历史上的今天-Today in History 2011-04-24

 April 24th, 1980, eight U.S. servicemen are killed when an abortive¹ mission to free the American hostages in Iran ends in disaster. President Jimmy Carter: "It was my decision to attempt the rescue operation. It was my decision to cancel it when problems developed in the placement of our rescue team for a future rescue operation.” The following year, Iran frees the hostages on Carter’s last day in office after 444 days in captivity².

1916, the Easter Rising begins in Ireland. Some 1,600 Irish nationalists seize several key sites in Dublin aiming to end British rule over the entire Emerald Isle³. British forces crushed the rebellion almost week later. 1915, The Ottoman Empire, home of modern day Turkey, begins a mass deportation⁴ of Armenians during World War I. About 1,600,000 Armenians die of starvation or killed in forced exodus⁵. Hundreds of thousands more are driven into exile.

1968, In New York, leftist students at Columbia University began a weeklong occupation of several buildings on campus. And 1942, Barbra Streisand, singer and actress, director and producer is born in Brooklyn, New York.

Today In History, April 24th, Sandy Kozel, the Associated Press.

1 abortive   

adj.不成功的，发育不全的

参考例句：

• We had to abandon our abortive attempts.我们的尝试没有成功，不得不放弃。
• Somehow the whole abortive affair got into the FBI files.这件早已夭折的案子不知怎么就进了联邦调查局的档案。

2 captivity   

n.囚禁；被俘；束缚

参考例句：

• A zoo is a place where live animals are kept in captivity for the public to see.动物园是圈养动物以供公众观看的场所。
• He was held in captivity for three years.他被囚禁叁年。

3 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

4 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

5 exodus   

v.大批离去，成群外出

参考例句：

• The medical system is facing collapse because of an exodus of doctors.由于医生大批离去，医疗系统面临崩溃。
• Man's great challenge at this moment is to prevent his exodus from this planet.人在当前所遇到的最大挑战，就是要防止人从这个星球上消失。