英语听力精选进阶版 7396

The United States government is giving $25 million this year to help political dissidents get around repression¹ of the internet in autocratic countries. The American Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said social networking sites, such as Twitter and Facebook, gave voice to people’s aspirations², and there was no turning back from an increasingly networked society.

今年，美国政府向政治异见分子提供2500万美元，帮助他们规避独裁国家对互联网的限制。美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿表示，Twitter和Facebook等社交网络能够表达民众的渴望，这是越来越网络化的社会不能否认的。

“The United States continues to help people in oppressive internet environments get around filters, stay one step ahead of the censors³, the hackers⁴ and the thugs who beat them up or imprison⁵ them for what they say online. While the rights we seek to protect and support are clear, the various ways that these rights are violated are increasingly complex.”

“美国将继续帮助那些处于网络抑制环境中的人们规避过滤器，躲避检查，逃过黑客和暗杀团伙。尽管我们努力想要保护和支持的权利非常明显，然而这些权利被践踏的方式也越来越复杂。”

In the past few weeks, anti-government protests organised via the Internet and mobile phones have swept the Middle East and forced the presidents of Tunisia and Egypt from power.

过去几周，通过网络和手机组织的反政府抗议活动席卷中东地区，突尼斯和埃及总统被迫下台。

President Obama has sharply criticised Iran, saying that while the authorities there celebrated⁶ the fall of the Mubarak government in Egypt, they’d attacked and beaten their own citizens who’d held peaceful demonstrations⁷. Mr Obama said he hoped protesters there would have the courage to continue expressing their yearning⁸ for greater freedom. From Washington, here’s Kim Ghattas.

奥巴马总统对伊朗提出严厉批评，称伊朗当局在庆祝埃及穆巴拉克政府垮台的同时却在袭击和殴打举行和平示威活动的本国公民。奥巴马总统表示，他希望伊朗抗议者有勇气继续表达自己对更大限度自由的渴望。华盛顿，Kim Ghattas报道。

President Barrack Obama came out in strong support of anti-government protesters in Tehran. Mr Obama also issued a direct appeal to autocratic rulers in the Arab world to look at Egypt’s example and listen to the needs of their people. “The world is changing”, said the American president, and leaders have to “get out ahead of the change”. They can’t be “behind the curve”. It was a warning to Arab rulers that if they don’t bring about credible⁹ reforms fast, they might meet the same fate as the former presidents of Egypt and Tunisia.

奥巴马总统对德黑兰的反政府抗议者表示强烈支持。奥巴马还直接呼吁阿拉伯世界的独裁统治者吸取埃及的教训，体谅民众的需求。“世界正在发生变化，”奥巴马说，各国领导人必须“在变化发生前及时规避”，而不是“落后于时代或潮流”。奥巴马警告阿拉伯统治者，如果他们不尽快进行可信的变革，他们将遭遇与埃及和突尼斯总统同样的命运。

Security forces in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, have used tear gas and batons¹¹ to disperse¹² thousands of anti-government protesters calling for the president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, to step down. It was the fifth consecutive¹³ day of demonstrations inspired by the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. President Saleh who’s been in power for almost 32 years has said he does not intend to continue beyond 2013, but his critics have demanded immediate¹⁴ political change.

也门首都萨那数千名反政府抗议者要求总统阿里·阿卜杜拉·萨利赫(Ali Abdullah Saleh)辞职，安全力量使用催泪弹和警棍来驱散抗议人群。这是由突尼斯和埃及的起义引发的示威活动的连续第五天。执政接近32年的萨利赫总统表示，他在2013年后无意继续执政，但是他的批评者要求立即进行政治变革。

The World Bank says rising food prices have pushed an extra 44 million people into poverty since last June. The Bank’s food price index has shot up by 15% in the last four months alone. Mark Doyle reports.

世界银行表示，不断上涨的粮食价格造成自去年6月份以来又有4400万人进入贫困状态。世界银行粮食价格指数仅在过去四个月就上涨了15%。Mark Doyle报道。

The World Bank figures show sharp price increases in wheat, maize¹⁵, sugar, and edible¹⁰ oils over the past six months, with prices almost reaching the peaks of the year 2008 when there were food riots in a number of countries in the developing world. Wheat and maize are the basis of many poorer people’s diets. But the poor suffer a double whammy because they also spend a larger proportion of their income on food than those in richer countries.

世界银行的数字显示，过去六个月，小麦，玉米，食糖和食用油的价格大幅上涨，价格几乎达到2008年的最高峰。当时，几个发展中国家因为粮食引发了暴动。小麦和玉米是许多较贫困人口饮食的基础。但是贫困人口受到的影响是双重的，因为他们比较发达国家的人们花费收入中更大的份额来购买食物。

World News from the BBC.

