英国新闻听力 93

The new administration in Washington has named two key envoys² to deal with what the newly appointed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has described, as the two most pressing foreign policy issues confronting the United States. Richard Holbrooke, who brokered³ the 1995 agreement that ended the war in the former Yugoslavia, has been appointed to focus on Afghanistan and Pakistan. The other envoy¹, for the Middle East peace process, is the former US Senator and Northern Ireland Mediator⁴ George Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell himself has plenty of experience of intractable problems. He started his new job on an optimistic note recalling the successful end to the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland.

"From my experience there, I formed the conviction that there is no such thing as a conflict that can't be ended. Conflicts are created, conducted, and sustained by human beings. They can be ended by human beings. "

President Barack Obama, who stood next to Mrs. Clinton at the State Department as the two envoys were announced, said that Mr. Mitchell would have full negotiating powers in the Middle East. He outlined his thoughts on how to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict.

"Lasting⁵ peace requires more than a long ceasefire. That's why I will sustain an active commitment to seek two states living side by side in peace and security. Sen. Mitchell will carry forward this commitment as well as the effort to help Israel reach a broader peace with the Arab world that recognizes its rightful place in the community of nations. Now is the time for Arab states to act on the initiative's promise by supporting the Palestinian government under President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad, taking steps towards normalizing relations with Israel, and by standing⁷ up to extremism that threatens us all. "

Earlier, President Obama signed an executive order that will close the American detention⁸ centre at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba within one year, fulfilling a pledge he made in his election campaign. Mr. Obama also signed other orders, dealing⁹ with the way the US authorities treat detained terrorism suspects. They include an order closing all CIA detention centers abroad, and the stipulation¹⁰ that all detainees be treated humanely¹¹ without undergoing torture. President Obama said the measures will restore the due process of law, and the values laid down by the country's founding fathers.

A Senate committee has approved the appointment of Timothy Geithner as the new US treasury¹² secretary despite opposition¹³ over his failure to pay some income taxes on time. The Finance Committee approved the nomination¹⁴ by 18 votes to 5, clearing the way for a vote by the full Senate.

British soldiers say they are unhappy that their injured colleagues are being treated on the same ward⁶ as Taliban militants¹⁵ at a field hospital in Afghanistan. They say that the service men and women of Camp Bastion shouldn't have to share facilities with their enemy.

World News from the BBC.

American scientists say they've taken a big step forward towards the development of quantum computing¹⁶, a process they believe could form the basis of a new form of Internet that would work at the speed of light. In the American Journal of Science, researchers say they've instantaneously teleported information between two unconnected atoms a meter apart. Matt Mcgrath reports.

Quantum computing is an effort to harness the bizarre laws that operate in the subatomic world into practical devices that will revolutionize the speed of which we can share and process information. One of the key principles that empowers the concept is that in quantum mechanics, atomic particles can exist in two states at the same time. This makes them far more useful for carrying out complex calculations than conventional computer bits that are either one or zero, on or off. Another weird¹⁷ aspect of the quantum state is that atoms can be inextricably linked to other atoms, no matter how far apart they are. Changes the characteristics of one and, like magic, the other changes too.

The European Union has for the first time licensed¹⁸ an anti-obesity drug to be sold over the counter at chemists' without the need for a doctor's prescription¹⁹. The drug, Orlistat, hinders the absorption of fat in the body that can cause diarrhea, flatulence and even incontinence. As the body excretes fats, it can no longer absorb. Pharmacists welcome the move, but some doctors say it will simply mask underlying²⁰ problems caused by poor diet and lack of exercise.

A team of British-Italian scientists has asked for permission to exhume²¹ the body of a 16th century astronomer²², Galileo. They want to examine his DNA²³ to determine whether poor eyesight affected²⁴ some of his findings. Galileo, considered by many to be the father of modern astronomy, is known to have suffered problems with his vision, and by the end of his life, was completely blind. His work contained some errors, including his belief that Saturn²⁵ had two moons rather than a ring.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 envoys   

使节( envoy的名词复数 )； 公使； 谈判代表； 使节身份

参考例句：

• the routine tit for tat when countries expel each other's envoys 国家相互驱逐对方使节这种惯常的报复行动
• Marco Polo's travelogue mentions that Kublai Khan sent envoys to Malgache. 马可波罗游记中提到忽必烈曾派使节到马尔加什。

3 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

4 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

5 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。

6 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 stipulation   

n.契约，规定，条文；条款说明

参考例句：

• There's no stipulation as to the amount you can invest. 没有关于投资额的规定。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The only stipulation the building society makes is that house must be insured. 建屋互助会作出的唯一规定是房屋必须保险。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 humanely   

adv.仁慈地；人道地；富人情地；慈悲地

参考例句：

• Is the primary persona being treated humanely by the product? 该产品对待首要人物角色时是否有人情味？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• In any event, China's interest in treating criminals more humanely has limits. 无论如何，中国对更人道地对待罪犯的兴趣有限。 来自互联网

12 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。

13 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

14 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

15 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

16 computing   

n.计算

参考例句：

• to work in computing 从事信息处理
• Back in the dark ages of computing, in about 1980, they started a software company. 早在计算机尚未普及的时代（约1980年），他们就创办了软件公司。

17 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

18 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

19 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

20 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

21 exhume   

v.掘出，挖掘

参考例句：

• His remains have been exhumed from a cemetery in Queens,New York City.他的遗体被从纽约市皇后区的墓地里挖了出来。
• When the police exhume the corpse,they discover trace of poison in it.警方掘出尸体，发现有中毒的痕迹。

22 astronomer   

n.天文学家

参考例句：

• A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。
• He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

23 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

24 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

25 Saturn   

n.农神，土星

参考例句：

• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings.天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。
• These comparisons suggested that Saturn is made of lighter materials.这些比较告诉我们，土星由较轻的物质构成。