英语听力精选进阶版 10204

Kenyan troops continue to lay siege to the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi where between 10 and 15 Islamist militants² are holding an unknown number of hostages. 68 people are known to have been killed and the Kenyan Red Cross said 49 others were unaccounted for. Mike Wooldridge reports.

肯尼亚军队继续包围内罗毕韦斯特盖特购物中心，有10到15名伊斯兰武装分子劫持了数量未知的人质。据悉已有68人丧生，肯尼亚红十字会称另外49人下落不明。Mike Wooldridge报道。

“To those outside the up market Westgate shopping centre, sporadic³ gunfire has been the only clue to what has been happening inside the four-storey complex as the standoff between the Islamist militants and elite⁴ units of the Kenyan security forces continues. Though in the late afternoon, a police helicopter and another with military camouflage⁵ swept low over the shopping centre. This was shortly after President Uhuru Kenyatta speaking at state house had refused to discuss operational aspects of the ongoing⁶ attempt to rescue the hostages, many unarmed badly-shaken innocent civilians⁷ he called them.”

“对那些在韦斯特盖特高级购物中心外面的人来说，只有这座4层建筑内偶尔传出的枪火声可以表明里面发生的一切，伊斯兰武装分子和肯尼亚安全部队精锐部队的僵持还在继续。不过到了下午晚些时候，一架警方直升机和另一架有军事伪装的直升机低飞到商场上方。就在此不久前，总统乌胡鲁·肯雅塔在总统府发表讲话，他拒绝谈论目前试图营救人质的行动，他称这些人是手无寸铁惊魂未定的无辜平民。”

The German Chancellor⁸ Angela Merkel has secured a third term in office with her Conservative party the CDU predicted to win about 42% of the vote in Sunday's federal elections. If confirmed, the results would have exceeded expectations, but it's still likely to fall short of giving Ms Merkel an absolute majority in the Bundesrat. Chris Morris reports from Berlin.

德国总理安吉拉·默克尔获得第三任期，她所属的保守党基督教民主联盟(CDU)有望在周日的联邦选举中赢得42%的支持率。如果预测属实，其结果将超过预期，但默克尔仍可能无法在联邦参议院获得绝对多数支持。克里斯·莫里斯在柏林报道。

“An amazing result for Angela Merkel, currently Germany's and Europe's preeminent⁹ politician. It was clear that she would win this election, but no one really predicted that she could get so close to an absolute majority. The final results are not yet in but it may still be that she needs a coalition¹⁰ partner. The obvious solution is a grand coalition with the centre-left Social Democrats¹¹. But there are divisions within the SPD about going into coalition again as a junior partner. In 2009 they were punished by the electorate¹² for doing that. Now the same thing has happened to the liberal Free Democrats.”

“这个结果对德国和欧洲最杰出的政治家安吉拉·默克尔来说太好了，显然她会赢得这次选举，但没人能预测到她会如此接近绝对多数支持。最终的结果尚未出来，但她可能还需要一位联盟伙伴。解决办法显然是与中间左派社会民主党组成大联盟，但社会民主党内部就是否再次进入联盟做小伙伴存在争议。2009年他们就因为做小伙伴遭到选民的惩罚，如今自由民主党也遭遇同样命运。”

Police in Pakistan say at least 75 people have been killed in a double suicide-bombing on hundreds of worshippers leaving a Sunday church service in the city of Peshawar. The dead included 34 women and 7 children. A militant¹ group linked to the Pakistani Taliban has said it was responsible. Shahzeb Jillani reports.

巴基斯坦警方称白沙瓦市数百名礼拜者在结束教堂礼拜仪式时遭遇两起自杀式爆炸袭击，至少75人丧生。死者中有34名妇女和7名儿童，一个与巴基斯坦塔利班有关的武装组织声称对此负责。Shahzeb Jillani报道。

“It's been described as the deadliest attack on Christians¹³ in Pakistan. Police say two bombers¹⁵ targeted Peshawar's historic All Saints Church when hundreds of worshippers were attending Sunday Mass. Angry scenes were witnessed outside the church, where friends and relatives of the victims protested against the government's failure to protect their loved ones. The attack has outraged¹⁶ many Pakistanis. But there's also a sense of helplessness about the government's apparent inability to prevent such atrocities¹⁷.”

“据悉这是巴基斯坦发生的针对基督徒的最致命袭击，警方称两名爆炸者袭击了白沙瓦著名的诸圣大教堂，当时数百名礼拜者正在进行主日弥撒。教堂外满是愤怒的人群，受害者的朋友亲属抗议政府未能保护自己的亲人，这场袭击令许多巴基斯坦人愤怒。但人们对政府显然无能阻止此类暴行也表示出无助感。”

In Iraq, at least 16 people were killed when a suicide bomber¹⁴ blew himself up inside a tent full of Sunni mourners at a funeral in the capital Baghdad. Reports say more than 30 people were wounded in the attack in the suburb of Doura.

