Majority voters support compensation plan

时间：2007-06-11 09:23:27

（单词翻译:单击）

(Source: chinadaily)

A security man talks with residents at the venue1 for a vote on demolition2 and reconstruction3 of old buildings in Juixiaqiao Sub-district in Beijing on Saturday, June 9, 2007. Local government and the real estate developer jointly4 organized the vote to see if majority residents of over 5000 families accept the new compensation policy after failed attempts to reach an agreement through other ways. [Photo: chinadaily]
 
June 11 - On Saturday, 3,711 families, about 67 percent of the 5,473 families, cast their ballots6 in a rare vote supporting the demolition of their homes in Jiuxianqiao sub-district in Chaoyang District, Beijing.

 

After 12 hours of voting, two thirds of the votes were for the urban renewal7 project, but not without many residents showing their mistrust of the entire process. The vote is to see how many people would support the compensation policy for demolishing8 the old buildings, a plan that has changed several times to meet residents' requirements.

 

At 8:58 pm, two minutes before the end of voting, a residents' representative took his watch and began the countdown. Right after 9pm, two notary9 officials sealed the ballot5 box on each side, signed their names and then waited for security to move the box into the counting center at a nearby gymnasium.

 

The whole procedure was scrutinized10 under the close watch of residents' representatives and journalists. However, the suspicion of fairness still runs high among local residents. A middle-aged11 man said he couldn't find the serial12 number on the notary officials' uniform and thought they might not be authentic13 notaries14. Officials denied this, saying they were all from the Beijing Notary Public Office.

 

The security men moved all seven ballot boxes from the six polling stations to the counting center, which was illuminated15 by spotlights16 and decorated with colorful flags and red banners.

 

The counting only began after disputes over the counting procedure delayed the voting for about one hour. At first, the residents' representatives were allowed to sit close to the notary officials and monitor the counting. But when a young referendum organizer urged the representatives to leave the area, one 70-year-old man surnamed Zhou, also a residents' representative, refused and demanded to know how their rights would be protected if he couldn't see the counting directly. Residents who were watching along the sidelines also shouted in support of Zhou.

 

Ba Changrui, deputy leader for the Jiuxianqiao Sub-district Office, chatted with Zhou briefly17, but failed to persuade him to leave. Then other residents' representatives went back to their seats too.

 

Notary officials and residents' representatives counted every vote carefully. On every table, there were hot discussions and sometimes quarrels due to the difference over certain ballots. In the end 32 ballots were spoiled.

 

A residential18 vote observer surnamed Wang said that the result was useless. Another resident's representative, who monitored the counting, said that 1,700 families didn't turn out and most of them were opponents to the compensation policy. But a reporter said he met a woman who came to the ballot booth four times because she didn't bring enough documents for identification purposes. And another resident explained that some of those who didn't show up to vote were not well-educated and didn't understand the process.

 

Ba explained the vote helps the government and developer to understand people's ideas about the demolishing project, and the vote will not decide when the demolishing will begin. During his closing remarks after the results were released, Ba urged residents to be patient and wait for the developer to propose new plans.

 

Individual interest and public interest

 

Throughout the day, residents were anxious to tell the media their side of the story, even though some even questioned if reporters can tell the truth. Those residents, mostly seniors, circled around reporters and told them how they felt the current compensation policy was unfair.

 

A man with white hair and wrinkled face said he devoted19 his younger years to work for a state-owned company with low income during the planned economy period and he only wants the government to pay more to him now. Another man surnamed Zhang claimed he has two rooms totaling 50 square meters in one of the old buildings and under the current compensation policy will only get a new home of 70 square meters. He will agree to the demolishment project if the amount of space offered room will be doubled.

 

Meanwhile, a well-dressed woman also in her sixties urged residents to be realistic and not so selfish. The woman said residents should not be too demanding and the local government had made great efforts in trying to come to an agreement between the residents and the developer.

 

Officials from the Construction Committee of Changyang District told Beijing Morning News that law or administrative20 measures might be used for those residents who asked for unreasonable21 conditions for demolishing their homes.

