美国有线新闻 CNN 2014-01-06

 All the icy ordeal¹ is one major step close to being over for passengers who were trapped on a ship off Antarctica for ten days. All the passengers aboard that Russian stranded² ship have been rescured by helicopter. They are now on an Australia ice breaker. 22 crew members will stay on board the ship untill they can move again. And this is a story that started on Christmas Eve after the ship got stuck in ten feet of ice. Previous rescue attempts had to be abandoned because of treacherous³ conditions. Now the 52 passengers are no longer stuck, but their journey home is really just beginning. Mathew Chance has the latest. 

 

This is the Chinese helicopter that finally plucked all 52 passengers off the stranded research vessel⁴.  

 

The helicopter to take us home. Thanks, everyone. 

 

After more than a week, marooned⁵ in Antarctice pack ice, the team of scientists and tourists were airlifted to a nearby Australia ice breaker are now heading into  open seas. It's still expected to be mid-Janurary before they make dry land.  Since Christmas Eve, hopes were raised repeatedly that rescue of the ship, the Academic Shicaoski was imminent⁶. At least 3 attempts failed to cut a path through the sea ice. But those on board kept their spirits high, bringing a brave faith on their ordeal, even continuing the scientific experiments on climate change they were there to conduct. 

 

And it was the passengers you helped prepare the makeshift helipad stomping⁷ down the ice to smooth the landing zone. The 22- member Russian crew of the Academic Shicaoski have decided⁸ to stay on board, rescue team say could be weeks before the melting pack ice set them and their vessel free. Mattew Chance, CNN, London.

1 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

2 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

3 treacherous   

adj.不可靠的，有暗藏的危险的；adj.背叛的，背信弃义的

参考例句：

• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.路面的积水对驾车者构成危险。
• The frozen snow was treacherous to walk on.在冻雪上行走有潜在危险。

4 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

5 marooned   

adj.被围困的；孤立无援的；无法脱身的

参考例句：

• During the storm we were marooned in a cabin miles from town. 在风暴中我们被围困在离城数英里的小屋内。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Five couples were marooned in their caravans when the River Avon broke its banks. 埃文河决堤的时候，有5对夫妇被困在了他们的房车里。 来自辞典例句

6 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

7 stomping   

v.跺脚，践踏，重踏( stomp的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He looked funny stomping round the dance floor. 他在舞池里跺着舞步，样子很可笑。 来自辞典例句
• Chelsea substitution Wright-Phillips for Robben. Wrighty back on his old stomping to a mixed reception. 77分–切尔西换人：赖特．菲利普斯入替罗本。小赖特在主场球迷混杂的欢迎下，重返他的老地方。 来自互联网

8 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。