英语听力精选进阶版 10034

The U.N. General Assembly has overwhelmingly approved the first-ever international treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar arms trade. It sets new standards for the export of conventional weapons from kalashnikov to battle tanks. Countries will have to report arms sales and assess whether they could be used to abuse human rights. The Australian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva Peter Woolcott cheered the negotiations¹.

联合国大会以压倒性的支持率通过了首个规范涉资数百万美元的武器贸易的国际公约。公约规定了诸如卡拉什尼科夫冲锋枪和战斗坦克这样的常规武器的出口。各国必须上报武器销售情况，并评估这些武器是否可被用作侵犯人权。澳大利亚驻日内瓦联合国大使彼得 ·乌尔柯特对此表示欢迎。

“The arms trade treaty will set new international standards as well as be a forum² to transparency and accountability in the conventional arms trade. So it will stop arms trade in transfer irresponsibly and illegally in order that they might commit atrocities³ in human rights violations⁴ and violations of humanitarian⁵ law. So I think it’s gonna contribute to regional and international peace and security and it will promote economic development in the process.”

“武器贸易公约将为传统武器贸易实现透明和负责任提供平台和国际新标准。这将阻止不负责任和非法转移武器，避免用来犯下侵犯人权和人道主义法之类的残暴行径。所以我认为该公约将促进区域和国际和平与稳定，并促进经济的发展。”

Only three countries voted against the treaty—Iran, Syria and North Korea, while 23 abstained⁶. Critics doubt the treaty will make any difference to the black market in weapons. The United States has called on China and Russia to try to rein⁷ in North Korea after it announces it will restart a dormant⁸ nuclear reactor⁹. Within the past few minutes the U.S Secretary of State John Kerry said such a move would be a provocative¹⁰ and serious move. He was speaking at a news conference with his South Korean counterpart. Earlier the U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon warned that North Korea was on a collision course that could lead to war.

伊朗、叙利亚和朝鲜投票反对该公约，而23个国家弃权。批评者怀疑该公约不会改变武器黑市的现状，美国宣布将重启一休眠核反应堆，并呼吁中国和俄罗斯遏制朝鲜。就在几分钟前，美国国务卿约翰·克里称此举具有挑衅意味，也是严肃的。他在同韩国官方的新闻发布会上发表讲话，早些时候，联合国秘书长潘基文警告说朝鲜有导致战争的危险。

President Obama has unveiled details of a bold new US initiative to study the human brain. Mr. Obama described the program which he compared in scope to mapping the human genome as enormous mystery waiting to be unlocked. He said the aim would be to find treatments and cures for a number of disorders¹² including Alzheimer’s and post-traumatic stress disorder¹¹ known as PTSD.

总统奥巴马宣布美国一项研究人脑计划的细节，这项研究很大胆。奥巴马将绘制人类基因图谱比作有待揭示的巨大秘密。他说研究目标是找到老年痴呆症和创伤后紧张症(PTSD)等疾病的疗法。

“Think about what we could do once we do crack this code. Imagine if no family had to feel helpless watching a loved one disappear behind the mask of Parkinson’s or struggle in the grip of epilepsy. Imagine if we could reverse traumatic brain injury or PTSD for our veterans who are coming home.”

“设想一下解密后我们能做些什么，想象下，再也没有家庭只能眼睁睁地看着亲人因帕金森症而逝去，或与癫痫做斗争。设想一下，如果我们能为复原老兵治疗创伤后紧张症的景象。”

The White House said researchers would try to produce dynamic pictures of the brain.

白宫称研究者将试图描绘大脑动态图。

The mother of the late pop star Michael Jackson is suing the concert promoter AEG Live for billions of dollars. Katherine Jackson blames the company for hiring the doctor who was found guilty of her son’s manslaughter. AEG Live denies responsibility. The doctor was jailed for four years after supplying Jackson with a powerful sedative¹³ before his death.

已故明星迈克尔·杰克逊的母亲起诉演唱会推广公司AEG并要求赔偿数十亿美元。凯瑟琳·杰克逊指责该公司雇佣了被判过失杀害她儿子的医生。AEG公司否认对此负责，这名医生在杰克逊死前给他打了镇定剂，因此获刑4年。

The Islamist political party of the Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi has condemned¹⁴ US criticism of legal action against the well-known satirist¹⁵ Bassem Youssef. The Freedom and Justice Party described an expression of concern by the US State Department as a brazen¹⁶ interference in Egyptian domestic affairs. Mr. Youssef is facing charges of insulting the president.

