雅思阅读精选材料

　　In 1988 General Augusto Pinochet organised a plebiscite that he was confident would grant him another eight years of absolute power. Ricardo Lagos， a hitherto little-known Socialist leader， used a live television programmethe first to feature opposition politicians since Pinochets military coup of 1973to defy the climate of fear that was the dictators most powerful political weapon. Pointing his finger at the camera， he addressed him directly， saying that it was inadmissible that he sought to remain in power. Ignoring the presenters attempt to cut him off， Mr Lagos said I am speaking for 15 years of silence.

　　1988年，奥古斯托皮诺切特将军举行了一次全民公投，他自信这次公投会让他再独裁八年。 社会党领袖里卡多拉各斯当时还鲜为人知，他利用电视直播节目挑衅恐惧气氛，人们担心这次公投是独裁者最强大的政治武器，这是自1973年皮诺切特发动军事政变以来，反对派政治家首次在荧屏亮相。 拉各斯用手指指着摄像机，直接对皮诺切特发表演说，表示不许他继续掌权。拉各斯无视主持人打断他的企图，说道：我在为15年的沉寂代言。

　　It was a turning point. The opposition went on to win the plebiscite， ushering in Chiles transition to democracy. Mr Lagos would become a minister in the first two democratic governments， and was elected Chiles president in 2000. By far the most interesting and moving part of his memoir concerns his patient and difficult work to build opposition to the dictatorship.

　　这是一个转折点。 反对派接着赢得了全民公投，迎来智利向民主的过渡。拉各斯成为前两届民主政府的部长，2000年他当选为智利总统。 迄今为止，他的回忆录中最有趣最感动人心的部分是他极具耐心又历尽艰难地建立了反对独裁的在野党。

　In office Mr Lagos tried to combine a free-market economy with public policies designed to create a less unequal society. He had some success： he signed free-trade agreements with the United States and the European Union and created new anti-poverty， health and housing programmes. This modern and moderate social democracy is an implicit rebuke to Allende， whom he is reluctant to criticise directly.

　　执政期间，拉各斯试图把自由市场经济与公共政策相结合，而这些公共政策旨在创建一个少些不平等的社会。他取得了一些成功，与美国和欧盟签署了自由贸易协定，并制订了新的反贫困、健康与住房计划。 这种温和的现代社会民主是对阿连德含蓄的指责，他不愿直接批评阿连德。

　　Despite its title， the book is infuriatingly perfunctory in its treatment of Chiles impressive socioeconomic progress under the Concertacin. Mr Lagoss presidency merits just two chapters， one of which focuses on foreign policy. It was to the authors abiding credit that Chile， a member of the UN Security Council at the time， refused to back George Bushs rush to war against Iraq.

　　智利在争取民主联盟执政时所取得的社会经济进步令人印象深刻，但本书不顾它的标题，对这点的处理敷衍塞责，让人气愤。拉各斯总统任期的功绩只有两章，其中一章还侧重于对外政策。 智利当时是联合国安理会成员国，它拒绝支持乔治布什匆忙发动对伊战争，这点让拉各斯享有了持久声望。