英语听力精选进阶版 7419（在线收听）

The Japanese government has played down concern about a possible nuclear meltdown, following a big explosion at a nuclear power station in the north of the country. The blast occurred a day after the area was hit by a powerful earthquake and tsunami. A top government official, Yukio Edano, said a steel container encasing the nuclear reactor had not been ruptured by the blast.

日本北部一座核电站发生了大爆炸，之后，日本政府淡化了可能发生堆芯融化的隐患。爆炸发生在该地区被地震和海啸袭击一天之后。高级政府官员官枝野幸男(Yukio Edano)表示，包围核反应堆的钢铁容器并没有在爆炸中破裂。

“It was not the reactor’s container that exploded; therefore it is not the case that a large radiation leak is expected. According to the results from the radiation monitoring systems of the Tokyo Power Electric Company of Fukushima prefecture, the density of the radiation has not increased after the explosion compared to before the explosion.”

“发生爆炸的并不是反应堆的容器，所以，不会发生大规模的辐射泄漏。根据东京福岛县电力公司的辐射监测系统测试结果，爆炸过后与爆炸之前相比辐射的密度并没有增加。”

Tens of thousands of people have left the area surrounding the nuclear plant. Shortly after the blast, the Japanese authorities extended the evacuation zone around the plant to 20 kilometres. Local media said three people were being treated for exposure to radiation. Medical teams have been sent there to counter any further radiation threat, and the government has urged people to stay calm. However, these residents said they were concerned.

数万人已经撤离了核电站周边地区。爆炸后不久，日本当局将疏散地区扩大到核电站周围20千米。当地媒体表示，三人已经接受辐射治疗。政府已经向该地区派遣了医疗小组，应对可能出现的进一步的辐射威胁。政府还敦促人民保持冷静。然而，这些居民说他们非常担心。

“Officials said 10 kilometres or 20 kilometres away is safe, but the radiation may change and go out wider. It’s very disturbing. There is no way to get out of here.”

“官员们声称10千米或20千米是安全的，但是辐射会发生变化，会扩散到更大的范围。真的令人非常不安。我们没有办法离开这里。”

“I think it’s safe at the moments, but I’m worried that radiation might already be reaching us.”

“我认为目前来说是安全的。但是我担心辐射已经开始接近我们。”

Fifty thousand Japanese military personnel had been ordered to join the huge rescue and relief operation following the earthquake and tsunami. More than 1,000 people are feared dead. About 400 bodies were found in the town of Rikuzentakata, and Japanese media reports say 10,000 people are unaccounted for in Minamisanriku. Damian Grammaticas in the port of Sendai says the scenes of devastation there are astonishing.

地震和海啸过后，日本军方已经派遣了50,000人参加浩大的搜救工作。目前可能已有1,000多人死亡。仅在岩手县陆前高田市(Rikuzentakata)就发现了大约400具尸体。日本媒体报道称，南三陆町大约有10,000人下落不明。仙台市的Damian Grammaticas表示，地震和海啸造成的破坏的景象令人触目惊心。

Giant shipping containers have been picked up and swept inland and smashed against buildings. There are trees and wood and rubble strewn everywhere. Shipping crates, too. In front of me here, dozens and dozens and dozens of motor cars have been picked up, smashed and crushed. All across the ground, it’s wet and muddy with sand that’s been swept in by the waves. And right next to me here, is a giant articulated truck that’s been picked up, turned over, crumpled in the front end, smashed in, too.

巨大的集装箱被托起，卷入内陆，被建筑物撞坏。树木，垃圾和板条到处都是。在我面前，许多机动车被卷起，粉碎。被海水浸泡的整个陆地都成了一片沼泽，到处是泥泞的景象。在我旁边是一辆巨大的卡车，已经完全翻车，前端被撞坏。

International disaster relief teams have been sent to Japan. The United Nations said a nine strong UN team of experts would include several Japanese speakers. Britain said it was sending expert assistance after receiving a request from Japan. Singapore is also deploying an urban search and rescue team. American forces stationed in Japan have already been involved in rescue operations, and more than 50 territories and countries have offered assistance.

国际灾难救援队伍也已经赶赴日本。联合国表示，由9人组成的联合国专家小组将包括几名日本演说家。英国表示，他们收到日本的求助之后已经派遣了专家救援队伍。新加波也派遣了城市搜救队。驻日本美国军队已经在进行搜救工作，50多个国家和地区都提供了援助。

World News from the BBC.

The Arab League has agreed to ask the United Nations’ Security Council to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. The vote was unanimous. The secretary-general of the 22-member bloc, Amr Moussa, explained the reason for the decision.

阿拉伯联盟一致同意向联合国安理会请求对利比亚实施禁飞区措施。各国一致投票通过该决定。由22个成员国组成的阿拉伯联盟秘书长阿姆鲁·穆萨(Amr Moussa)解释了作出该决定的原因。

“We want to protect the civilian population in Libya after what has been reported of attacks and casualties and very tense situation, very bloody situation. As for anything about the post-Gaddafi situation, we have not addressed that point.”

“我们从报道中了解到利比亚的袭击和伤亡情况，了解到利比亚目前处于非常紧张，非常血腥的形势，我们希望保护利比亚的平民。关于卡扎菲下台以后的形势，我们还没有考虑这一点。”

The pan-Arab television station al-Jazeera says one of its cameramen in Libya has been killed. Al-Jazeera said Ali Hassan Al-Jaber and his crew had been caught up in an armed ambush near Benghazi in the rebel-held east of the country.

阿拉伯半岛电视台表示，电视台驻利比亚一名摄影人员遇难。半岛电视台称，Ali Hassan Al-Jaber和其他工作人员叛军控制的东部城市班加西附近遭遇武装埋伏。

The authorities in Egypt say they’ll lift restrictions on political parties, after a referendum on constitutional amendments a week from now. A military official, quoted by the state news agency MENA, said lifting the restrictions would allow politicians to form new parties simply by notifying the authorities.

埃及当局表示，一周之后针对宪法改革进行全民公投之后，他们将取消对政治党派的限制。国家新闻机构MENA引用一名军事官员的话说，取消限制将允许政客们只要通知当局就可以组建新的政党。

An American aid worker has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes against the state in Cuba. Alan Gross, who’s 61, was arrested in December, 2009. From Havana, here’s Michael Voss.

一名美国援助人员因犯下不利于古巴的罪行而被判处15年的监禁。61岁的格罗斯(Alan Gross)于2009年12月份被捕。Michael Voss在哈瓦那报道。

Alan Gross finally came to court earlier this month. The trial lasted two days and was closed to the press. The verdict was issued in a brief statement on state-run television. He’s been found guilty of “acts against the integrity and independence” of Cuba. Sixty-one-year-old Alan Gross was a subcontractor for a US government funded programme aimed at supporting civil society and promoting democratic change. The authorities in Havana consider it part of a long-standing US policy to subvert the revolution and bring about regime change.

本月初，格罗斯(Alan Gross)出庭受审。审判持续了两天的时间，不接受媒体采访。国家电视台以简短的声明宣布了判决。他被判处“危害古巴的完整和独立”。61岁的格罗斯(Alan Gross)是美国政府提供资金的旨在支持民间团体，促进民主变革的项目的转包商。哈瓦那当局认为这是美国试图颠覆古巴革命，进行政体变革的长期政策的一部分。

Washington has described the sentence as another injustice.

华盛顿认为这次判决又是不公正的表现。