英语听力精选进阶版 9861

Syria state television has reported that three senior figures in President Assad's government have been killed in a suicide bomb attack in the capital Damascus. The president's brother-in-law, Assef Shawkat, was among the dead. He had been very influential¹ in the security services. Also killed were the Defense² Minister Daoud Rajiha and Gen Hassan Turkomani, who was heading the crisis management team that the bomber³ targeted. Frank Gardner reports.

叙利亚国家电视台报道说，首都大马士革发生自杀式炸弹袭击案，总统阿萨德政府的三名高级官员丧生。总统姐夫阿瑟夫·沙乌卡特是其中之一，他在安全局位高权重。另外两名是国防部长乌德·拉杰哈和当时正赶往袭击者的目标地危机管理小组。Frank Gardner报道。

In Damascus, the rumors⁴ are rife⁵ , but the conclusion is clear. The ruler President Assad is now under more serious threat than ever before. That does not mean it's on the point of immediate⁶ collapse⁷, but the death of Assef Shawkat, the president's powerful brother-in-law, is a triple blow for the ruling family. He's the closest person to the president to be killed so far. The personal command and control he built up in the armed forces has now gone, and his apparent assassination⁸ in the heart of the capital will make others in the regime wonder if anywhere in the country is safe for them.

大马士革流言纷纷，但结论很清楚。统治者阿萨德总统目前面临的威胁比以前任何时候都要严重，但这并不意味着马上就要垮台，但总统有权势的姐夫阿瑟夫·沙乌卡特之死，是对这个统治者家族的第三次打击。他是目前丧生者中与总统最亲密的人，他在军队中建立的个人指挥与控制中心已经不再，他在首都被暗杀一事，也令政权中的其他人怀疑国内是否有安全之地。

Syria's rebel Free Syrian Army has said it was responsible for the bomb attack in Damascus. The Syrian government said it was more determined⁹ than ever to hit back at what it called terrorists backed by the United States and Israel. But unlike previous incidents, Syrian state television has not shown images from the attack.

叙利亚叛军自由叙利亚军称对大马士革的炸弹袭击负责，叙利亚政府称，将对所谓由美国和以色列支持的恐怖分子予以更坚决的反攻。但与以往的事故不同，叙利亚电视台并未公布袭击事件的图片。

The United States says the killing¹⁰ of senior Syrian government figures shows that President Bashar al-Assad is losing control of his country. The White House Press Secretary Jay Carney gave this assessment¹¹ of today's attack.

美国称，叙利亚政府三位资深人物被杀表明阿萨德总统即将失去对该国的控制。白宫新闻秘书卡尔尼如是评价今天的袭击。

"The incident today makes clear that Assad is losing control, that violence is increasing, rather than decreasing, and that all of our partners, internationally, need to come together and support the transition."

“今天的事故清楚表明，阿萨德即将失去控制，暴力还在增加而不是减少，我们所有的国际伙伴都要合作支持这个过渡。”

A bomb has exploded on a bus carrying Israeli tourists in Bulgaria, killing at least six people and injuring more than thirty. The incident happened at the airport of the Black Sea resort Burgas. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Iran as Yolande Knell¹² reports.

在保加利亚，一枚炸弹在一辆载有以色列旅游者的汽车上爆炸，杀死至少6人，另外30多人受伤。事故发生在黑海旅游区布尔加斯机场，以色列总理内塔尼亚胡将事故归咎于伊朗，Yolande Knell报道。

In a statement on the attack, Mr Netanyahu said all the signs pointed¹³ to Iran. He claimed this was the latest in a series of attempts to target Israelis in foreign locations, including Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya and Cyprus. And he warned other strong reaction to what he called 'Iranian terror'. Teheran did not immediately give any response. According to Israel's foreign ministry¹⁴, the explosion in the Black Sea city of Burgas was caused by a bomb. It went off on a bus carrying tourists who just arrived on a chart of flight from Tel Aviv.

内塔尼亚胡就袭击事件发表讲话，他说所有的证据都指向伊朗。他说，最近发生了系列针对在诸如泰国、印度、乔治亚、肯尼亚、塞浦路斯等外国地点的以色列人的袭击事件，这是最近的一次。有人对他所谓的“伊朗恐怖”表示强烈反对，他对此表示警告。德黑兰没有立即作出反应。据以色列外交部说，黑海布尔加斯的爆炸案是一枚炸弹引起，炸弹在一辆载有游客的汽车上爆炸的，这些游客当时刚从特拉维夫乘飞机而来。

A 97-year-old Hungarian man suspected of taking part in the deportation¹⁵ of Jews in 1944 has been put under house arrest after he was questioned in Budapest. Prosecutors¹⁶ say they're studying evidence that could lead to the man, Laszlo Csatary, being charged with committing war crimes.

