澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-03-01

The death toll¹ from the Chile earthquake has risen to more than 700. Rescue efforts have been hampered² by blocked roads and fallen bridges. The UN has promised aid and many countries including Australia have offered assistance. The Chilean government has not yet made an official request for outside help.

 

Australian Commonwealth³ Games officials want fresh assurances from the Foreign Minister about the safety of athletes competing in New Delhi. Steven Smith flies to India today to check on security at the Hockey World Cup and discuss arrangements for October's games. It follows a recent threat to sporting events in India from a group linked to Al-Qaeda.

 

At least 50 people have been killed in storms across Europe. Winds about 240 kilometers an hour caused chaos⁴ as they moved from Portugal, through Spain and France. French coastal⁵ villages are flooded and more than a million homes are without power. 

 

And a forecourt of Sydney's Opera House has turned into a sea of human flesh. Thousands of people have braved the elements to take part in a nude⁶ photo shoot by American photographer Spencer Tunick. The work is part of Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras.

 

And there'll be more news later.

1 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

2 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

3 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

6 nude   

adj.裸体的；n.裸体者，裸体艺术品

参考例句：

• It's a painting of the Duchess of Alba in the nude.这是一幅阿尔巴公爵夫人的裸体肖像画。
• She doesn't like nude swimming.她不喜欢裸泳。