美国有线新闻 CNN 2013-01-16

 First story we're talking about today is in Northern Ireland, protests have been going on there for about a week now. The ones yesterday in the Northern Irish capital of Belfast. They started out peacefully, but some of them turned violent later on, there is a lot of history behind these protests. And it starts with geography, here is Northern Island, what's interesting is that it's not actually part of the Republic of Ireland, it's a part of the United Kingdom. And that's what behind this tension, nationalists who are mostly Catholic think Northern Ireland should be part of the Republic of Ireland. Unionists or loyalists who are mostly protestants want to stay part of the United Kingdom.

The conflict of between those two groups led to decades of violence, more than three thousand people were killed before a peace deal was signed in 1998. The protests happening now are connected to a decision regarding the British flag. In Belfast, the capital of Northern Ireland, the flag used to fly over City Hall everyday of the year. Last month local officials decided¹ to limit that to 18 days per year. Unionists weren't happy about that, they've been protesting in front of City Hall and another spot around the Northern Ireland. In some cases, protesters have fought with police officers, they've thrown concrete blocks, bricks, even gasoline bombs at police, officers have responded by using water cannons² to break up the protests. Some protestants and Catholics have also been fighting with each other.

We stay in Europe for our next story, which takes us from Northern Ireland down to Italy. One year ago, yesterday, a cruise ship ran aground off Italian coasts, a lot of you remember this. There were 3200 passengers on board the Costa Concordia, there were another 1000 crew members and 32 people on that ship lost their lives in the accident. Family members of the victims and some of the people who survived the wreck³ gathered for memorial service on the anniversary. A large boulder⁴ with victims' names was lowered into the sea. And relatives tossed writs⁵ and notes into the water. This is what the Costa Concordia looks like now, it's still on its side in the water. Crews are working to salvage⁶ the ship to get the thing upright and towed in the port. Those efforts are taking longer than expected, an official say it could take into this September.

Next up, we're heading to the capital of China, Beijing. Experts say that city has something in common with Los Angles  Smog, this gray haze⁷ hanging in the air, making things hard to see. Yesterday, the smog levels in Beijing hit record levels, the numbers off the charts. Authorities warned people there to stay inside. Last year, nearly 700 flights were canceled at Beijing airports because of haze and smog, officials in China say that the air quality in the capital has gotten better since Beijing hosted the 2008 Olympics. But residents say the pollution levels have gotten worse.

Back to U.S, two sides of country experience very different kinds of weather this weekend. On one coast you had freeze warnings, on the other you had people walking around in shorts. You might expect the warmer temperatures to be out west, no, not the case here. It was 30 degrees below normal in some spots there, overnight low in Los Angeles, 38 degrees, a freeze warning in Phoenix⁸, Arizona. But then you move over to the east, in some cities had temperatures were 30 degrees above normal, in Washington DC, the high on Saturday was 62, here in Atlanta, 76.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 cannons   

n.加农炮，大炮，火炮( cannon的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Cannons bombarded enemy lines. 大炮轰击了敌军阵地。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One company had been furnished with six cannons. 某连队装备了六门大炮。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

5 writs   

n.书面命令，令状( writ的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies. 管理局须发出令状的选举，以填补这些空缺。 来自互联网
• Writs of arrest were issued for a thousand students throughout the country. 全国各地有一千名学生被拘捕。 来自互联网

6 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

7 haze   

n.霾，烟雾；懵懂，迷糊；vi.(over)变模糊

参考例句：

• I couldn't see her through the haze of smoke.在烟雾弥漫中，我看不见她。
• He often lives in a haze of whisky.他常常是在威士忌的懵懂醉意中度过的。

8 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。