美国批评埃及对知名讽刺作家巴瑟姆·尤瑟夫的法律诉讼，埃及总统穆罕默德·穆尔西所属的伊斯兰政党对此谴责美国。自由与正义党称美国国务院表达的忧虑是对埃及国内事务的公然干预。尤瑟夫面临侮辱总统的指控。

World News from the BBC

Amnesty International has described its outrageous¹⁷ reports in the Saudi media that a man may be sentenced to paralysis¹⁸ as a punishment for having paralyzed another man. Saudi media says that the 24-year-old could be paralyzed from the waist down if he fails to pay some 270,000 dollars to his victim. Amnesty described the potential punishment as a form of torture.

沙特媒体报道称可对将导致别人瘫痪的人处以“瘫痪”的刑罚，大赦国际组织称这是粗暴的做法。沙特媒体称如果这名24岁的男子未能向受害者支付27万美元的赔偿，就要对他实施腰部以下的瘫痪刑罚。大赦国际称这种刑罚是酷刑。

Prosecutors¹⁹ in Brazil have charged four men in connection with the death of 241 people in a nightclub fire two months ago. The two owners of the nightclub and two members of the band that was playing at the time have been charged with manslaughter. Police said the fire in Santa Maria was triggered by fireworks used by the band.

巴西检察官指控涉嫌导致两个月前夜总会大火的4名嫌犯，那次事故导致241人丧生。夜总会的两名所有者和当时参加演出的乐队的两名成员被控以过失杀人，警方称圣马丽亚的这场大火是由乐队的焰火引起的。

A survey published weeks before general elections in Pakistan suggests that an overwhelming majority of young people are pessimistic about their future. The British council interviewed more than 5,000 voters aged²⁰ under 30. Orla Guerin reports.

巴基斯坦大选数周前的调查显示，绝大多数年轻人对未来比较悲观。英国委员会调查了5000名年龄在30岁以下的选民。奥拉·卡圭琳报道。

The survey paints a picture of a pessimistic generation disenchanted with democracy after five years of civilian²¹ rule. Ninety-four percent of respondents said Pakistan was going in the wrong direction up from 50% in 2007. More than half said democracy had not been good for them or the country. When asked to pick the best political system for Pakistan, Sharia law was the top choice followed by military rule, democracy came in third.

调查发现，悲观的一代年轻人对5年文官统治后的民主制感到失望。94%的受访者称巴基斯坦2007年就走上了错误的方向，一半以上的人说民主制对他们和国家没有益处。当被问及适合巴基斯坦的最佳政治体制时，伊斯兰教法是最佳选择，其次是军事统治，然后才是民主制。

And as Venezuela’s official election campaign gets underway, the interim²² President Nicolas Maduro has visited the house where the late President Hugo Chavez was born. Mr. Maduro met relatives and supporters of Mr. Chavez in his hometown and vowed²³ to continue his social reform program. The election on April 14th will choose a replacement²⁴ for Mr. Chavez who was in office for 14 years and died a month ago.

就在委内瑞拉官方选举进行之时，临时总统尼古拉斯·马杜罗访问了已故总统雨果·查韦斯的出生地。马杜罗在查韦斯的家乡会见了他的亲属和支持者，并承诺继续实施查韦斯的社会改革项目。上月去世的查韦斯在位14年。4月14日的选举将选出他的继任者。

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

3 atrocities   

n.邪恶，暴行( atrocity的名词复数 )；滔天大罪

参考例句：

• They were guilty of the most barbarous and inhuman atrocities. 他们犯有最野蛮、最灭绝人性的残暴罪行。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The enemy's atrocities made one boil with anger. 敌人的暴行令人发指。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

5 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

6 abstained   

v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票）

参考例句：

• Ten people voted in favour, five against and two abstained. 十人投票赞成，五人反对，两人弃权。
• They collectively abstained (from voting) in the elections for local councilors. 他们在地方议会议员选举中集体弃权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

8 dormant   

adj.暂停活动的；休眠的；潜伏的

参考例句：

• Many animals are in a dormant state during winter.在冬天许多动物都处于睡眠状态。
• This dormant volcano suddenly fired up.这座休眠火山突然爆发了。

9 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

10 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

11 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

12 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 sedative   

adj.使安静的，使镇静的；n. 镇静剂，能使安静的东西

参考例句：

• After taking a sedative she was able to get to sleep.服用了镇静剂后，她能够入睡了。
• Amber bath oil has a sedative effect.琥珀沐浴油有镇静安神效用。

14 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

15 satirist   

n.讽刺诗作者，讽刺家，爱挖苦别人的人

参考例句：

• Voltaire was a famous French satirist.伏尔泰是法国一位著名的讽刺作家。
• Perhaps the first to chronicle this dream was the Greek satirist Lucian.也许第一个记述这一梦想的要算是希腊的讽刺作家露西安了。

16 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

17 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

18 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

19 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。

20 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

21 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

22 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

23 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

24 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。