新闻热词：弃权 abstention

英语自学网

　　11月22日，德国基民盟领袖安吉拉·默克尔正式宣誓就任二战后德国第八任总理，她也是德国历史上首名女总理。外电报道如下：
　　Lawmakers voted 397 to 202 with 12 abstentions to make Merkel Germany's eighth leader since World War II, succeeding Gerhard Schroeder, whose seven-year government of Social Democrats and Greens was ousted by voters Sept. 18.
　　报道中的abstention指的是“弃权”，abstention from voting意思就是“弃权不投票”。Abstention有“节制、克制”的意思，比如：abstention from alcoholic liquors(戒酒);abstention from exerting pressures(不施加压力)。