英国新闻听力 85

BBC News with Jonathan Izzard.

Hillary Clinton has outlined the foreign policy aims of the incoming United States government, speaking of the need for what she called "smart power" where diplomacy¹ takes the lead and military force is used as a last resort. Addressing at Senate Foreign Affairs Committee hearing to confirm her as Barack Obama's Secretary of State, Mrs. Clinton said America could not solve the most pressing problems on its own.

"Now in 2009, the clear lesson of the last 20 years is that we must both combat the threats and seize the opportunities of our interdependence. And to be effective in doing so, we must build a world with more partners and fewer adversaries². America cannot solve the most pressing problems on our own, and the world cannot solve them without America."

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child has accused Israel of showing a manifest disrespect for the protection of children during its offensive in the Gaza Strip. It said more than 40% of those killed in Gaza were women or children although Israel had signed a UN protocol³ condemning⁴ attacks on places where children were likely to be present. Earlier, the Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Jakob Kellenberger, said many injured were unable to get rapid medical assistance.

"It is not negotiable that a medical mission in such a conflict has to be protected. Wounded people, they cannot wait for days, or even many hours to be evacuated⁵ and cared for."

The European Union has told Russia it's disappointed that little gas has flowed through Ukraine to the rest of Europe today despite an agreement to resume deliveries. The European Commission President, José Manuel Barroso, also complained about the limited access given to EU observers monitoring the pipelines⁶. From Brussels, Ben Shore reports.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. No gas is flowing, the monitors who are supposed to inject a degree of trust into proceedings⁷ haven't been given access to the actual gas control rooms in either Russia or Ukraine, and EU citizens’ radiators⁸ are still cold in the middle of a bitter winter. As yet, there is no clear explanation as to why deliveries are still not being made. The Russians claimed Ukraine is blocking the transit⁹ of gas, the Ukrainians accused the Russians of sending gas on a technically¹⁰ impossible transit route."

An international campaign group, Physicians for Human Rights, has accused the Zimbabwean government of failing in its most basic duty to protect the health of its people. The group said President Robert Mugabe's government was responsible for the collapse¹¹ of Zimbabwe's health, water and the sanitation¹² systems. It's said there were no functioning public hospitals, and the number of deaths from a cholera¹³ epidemic¹⁴ was far higher than the official figure of just over 2,000. Physicians for Human Rights urged the United Nations to intervene and take control of Zimbabwe's health system.

World News from the BBC.

A research institute in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi has launched a digital map of African soils which it says will help to curb¹⁵ food insecurity across the continent. The International Center for Tropical Agriculture says the project will combine satellite data with on-the-ground research to create a detailed¹⁶ online map of soils in Sub-Sahara Africa. The map will help identify areas where farmers need help to preserve and improve soil fertility to boost food production.

The Chairman of the United States Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, says more action will be needed to help stabilize¹⁷ the global financial system. Mr. Bernanke was speaking in London. Our economics correspondent Andrew Walker reports.

Mr. Bernanke said that measures already taken have probably prevented a global financial meltdown which would have left the world economy in far worse condition than it is today. But more is likely to be needed, including perhaps extra government funds to strengthen the banks. Mr. Bernanke also revived the idea of government purchases of problem assets from financial firms, something which was considered last year, but not pursued. He said that the stimulus¹⁸ being considered by President-elect Obama could provide a boost, but he said it’s unlikely to promote a lasting¹⁹ recovery unless the financial system is strengthened.

The US Treasury²⁰ says the American government has run up a record deficit²¹ of 485 billion dollars in the first three months of the current fiscal²² year. The figure exceeds the record shortfall for the whole of the previous budget year. The amount is in line with forecasts of a trillion-dollar deficit for 2009.

An Asian-born friend of the heir to the British throne has defended the Prince of Wales over his use of the nickname, Sooty. The man, Kolin Dhillon, said Prince Charles was not a racist²³ and the nickname was used with affection. Mr.Dhillon also said that Prince's sons, William and Harry²⁴, had always been respectful towards him. Prince Harry has also apologized for referring to a fellow soldier as "our little Paki friend".

BBC News.

1 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

2 adversaries   

n.对手，敌手( adversary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• That would cause potential adversaries to recoil from a challenge. 这会迫使潜在的敌人在挑战面前退缩。 来自辞典例句
• Every adversaries are more comfortable with a predictable, coherent America. 就连敌人也会因有可以预料的，始终一致的美国而感到舒服得多。 来自辞典例句

3 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。

4 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

6 pipelines   

管道( pipeline的名词复数 )； 输油管道； 在考虑（或规划、准备） 中； 在酿中

参考例句：

• The oil is carried to the oil refinery by pipelines. 石油通过输油管输送到炼油厂。
• The oil carried in pipelines. 石油用管道输送。

7 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

8 radiators   

n.（暖气设备的）散热器( radiator的名词复数 )；汽车引擎的冷却器，散热器

参考例句：

• You can preset the radiators to come on when you need them to. 你可以预先调好暖气，使它在你需要的时候启动。
• Stars are radiators of vast power. 恒星是强大的发光体。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

9 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

10 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

11 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

12 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

13 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

14 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

15 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

16 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

17 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

18 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

19 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

20 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

21 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

22 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

23 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

24 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。