The authorities in South Sudan say about 200 people were killed during clashes last week with rebels, doubling the previous estimate. Officials and aid workers said most of those who died were civilians¹⁶, including women, children and priests. Many of them drowned as they tried to cross a river.

南苏丹当局表示，大约200人在上周与反叛分子的冲突中遇难，是此前估计数字的两倍。官员和救助人员表示，大部分遇难者为平民，包括妇女，儿童和牧师。许多人在试图渡河时溺亡。

A group of six Nigerian men and one Zambian have appeared in court in South Africa, accused of impersonating doctors and also charged with fraud, corruption¹⁷ and indecent assault. A local healthcare group said it’s concerned that thousands of patients may have been misdiagnosed. The men did not enter a plea.

六名尼日利亚人和一名赞比亚人在南非出庭受审，被指控假扮医生，被控有诈骗，腐败和猥亵罪。当地一家医疗组织表示，他们担心有数千名病人被误诊。被告还没有进入抗辩阶段。

A judge in the Italian city of Milan has ordered the Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi to stand trial on charges that he paid an underage girl for sex. Mr Berlusconi is alleged¹⁸ to have paid for sex with a 17-year-old girl. In Italian law that’s underage to be a prostitute. Duncan Kennedy reports from Rome.

A judge in Milan says there’s enough evidence to indict¹⁹ Silvio Berlusconi on two counts. The first is that he paid a 17-year-old prostitute for sex. The second is that he used the power of his office to get her release from police custody²⁰ after she was picked up on an unrelated theft charge. Both Mr Berlusconi and the teenager, known as Ruby²¹, denied they had sex. Mr Berlusconi admits he did call the police on her behalf, but only because he was told Ruby was the niece of the then president of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, and that he was helping²² a fellow leader. The head of Italy’s main opposition²³ party has tonight called for Mr Berlusconi to resign.

The Spanish Cycling Federation²⁴ has cleared the reigning²⁵ Tour de France champion, Alberto Contador, of using performance-enhancing drugs and reversed its one-year ban. It means the Spaniard can compete again immediately. He’s expected to start the Tour of Algarve in Portugal on Wednesday. Contador who’s won the Tour de France three times has insisted he’d taken the prohibited drug, clenbuterol, accidentally by eating a contaminated steak.

西班牙自行车联盟澄清，环法自行车赛冠军康塔多(Alberto Contador)并没有服用增强表现的药物，取消了一年的参赛禁令。这意味着这名西班牙选手可以立即参加比赛。预期他将在下周三参加葡萄牙的环阿尔加维自行车比赛。曾经三次夺得环法自行车赛冠军的Contador坚持称他食用受污染的猪排时意外食用了禁用药物双氯醇胺。

1 repression   

n.镇压，抑制，抑压

参考例句：

• The repression of your true feelings is harmful to your health.压抑你的真实感情有害健康。
• This touched off a new storm against violent repression.这引起了反对暴力镇压的新风暴。

2 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。

3 censors   

删剪（书籍、电影等中被认为犯忌、违反道德或政治上危险的内容）( censor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The censors eviscerated the book to make it inoffensive to the President. 审查员删去了该书的精华以取悦于总统。
• The censors let out not a word. 检察官一字也不发。

4 hackers   

n.计算机迷( hacker的名词复数 )；私自存取或篡改电脑资料者，电脑“黑客”

参考例句：

• They think of viruses that infect an organization from the outside.They envision hackers breaking into their information vaults. 他们考虑来自外部的感染公司的病毒，他们设想黑客侵入到信息宝库中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Arranging a meeting with the hackers took weeks againoff-again email exchanges. 通过几星期电子邮件往来安排见面，他们最终同意了。 来自互联网

5 imprison   

vt.监禁，关押，限制，束缚

参考例句：

• The effect of this one is going to imprison you for life.而这件事的影响力则会让你被终身监禁。
• Dutch colonial authorities imprisoned him for his part in the independence movement.荷兰殖民当局因他参加独立运动而把他关押了起来。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

8 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

9 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

10 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。

11 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

12 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

13 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

14 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

15 maize   

n.玉米

参考例句：

• There's a field planted with maize behind the house.房子后面有一块玉米地。
• We can grow sorghum or maize on this plot.这块地可以种高粱或玉米。

16 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

17 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

18 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

19 indict   

v.起诉，控告，指控

参考例句：

• You can't indict whole people for the crudeness of a few.您不能因少数人的粗暴行为就控诉整个民族。
• I can indict you for abducting high school student.我可以告你诱拐中学生。

20 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

21 ruby   

n.红宝石，红宝石色

参考例句：

• She is wearing a small ruby earring.她戴着一枚红宝石小耳环。
• On the handle of his sword sat the biggest ruby in the world.他的剑柄上镶有一颗世上最大的红宝石。

22 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

23 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。

24 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

25 reigning   

adj.统治的，起支配作用的

参考例句：

• The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。
• Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。