新西兰英语 304 Rainbow Warrior Ship Bombed 25 years ago

　　In the 1980s, France was carrying out nuclear weapons tests on small islands in the South Pacific. Greenpeace was preparing to visit Mururoa in French Polynesia to protest about France’s nuclear tests. The Greenpeace ship, the Rainbow Warrior¹, was tied up in the Auckland harbour on 10th July 1985 when two bombs which were attached to the bottom of the ship exploded just before midnight. Only one man was on the ship at this time and he was killed. He was a Portuguese² photographer, Fernando Pereira.
Two French spies were arrested but three others escaped in a yacht³. The spies, Dominique Prieur and Alain Mafart, were found guilty of manslaughter and were sentenced to 10 years in prison. They were sent to a small island in the Pacific but after less than two years, they returned to France.
This has been New Zealand’s only terrorist⁴ attack.
Later the French President, Mitterand, admitted that he had ordered the bombing. The French government wanted to stop Greenpeace from protesting about the French nuclear testing in the Pacific. Later the French government paid $13m to New Zealand in compensation⁵. The French did not stop their nuclear testing in the Pacific for another 10 years. Listen to March 24th 2009 for more about this.
The Rainbow Warrior ship wreck⁶ was taken to the Bay of Islands where today it is explored by divers⁷. The ship was only 40m long so it is possible for divers to swim all around it quite easily. Divers can see the hole made by the bomb.
Today, an exhibition of photographs opened in Whangarei to show people more about the background to the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior.
Questions
1. Why, do you think, did France carry out nuclear weapons tests above ground in French Polynesia instead of underground in France?
2. Did France know of the dangers from nuclear radioactivity?
3. Why did France want nuclear weapons?
4. What do you know about Greenpeace? Do they still protest about nuclear weapons testing or are they more worried about other environmental matters today?

1 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

2 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

3 yacht   

n.游艇，快艇

参考例句：

• He was responsible for the location of the missing yacht.他负责查明失踪游艇的下落。
• He planned to cross the Pacific by yacht.他曾打算乘快艇横渡太平洋。

4 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

5 compensation   

n.补偿（或赔偿）的款物，补偿，赔偿

参考例句：

• Workers who have been unfairly dismissed may claim compensation.被无理开除的工人可以要求补偿。
• Equal compensation should be given to men and women for equal work.男女同工应同酬。

6 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

7 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。