 

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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 venue ALkzr     
n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点
参考例句：
  • The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
  • The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。
2 demolition omezd     
n.破坏,毁坏,毁坏之遗迹
参考例句：
  • The church has been threatened with demolition for years. 这座教堂多年来一直面临拆毀的威胁。
  • The project required the total demolition of the old bridge. 该项目要求将老桥完全拆毁。
3 reconstruction 3U6xb     
n.重建，再现，复原
参考例句：
  • The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
  • In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。
4 jointly jp9zvS     
ad.联合地，共同地
参考例句：
  • Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
  • She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。
5 ballot jujzB     
n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票
参考例句：
  • The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
  • The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。
6 ballots 06ecb554beff6a03babca6234edefde4     
n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
  • They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》
7 renewal UtZyW     
adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来
参考例句：
  • Her contract is coming up for renewal in the autumn.她的合同秋天就应该续签了。
  • Easter eggs symbolize the renewal of life.复活蛋象征新生。
8 demolishing 0031225f2d8907777f09b918fb527ad4     
v.摧毁( demolish的现在分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光
参考例句：
  • The machine was designed specially for demolishing old buildings. 这种机器是专为拆毁旧楼房而设计的。 来自《用法词典》
  • Conventional demolishing work would have caused considerable interruptions in traffic. 如果采用一般的拆除方法就要引起交通的严重中断。 来自辞典例句
9 notary svnyj     
n.公证人，公证员
参考例句：
  • She is the town clerk and a certified public accountant and notary public.她身兼城镇文书、执业会计师和公证人数职。
  • That notary is authorised to perform the certain legal functions.公证人被授权执行某些法律职能。
10 scrutinized e48e75426c20d6f08263b761b7a473a8     
v.仔细检查，详审( scrutinize的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句：
  • The jeweler scrutinized the diamond for flaws. 宝石商人仔细察看钻石有无瑕庇 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
  • Together we scrutinized the twelve lemon cakes from the delicatessen shop. 我们一起把甜食店里买来的十二块柠檬蛋糕细细打量了一番。 来自英汉文学 - 盖茨比
11 middle-aged UopzSS     
adj.中年的
参考例句：
  • I noticed two middle-aged passengers.我注意到两个中年乘客。
  • The new skin balm was welcome by middle-aged women.这种新护肤香膏受到了中年妇女的欢迎。
12 serial 0zuw2     
n.连本影片，连本电视节目；adj.连续的
参考例句：
  • A new serial is starting on television tonight.今晚电视开播一部新的电视连续剧。
  • Can you account for the serial failures in our experiment?你能解释我们实验屡屡失败的原因吗？
13 authentic ZuZzs     
a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的
参考例句：
  • This is an authentic news report. We can depend on it. 这是篇可靠的新闻报道, 我们相信它。
  • Autumn is also the authentic season of renewal. 秋天才是真正的除旧布新的季节。
14 notaries a592954733210f3af950fdeb10eaa667     
n.公证人，公证员( notary的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • The positions of director and deputy director shall be assumed by notaries. 主任、副主任领导公证处的工作，并且必须执行公证员职务。 来自互联网
  • One of the notaries sat down, the other remained standing. 律师之中有一位坐下来，其余的都站着。 来自互联网
15 illuminated 98b351e9bc282af85e83e767e5ec76b8     
adj.被照明的；受启迪的
参考例句：
  • Floodlights illuminated the stadium. 泛光灯照亮了体育场。
  • the illuminated city at night 夜幕中万家灯火的城市
16 spotlights c4053b79301cdb37721ff8e9049b61ef     
n.聚光灯（的光）( spotlight的名词复数 )；公众注意的中心v.聚光照明( spotlight的第三人称单数 )；使公众注意，使突出醒目
参考例句：
  • The room was lit by spotlights. 房间被聚光灯照亮。
  • The dazzle of the spotlights made him ill at ease. 聚光灯的耀眼强光使他局促不安。 来自辞典例句
17 briefly 9Styo     
adv.简单地，简短地
参考例句：
  • I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
  • He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。
18 residential kkrzY3     
adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的
参考例句：
  • The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
  • The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。
19 devoted xu9zka     
adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的
参考例句：
  • He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
20 administrative fzDzkc     
adj.行政的，管理的
参考例句：
  • The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
  • He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。
21 unreasonable tjLwm     
adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的
参考例句：
  • I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
  • They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

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