日本警方对爆炸案展开调查（在线收听）

Japanese Officials Investigate Explosion

Amy Bickers

Tokyo

1 Sep 2001 10:02 UTC

In one of Tokyo's worst fires in decades, 44 people died Saturday when an explosion and fire tore through a crowded building in an 1)infamous red light district.

Japanese officials are trying to 2)ascertain whether a gas 3)leak or 4)arson could have caused the 5)deadly incident at the busy Tokyo nightspot. Fire officials say that they found a broken gas pipe near what they believe to be the source of the explosion.

The deadly 6)blast and fire took place early Saturday in a mahjong 7)parlor on the third floor of a building in Kabukicho, one of the Japanese capital's major entertainment districts. On Friday nights it is packed with 8)revelers.

An explosion was heard by people across the neighborhood and fire gutted the third and fourth floors of the building. At the time, it was filled with 9)patrons of the gambling club, a bar and other establishments. The blast ripped a large hole in the building's wall.

More than 100 fire trucks and 10)ambulances rushed to the scene of the incident, and firefighters were able to rescue some people from the burning building. Firefighters say the death toll was high because the building had only one inside stairway and the fire doors, meant to keep out smoke, did not close properly.

The gambling parlor had just one window, which was covered up. The same was true for the bar. Japanese authorities say the building's small elevator, as well as its sole staircase, were engulfed in smoke and 11)flames. People in the area say many establishments in the crowded nightclub area of Kabukicho are in violation of safety codes, but police have not commented.

(1)      infamous[5InfEmEs]adj.声名狼籍的

(2)      ascertain[AsE5teIn]vt.确定, 探知

(3)      leak[li:k]n.漏洞,泄漏vi.漏, 泄漏vt.使渗漏

(4)      arson[5B:s(E)n]n.纵火, 纵火罪

(5)      deadly[5dedlI]adj.致命的, 势不两立的, 死一般的, 极度的, 必定的

(6)      blast[blB:st; U.S. blAst]n.爆炸, 冲击波vt.爆炸,毁灭

(7)      parlor[5pB:lE(r)]n.客厅, 会客室, 店营业室, 业务室adj.客厅的

(8)    reveler n.摆设酒宴者, 饮酒狂欢者

(9)      patron[5peItrEn]n.(对某人, 某种目标, 艺术等)赞助人, 资助人

(10)      ambulance[5AmbjJlEns]n.救护车

(11)      flame[fleIm]n.火焰, 光辉, 光芒, 热情, 激情