Vladimir Putin triumphed in Russia's presidential election on Sunday and, tears rolling down his cheeks, called his victory a turning point that had prevented the country falling into the hands of enemies.
Putin's opponents complained of widespread fraud, refused to recognize the results and said they would press ahead on Monday with the biggest protests since he rose to power 12 years ago.
But the former KGB spy said he had won a "clean" victory and was on course to return to the Kremlin after four years as prime minister with almost 65 percent of votes, partial results showed.
"I promised you we would win. We have won. Glory to Russia," Putin, dressed in an anorak and flanked by outgoing President Dmitry Medvedev, told tens of thousands of flag-waving supporters at a late-evening victory rally under the red walls of the Kremlin.
Denouncing attempts to "destroy Russia's statehood and usurp power," he said: "The Russian people have shown today that such scenarios will not succeed in our land ... They shall not pass!"
The crowd at one point chanted: "Putin! Putin! Putin!" Some danced to keep warm and drank vodka from plastic glasses, with empty bottles crunching underfoot.
It was a defiant and angry speech which left Putin, 59, on collision course with the mainly middle-class protesters in Moscow and other big cities who have staged huge rallies since a disputed parliamentary poll on December 4.
Two exit polls showed Putin with 58-59 percent of the votes and incomplete results showed him winning more than 64 percent.
The protest organizers, who see Putin as an autocratic leader whose return to power will stymie hope of economic and political reforms, said their demonstrations would now grow.
上周日，弗拉基米尔?普京在俄罗斯总统大选中胜出后喜极而泣。他表示自己的胜利是避免国家落入敌人手里的历史转折点。
普京的反对者则表示，大选存在许多舞弊现象，拒绝承认选举结果，誓言周一将继续举行普京上台12年以来的最大规模的示威抗议活动。
但普京表示，自己赢得“干干净净”，即将在四年的总理生涯后重返总统宝座。部分投票结果显示，普京的支持率接近65%。普京曾是一名克格勃间谍。
周日晚间，在克里姆林宫的红墙外举行的一次庆祝胜利集会上，普京对数万名热情的支持者说：“我曾向你们保证我们会赢。我们赢了。荣耀属于俄罗斯！”。当时他身穿厚夹克，即将离职的现任总统德米特里?梅德韦杰夫站在他身旁。
普京谴责了那些试图“破坏俄罗斯的国家地位以及篡夺权力”的企图。他说：“俄罗斯人民今天已经证实，这种事在我们的国土上不会成功……他们无法成功！”
人群一度高呼“普京！普京！普京！”一些人跳着舞保暖，拿着塑料杯子喝伏特加酒，脚边到处是破碎的空瓶子。
这场挑衅性的和令人气愤的演说使得59岁的普京面临着来自莫斯科和其他大城市的中产阶级的抗议。自去年12月4日有争议的议会投票后，这些抗议人士已经组织了数次大规模集会。
两次投票后民调显示，普京支持率高达58%至59%，据不完全统计，普京此次大选的得票率超过64%。
抗议组织者表示他们将继续举行活动。他们认为普京专制，重返总统宝座会妨碍经济和政治改革。
Vocabulary:
press ahead: 继续进行
anorak: 厚夹克，滑雪衫
outgoing: 即将离职的
flag-waving: 狂热爱国主义的
usurp: 篡夺，夺取
exit poll: 投票后民意调查
stymie: 使陷困境，妨碍
华译网翻译公司转载 |
