UGANDA HAS never been an easy place to be a dissident(持不同政见者). Since taking power at the head of a rebel army 40 years ago, Yoweri Museveni, the president, has restored order to a country drenched in blood(浸透鲜血的), overseen(监督、管理) robust economic growth and ruthlessly(无情地、冷酷地) suppressed challenges to his rule. Of his two main opponents, one, Bobi Wine, lives in exile. The other, Kizza Besigye, is in jail and on trial for treason; in July he collapsed in court. In January Mr Museveni won a sham(虚假的、假装的) election marred(破坏、玷污) by thuggery(暴行、流氓行为) and ballot-stuffing(选票造假).
乌干达从来就不是一个异见者容易生存的地方。自40年前以叛军首领身份掌权以来，总统约韦里·穆塞韦尼为这个浸透鲜血的国家恢复了秩序，监督了强劲的经济增长，并无情地镇压对其统治的挑战。在他的两个主要反对者中，一个叫博比·瓦恩，流亡海外；另一个叫基扎·贝西杰，身陷囹圄，因叛国罪受审；7月他在法庭上晕倒。1月，穆塞韦尼赢得了一场被暴行和选票造假玷污的虚假选举。
Yet as the president, who is 81, grows frailer(更虚弱的), Ugandans have begun to worry less about what he will do next, and more about what will happen when he is gone. As potential successors jockey for position(争权夺位、抢占有利位置), Uganda is a reminder of how nasty(糟糕的、恶劣的) things can get when an ageing autocrat starts to lose his grip(失去控制).
然而，随着现年81岁的总统身体日渐衰弱，乌干达人开始不再那么担心他下一步会做什么，而更担心他去世后会发生什么。在潜在继任者争权夺位之际，乌干达提醒人们，当一个年迈的独裁者开始失去控制时，事情会变得多么糟糕。
Once known for punishingly(令人疲惫地、严酷地) long work days, Mr Museveni has lately been spending less time at the office. He has cancelled engagements at short notice(临时、在短时间内) and appeared shaky(颤抖的、不稳定的) in public. Stunts to demonstrate youthful vigour(活力、精力), such as a brief jog down a red carpet during last year’s election campaign, have fooled nobody.
穆塞韦尼曾以工作时间长得惊人而闻名，但最近他在办公室的时间越来越少。他经常临时取消活动，在公开场合显得步履蹒跚。一些旨在展示青春活力的噱头，比如去年竞选期间在红地毯上短暂慢跑，已经骗不了任何人。
Countries for old men
老男人的国家