英语听力精选进阶版 13938

Dep. Prime Minister sings "I'm sorry"

Summary

24 September 2012

Britain's Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is becoming something of an internet sensation. But not perhaps quite in the way he intended. A television message he recorded apologising to voters for a promise his Liberal Democrat¹ party made before the last election, and then went back on, has been put to music.

Reporter:

Rob Watson

Report

"We made a promise before the election, that we would vote against any rising fees…

We would vote against any rising fees…

We would vote against any rising fees…

It was a pledge made with the best of intentions, the best of intentions.

But we shouldn't have made a promise we weren't absolutely sure we could deliver."

It's the Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg as never heard before. His apology over tuition fees for students, turned into something decidedly more entertaining via a clever bit of computer software. 

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry…

There's no easy way to say it: I'm sorry, I'm sorry."

His original, pre-musical apology, had been considered a risky² strategy. After all, how often do politicians ever admit to being wrong or say sorry? But given his and the Liberal Democrats³' abysmal⁴ opinion poll ratings since joining the coalition⁵ two years ago, the verdict was: the apology was worth a try. Whether the singing version will make matters better or worse is hard to say. But a source close to Mr Clegg says he found it very funny and has given permission for the video to be released - provided any profits go to charity. 

"The liberal democrats are sorry.

There's no easy way to say it: we are sorry.

And if we've lost your trust, that's how I hope we can start to win it back."

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

3 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》

4 abysmal   

adj.无底的，深不可测的，极深的；糟透的，极坏的；完全的

参考例句：

• The film was so abysmal that I fell asleep.电影太糟糕，看得我睡着了。
• There is a historic explanation for the abysmal state of Chinese cuisine in the United States.中餐在美国的糟糕状态可以从历史上找原因。

5 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。