在伊拉克首都巴格达一场葬礼上，一名自杀式爆炸者在满是逊尼派哀悼者的帐篷中引爆了自己，至少16人丧生。报道称在郊区多拉的这场袭击中，还有30多人受伤。

The number of people killed last Tuesday during an attack on a village in northeastern Nigeria has risen to at least 142. Environmental officers say they have recovered bodies lying on the road and nearby bushes in the Benisheik area of Borno state. The attack is thought to have been carried out by Boko Haram militants.

上周二尼日利亚东北部一个村庄发生袭击案，目前死亡人数已上升到142以上。环保官员称在博诺州Benisheik地区找到躺在路上和附近灌木丛中的尸体。据悉袭击是由博科圣地武装分子实施的。

Israel has further relaxed the six-year economic blockade of GAZA Strip by allowing extra deliveries of building materials for use by the privates sector¹⁸. Palestinian officials say they expected 70 extra truck loads each day, still falls far short of the construction materials GAZA needs. GAZA run by the Hamas Islamist movement has struggled with an acute shortage of cements, gravel¹⁹ and steel, because Israel feared they would be used to fortify²⁰ defenses.

以色列进一步放松对加沙地带为期6年的经济封锁，允许运输更多的企业建筑材料。巴勒斯坦官方称他们希望每天多运来70卡车材料，但这些建筑材料仍无法满足加沙的需求。被哈马斯武装运动控制的加沙地带苦于应对水泥、石子和钢铁短缺问题，因为以色列担心这些材料可能被用来加固防御工程。

Switzerland has voted overwhelmingly to retain compulsory²¹ military service. In the referendum all 23 cantons chose to keep conscription. Imogen Foulkes reports.

瑞士以压倒性支持保留义务兵役制，在公投中23个自治州全部投票支持保持征兵制。伊莫金·福克斯报道。

“It's the third time in 25 years that Switzerland has held a referendum on ending conscription. Each time Swiss voters said no. They like their militia²² army the way it is. Left-wing groups and some young Swiss men complained it's an expensive waste of time, but the government's argument that a part-time army, in which everyman must serve, is the best solution for a neutral democratic country clearly carried way to its voters.”

“这是25年内瑞士第3次就结束征兵制进行公投，但每次选民们都说不。他们喜欢目前的民兵制，左翼组织和一些年轻的瑞士男子抱怨征兵制浪费了大量时间，但政府声称，人人都参军的兼职军队对中立的民主国家来说是最好的办法。”

Parts of southern China have been brought to a virtual standstill as Typhoon Usagi, one of the most powerful storms the region has seen in the past 30 years, smashes its way inland, felling trees, power lines and even blowing cars off the road. Official reports say at least 3 people are known to have died after being hit by falling debris²³. The port of Hong Kong, one of the world's busiest, has been shut down and flight schedules across the region have been thrown into disarray²⁴

台风天兔袭击中国南部部分地区，造成该地区陷入停滞，这是30年来这里遭遇的最强大风暴，台风入侵内陆地区，吹倒树木、电线，甚至将汽车从道路上刮走。官方报道称据悉有3人被坠落的碎片击中而死。世界上最繁忙的香港港口也已关闭，整个地区的航班日程已陷入混乱。

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 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。

3 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

4 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

5 camouflage   

n./v.掩饰，伪装

参考例句：

• The white fur of the polar bear is a natural camouflage.北极熊身上的白色的浓密软毛是一种天然的伪装。
• The animal's markings provide effective camouflage.这种动物身上的斑纹是很有效的伪装。

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

7 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。

8 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

9 preeminent   

adj.卓越的，杰出的

参考例句：

• Washington was recognized as the preeminent spokesman of American Negroes by 1895. 到1895年,华盛顿被公认为美国黑人的卓越代言人。
• He is preeminent because his articles are well written. 他的文章写得很漂亮,卓尔不群。

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

13 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

14 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。

15 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

17 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》

18 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

19 gravel   

n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石

参考例句：

• We bought six bags of gravel for the garden path.我们购买了六袋碎石用来铺花园的小路。
• More gravel is needed to fill the hollow in the drive.需要更多的砾石来填平车道上的坑洼。

20 fortify   

v.强化防御，为…设防；加强，强化

参考例句：

• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。
• This treaty forbade the United States to fortify the canal.此条约禁止美国对运河设防。

21 compulsory   

n.强制的，必修的；规定的，义务的

参考例句：

• Is English a compulsory subject?英语是必修课吗？
• Compulsory schooling ends at sixteen.义务教育至16岁为止。

22 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

23 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

24 disarray   

n.混乱，紊乱，凌乱

参考例句：

• His personal life fell into disarray when his wife left him.妻子离去后，他的个人生活一片混乱。
• Our plans were thrown into disarray by the rail strike.铁路罢工打乱了我们的计划。