英语听力精选进阶版 7389（在线收听）

Hundreds of thousands of Egyptians have turned out to demonstrate in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square for the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak and an end to his political system. It’s the biggest protest so far, as Jim Muir reports from the square.

数万名埃及人走向开罗中心的解放广场举行示威活动，要求总统穆巴拉克辞职，并结束他的政治制度。这是目前为止最大的抗议活动，Jim Muir在解放广场报道。

“Go, go, go!” they chanted, and they chanted it in their tens of thousands. Already densely packed in the huge square, the crowds kept coming, backed up over the Nile Bridge leading to Tahrir from one direction and along the riverside from another. It ended up being the biggest turnout the protesters have seen so far. It was entirely peaceful. Many families joined in. The army guarding the square could only stand aside and let them pass.

“下台，下台，下台。”数万人高呼这样的口号。这个巨大的广场上已经人山人海，但是仍有许多人赶来，挤上了连接解放广场和河对岸的尼罗河桥，最终演变为目前为止参加人数最多的抗议活动。总体来说抗议活动是和平的。许多家庭加入了该行列，保卫该广场的军队只是站在两旁，允许示威者通过。

The United States Vice President Joe Biden has told the Egyptian Vice President Omar Suleiman he should ensure an orderly transition of power in Egypt that is prompt, meaningful, peaceful and legitimate. From Washington, Kim Ghattas reports.

美国副总统拜登告诉埃及副总统苏莱曼(Omar Suleiman)，他应该确保埃及有序地完成快速，有意义，和平，合法的权利移交。华盛顿，Kim Ghattas报道。

It’s the first time since the beginning of protests in Cairo that Washington has made such specific demands in public. The American Vice President Joe Biden has now spelled out what the White House expects from this transition: immediately lift the emergency law and include a broad range of opposition groups as partners in the talks about the transition. Mr Biden also said the Egyptian interior ministry should immediately stop arresting and beating journalists or activists.

这是自开罗抗议活动开始以来华盛顿首次公开作出明确要求。美国副总统拜登现在明确表示了白宫对这次权利过渡的期望：立即废除紧急法律，让广泛的反对派组织参加权利移交的对话。拜登还表示，埃及内政部必须立即停止逮捕和殴打记者或活动积极分子的行为。

The French Prime Minister Francois Fillon has admitted that Egypt’s President Hosni Mubarak lent him and his family a plane during a holiday in Egypt last Christmas. France’s Foreign Minister Michele Alliot-Marie had already been criticised for using a plane belonging to a Tunisian tycoon while holidaying in that country during the unrest. Sam Wilson reports on Mr Fillon’s case.

法国总理弗朗索瓦·菲永(Francois Fillon)承认，去年圣诞节在埃及度假期间，埃及总统穆巴拉克曾经借给他和他的家人一架飞机。法国外长阿利奥·马里(Michele Alliot Marie)已经因为在突尼斯度假时使用一名企业大亨的飞机而受到批评。Sam Wilson报道关于菲永案件的详细内容。

This admission will be acutely embarrassing for Francois Fillon. As Nicolas Sarkozy’s prime minister, he’s been seen as a safe pair of hands, a calming influence on the impetuous president. But now, his judgement will be called into question. With Mr Mubarak facing unprecedented popular protests, western leaders have tried to distance themselves from him. But this affair demonstrates how he’s long been treated as a friend and ally by western politicians.

对于菲永来说，他的供认会让他非常尴尬。作为萨科齐的总理，他被视为安全的伙伴，对轻率的总统来说具有很大的影响力。但是现在，他的判断将会受到质疑。由于穆巴拉克受到前所未有的抗议，西方领导人都试图与他划清界限。但是这次事件表明，穆巴拉克长期以来一直被西方政客视为朋友和同盟。

A US government investigation into safety in Toyota cars has found no problems with the electronics in the company’s vehicles. The US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood spelled out the inquiry’s findings.

