英语听力精选进阶版 13286

Chilean miners' anniversary

Report

Most people in Chile remember where they were when they heard that the miners had been found alive. It's a day that's etched on the national conscience.

The men had been trapped for 17 days. Nothing had been heard from them and most people had given them up for dead.

Then on August 22nd engineers pulled a drill out of the ground and found a splash of red paint on it - a sign of life. Moments later they found a note attached to the drill. "We are all well in the shelter, the 33," it read.

The discovery sparked wild celebrations across Chile. The miners will be remembering that day in private ceremonies in the city of Copiapo.

The government has decided¹ not to mark the occasion formally. A similar anniversary in Copiapo two weeks ago was marred² by protests against President Sebastian Pinera.

Relations between the miners and the government have soured somewhat since July, when 31 of the men launched legal action against the Chilean state, accusing it of negligence³.

And in Copiapo, some of the workers from the San Jose mine who weren't trapped but who lost their jobs because of the accident have accused the 33 of taking advantage of their celebrity⁴ and using it to line their own pockets.

Gideon Long, BBC News, Chile

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

3 negligence   

n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意

参考例句：

• They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
• The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

4 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。