office and a key concern among
voters.
Speaking with VOA shortly after he cast his ballot
on Saturday, elderly voter Lin Hsi–tsai said he was hopeful that Tsai
can help turn Taiwan around and address the problems the island is
facing.
“Look at how expensive real estate is these days. Do you really think
that younger people can afford to buy a home?” he said.
The KMT, which has been in power
for eight years now in Taiwan and has always held a majority in the
legislature[,] has strengthened economic links with China.
The closer ties have boosted the island’s tourism industry, but have
also raised concerns about over-reliance on the world’s second largest
economy, which is seeing its slowest growth in more than a quarter of
century.
China has not said much about the vote, but has said it will not work
with any candidate who does not support the "one China" principle.
Taiwan and China split following a civil war in 1949. But Beijing still
regards it as a breakaway province that will someday be unified with
the mainland.
台北，台灣-
台灣選民於週六時選出了島上的首位女總統蔡英文，同時也給了自八年前執政(come to power)以來偏重於與中國發展關係的國民黨(Nationalist Party)毀滅性的挫敗(a crushing defeat)。
（編按：原新聞報導的時間為 1 月 16 日選舉當天，週六，故新聞中的週六皆指選舉當天。）
蔡英文所屬的傾向獨立的民進黨(Democratic Progressive Party)也首次在立法院贏得多數席次(majority)，而這個發展可能會大幅影響對中國的經濟政策。
國民黨的競選對手(opponent)朱立倫承認落敗(concede
defeat)後不久，蔡英文與媒體記者談話時即承諾(pledge)，將與世界第二大經濟體的中國保持和平與穩定的關係。
「尊重」的需求
蔡英文週六的勝選是台灣舉行總統直選以來最大的壓倒性勝利(landslide)。
蔡英文表示，這場選舉是身為「民主國家」子民的台灣人民意志的表述。
蔡英文表示：「台灣的民主制度、國家認同與國際空間都必須被尊重，任何形式的打壓都會傷害兩岸關係(cross-strait relations)的穩定。」
中國視自治的台灣為其（中國）領土(territory)的一部分，並威脅倘若這個島嶼尋求正式獨立，將動用武力(military force)抵制。
選舉結果公佈後不久，中國肩負處理對台關係任務(be tasked with. . .)的台灣事務辦公室表示，將持續反對任何台獨活動。
（編按：台灣事務辦公室 “Taiwan Affairs Office” 全名為「（中國）國務院台灣事務辦公室」“The Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council”，簡稱為「國台辦」。）
國營的(state-run)新華社(Xinhua news agency)於聲明中表示，中國保護領土的決心「堅若磐石」。
國民黨在 1949 年內戰(civil war)後逃到台灣，如同共產黨在大陸一樣，國民黨鐵腕(iron fist)統治了台灣數十年。
但與中國不同的是，台灣最終許可了多黨政治，經歷了民主化(democratize)，在 1996 年也舉行了首次的民主選舉。
蔡英文將於 5 月 20 日上任就職(assume office)，新國會則會在二月初開議。
美國祝賀
選舉結果宣布後不久，美國華府即對蔡英文及其所屬政黨的勝利表示祝賀。
根據美國國務院的聲明：「我們也祝賀台灣人民再次展現了其堅韌的(robust)民主制度的力量」，「我們與台灣人民對於兩岸持續的和平與穩定有共同且深遠的(profound)利益」。
浴火重生
國民黨的候選人朱立倫表示他將辭去黨主席，同時已為選舉失敗道歉。
朱立倫在投票所(poll)關閉後幾小時公開談話時表示：「我們輸了。國民黨遭逢選舉的失敗。我們努力得還不夠，辜負了選民的期待。」
朱立倫承諾，國民黨將從這個歷史性的(historic)失敗中學習，從灰燼中重生(rise from the ashes)。
朱立倫所屬的政黨不僅以三百萬張選票的差距輸了總統選舉，同時在立法院也失去了 24 個席次。
未來的挑戰
如何處理與這個島嶼最大的貿易夥伴中國的關係、鞏固目前不穩定的經濟(faltering economy)局勢與改善薪資停滯(stagnation)情況──尤以年輕一代的工作者為甚──這些都是蔡英文執政後將面臨的挑戰，也是選民所重視的問題。
一位年長的選民林錫才（音譯）在週六投下選票(cast one’s
ballot)後於美國之音(VOA)的訪問中表示，他希望蔡英文能讓台灣翻身(turn . . .
around)，解決這個島嶼所面臨的問題(address the
problems)。
他說道：「看看這陣子以來房地產(real estate)多貴。你真的認為年輕人買得起一間房子嗎？」
國民黨在台灣已執政(in power)八年，也一直是立法院最大黨，在這期間不斷強化與中國的經濟聯結。
與中國緊密的聯結雖然促進了島上的旅遊業發展，但對這個世界第二大經濟體的過度依賴也引發不少疑慮──中國現正經歷近二十五年來最緩慢的經濟成長。
中國對這次選舉尚未發表太多言論，但表示將不會與不支持「一中原則」的候選人合作。
台灣與中國在 1949 年的內戰後分裂(split)。然而中國仍視台灣為脫離的一省，有朝一日會與大陸統一。
（編按：新聞英語習慣用首都所在地的地名來代表國家。為求譯文易於了解，本新聞將首都所在地一律譯作其代表的國家。）
Language Notes
majority (n)
多數，過半數
opponent
(n) 對手；敵手
pledge
(v) 保證，誓言
landslide
(n) （選舉中的）壓倒性大勝利；山崩
democratic
(a) 民主的；民主政體的 *新聞中還有動詞用法：democratize (v) 民主化。另請注意 democratic
重音在第 3 音節，但 democratize 重音在第 2 音節
territory
(n) 領土；領地
flee
(v) 逃離；逃走 *動詞三態為：flee, fled, fled
office
(n) 職務；官職 *新聞中有搭配動詞的用法 “assume office”，表示「上任、就職」，另有搭配介系詞的片語 “in
office”，意思是「處於上任的狀態」
robust
(a) 強健的；茁壯的
poll
(n) 投票所 *這個字也可以指「選舉」或「民意調查」。用複數時，常表「投票的地方」，常用片語為 go to the polls
historic
(a) 歷史上著名的；歷史上有重大意義的 * “historic” 是指「歷史上重要的」，需要與另一字作區別：historical (a)
有關歷史的，基於史實的
falter
(v) 蹣跚，踉蹌
ballot
(n) 投票用紙，選票
in
power (prep phr) 執政
Check your vocabulary!
Fill
in the blanks with a word or phrase from the list above. Make necessary
changes. After you finish, highlight the blanks to reveal the hidden
answers.
1. The historic battle changed the fate of two
nations.
2. The Labour Party won a huge majority
at the last general election.
3. Only 22% of voters cast their ballots.
4. Trujillo held office as finance
minister.
5. The Socialists have been in power
since the 1965 revolution.
6. During the primary elections, McCain was Bush's leading opponent.
編譯：簡嘉呈
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