美国政府对丰田汽车进行的安全性调查发现，丰田汽车公司车辆的电子元件没有问题。美国交通部长Ray LaHood阐明了这次调查的结果。

“So let’s be clear. The jury is back. The verdict is in. There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas. Period.”

“我们必须明确，陪审团已经回来了，判决已经出炉。丰田汽车加速器突然加速并不是电子元件的原因。”

Since 2009, the Japanese company had recalled more than 12 million cars and vans across the world to deal with problems such as sticking accelerator pedals.

自2009年以来，丰田汽车在全球范围内已经召回了1200多万辆汽车，解决加速器垫板等问题。

BBC News.

Amnesty International has said it believes torture and ill-treatment in Iraqi prisons will remain widespread. The human rights group said that when the United States handed full control of prisons to the Iraqi government last year, it did so without any guarantees that inmates would be protected. The Iraqi parliament voted in 2008 to join the UN Convention against Torture, but Amnesty said there was no indication that the Baghdad government actually intended to sign it.

国际特赦法庭表示，他们相信，伊拉克监狱的酷刑和虐待现象仍然非常普遍。该人权组织表示，去年，美国将监狱的所有控制权移交给伊拉克政府的时候没有任何保证囚犯会受到保护。伊拉克议会在2008年进行了投票，加入联合国反酷刑公约，但是国际特赦法庭表示，没有任何迹象表明巴格达政府真正有意签署该文件。

Fire fighters have put out a fire at the treasury in Abidjan, the main city in Ivory Coast, which destroyed many financial records. It happened as Laurent Gbagbo is facing increasing pressure to step down as president. Last month, the regional central bank cut his government off from the state treasury in favour of Alassane Ouattara, the man who the international community says won November’s poll.

消防员扑灭了科特迪瓦主要城市阿比让国库的大火。这次大火毁坏了许多财政记录。大火发生时，巴博总统面临的下台的压力越来越大。上个月，区域中央银行将他的政府从支持瓦塔拉的国家财政部剔除。国际社会普遍认为瓦塔拉赢得了11月份的总统选举。

Russia has abolished the clock change to winter time. The measure was announced by President Medvedev who said the switch caused stress. From Moscow, here’s Steve Rosenberg.

俄罗斯宣布废除冬令时的执行。俄罗斯总统宣布该决定时表示，冬令时和夏令时的转换会给人们带来压力。Steve Rosenberg在莫斯科报道。今年秋季，世界上最大的国家俄罗斯的时钟不再需要回拨一个小时。从今以后，俄罗斯将一直实施夏令时。这条规定由梅德韦杰夫总统颁布。

This autumn, clocks in the world’s biggest country will not go back one hour. They'll remain on summer time for the rest of time. President Medvedev has decreed it. According to the president, switching back and forth between summer and winter time is causing Russians stress and illness. When the clocks go back, President Medvedev said today, human bio-rhythms are disrupted. Everyone either oversleeps or wakes up early. And then the president explained there were the cows. They get all confused. They just can’ t understand why the milkmaids suddenly turn up at a different hour.

梅德韦杰夫总统表示，冬令时和夏令时的转换会给民众带来压力，甚至引发疾病。总统表示，时钟回拨的时候，人体生物钟会被扰乱。人们会睡过头或提早醒来。总统还表示，牛也是如此，它们感到非常困惑，不能理解人类突然间在不同的时间出现。

Hundreds of indigenous Brazilians are protesting in the capital Brasilia against the construction of what will be the world’s third biggest hydroelectric dam. An indigenous leader delivered a petition opposing the project signed by more than half a million people. Environmentalists and celebrities say the dam in the Amazon River Basin will harm the world’s biggest virgin forest.

数百名巴西土著居民在首都巴西利亚举行抗议活动，反对建设所谓的世界上第三大水电站。一名土著领袖递交了由50多万人签署的反对该项目的请愿书。环境学家和权威人士表示，在亚马逊河上建筑的该大巴将危害世界上最大的原始森林。