涉嫌参与1944年驱逐犹太人的97岁匈牙利人在布达佩斯受审后已被软禁，检察官说正在研究有关能指控Laszlo Csatary以战争罪的证据。

This is the World News from the BBC.

The United States Treasury¹⁷ Secretary Tim Geithner says the uncertainty¹⁸ about possible tax increases and government spending next year poses a significant risk for the US economy. Speaking on US television, he said a balanced mix of reforms was needed to address the government's financial problems.

美国财长蒂姆·盖特纳说，可能增税的不确定性及政府下年的开支会对美国经济构成巨大风险。他在美国电视台上讲话，称需要平衡各种改革来解决政府的财政问题。

Eight thousand Nigerians have been moved out of their village in the troubled Plateau state where religious and ethnic¹⁹ clashes left around 100 dead earlier this month. The army reached an agreement with the Fulani community on Monday to temporarily leave five villages so that a security sweep could be conducted. Eleven days ago, suspected Fulani gunmen stormed many Christian²⁰ villages.

八千名尼日利亚人被迫离开他们在受困的高原州的村庄，本月早些时候，这里发生的宗教和种族冲突导致100多人死亡。周一，军队与富拉尼社区签署协议，同意暂时离开五个村庄，以便实施安全扫荡。11天前，怀疑是富拉尼武装人员的人炮轰了很多基督教村庄。

A Taliban attack has destroyed at least 22 trucks carrying supplies to Nato forces fighting in Afghanistan. An explosion triggered a fire which tore through the trucks while they were parked overnight in the northern province of Samangan. At least one of the drivers was injured. Nato has made greater use of northern supply routes into Afghanistan since Pakistan banned Nato traffic last December. Pakistan lifted its blockade earlier this month.

塔利班在发动袭击，摧毁了至少22辆为在阿富汗战斗的北约军队运送供给的卡车。一起爆炸导致了大火，这些当时在萨曼甘省夜间停车的卡车都着了火。其中至少一名司机受伤。自从去年12月巴基斯坦禁止北约运输以来，北约就更多利用北部的供给线。巴基斯坦本月早些时候取消了封锁。

The authorities in India are investigating allegations that staff at a private school in Bangalore deliberately²¹ humiliated²³ the poorer children it was legally obliged to teach. The children are reportedly from low-caste Hindu communities. The school administration has made no comment. Andrew North reports from Delhi.

据悉班加罗尔一家私立学校的员工故意侮辱儿童，根据法律，该学校有义务教育这些儿童，目前印度当局正在调查此案。据悉这些儿童来自低阶层的印度社区，学校当局目前没有对此表态，Andrew North在德里报道。

Indian schools are supposed to reserve up to a quarter of their places for children from poorer backgrounds, but many private institutions oppose what's known as the right to education quota²⁴ – among them, this school in Bangalore. Parents of four children admitted under the scheme complained to the local authorities that they had tufts of their hair cut off to distinguish them from other children. They're also denied the same uniform as other children, their parents say, and made to sit at the back of the class to humiliate²² them.

按照规定，印度学校应为穷人阶层的孩子保留四分之一的名额，但许多私立学校反对所谓的教育配额权，班加罗尔这所学校就是这样。在该项目下学校的4名儿童的父母向当局投诉，称学校员工将他们孩子的头发剃去一绺以区别于其他孩子，这些孩子还不能穿和其他学生一样的校服，被羞辱坐在教室的最后一排。

 

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

4 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 rife   

adj.(指坏事情)充斥的，流行的，普遍的

参考例句：

• Disease is rife in the area.疾病在这一区很流行。
• Corruption was rife before the election.选举之前腐败盛行。

6 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。

7 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。

8 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

11 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

12 knell   

n.丧钟声；v.敲丧钟

参考例句：

• That is the death knell of the British Empire.这是不列颠帝国的丧钟。
• At first he thought it was a death knell.起初，他以为是死亡的丧钟敲响了。

13 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

14 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

15 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。

16 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

17 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。

18 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

19 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

20 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

21 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

22 humiliate   

v.使羞辱，使丢脸[同]disgrace

参考例句：

• What right had they to bully and humiliate people like this?凭什么把人欺侮到这个地步呢？
• They pay me empty compliments which only humiliate me.他们虚情假意地恭维我，这只能使我感到羞辱。

23 humiliated   

感到羞愧的

参考例句：

• Parents are humiliated if their children behave badly when guests are present. 子女在客人面前举止失当，父母也失体面。
• He was ashamed and bitterly humiliated. 他感到羞耻，丢尽了面子。

24 quota   

n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额

参考例句：

• A restricted import quota was set for meat products.肉类产品设定了进口配额。
• He overfulfilled his production quota for two months running.他一连两个月超额完成生产指标。