英语听力精选进阶版 7721（在线收听）

Officials in the United States say they and their allies have disrupted a plot to bomb a plane involving an upgraded device similar to that used unsuccessfully by a underwear bomber on a flight from Yemen to the US in 2009. The device is in the possession of US officials. Mark Mardell reports from Washington.

美国当局官员称他们和他们的盟友已经挫败了一起炸机阴谋，这一阴谋中的作案炸弹与2009年从也门到美国的炸机未遂案中的内衣炸弹相似，是加强版。炸弹装置目前已在美国当局官员掌握之中。马克·莫德尔（Mark Mardell）于华盛顿报道。

The White House says the president was told about the plot last month. The plan emanated from Yemen where al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula had made a device to be used by a suicide bomber to plant an American airline last week, on or around the anniversary of the killing of Bin Laden. It appears it was fooled as a result of the cooperation between American and other unnamed intelligence agencies at a relatively early stage, after the making of the bomb but before the public would put it any risk. It apparently contains no metal, so could pass through normal airport's security, although many American airports now use body scanners. So far no word has emerged as to the fate of the would-be bomber.

白宫称总统上个月即得知这一阴谋。盘踞在也门境内的阿拉伯半岛“基地”组织计划制造一枚“内衣炸弹”，意图在击毙本·拉登周年祭日之际通过自杀式袭击炸毁一架开往美国的航班班机，但这一计划在行动前一周即遭粉碎，炸弹虽已制造出来，但已经无法再对公共安全构成威胁，这是美国和其他不知名情报机构之间在相对更早时期的协作的成果。这种炸弹不含金属物质，可以不被发现而能够通过普通的机场安检，尽管很多美国机场现在开始使用人体扫描仪。迄今为止，尚未得到任何有关自杀炸弹袭击者的消息。

The leader of the far left in Greece has been asked to form a new government after his opposite number on the center-right said he was unable to build a coalition. The Syriza group led by Alexis Tsipras wants to put together a cabinet that would reject the austerity measures imposed as part of Greece's bailout deal. A BBC correspondent says prolonged political instability can be expected, followed probably by new elections.

在保守党建立联盟失败后，与其对立的极左翼党派领导人被要求建立新政府。阿莱克斯·齐普拉斯（Alexis Tsipras）领导的左翼激进联盟希望可以组阁，以制止作为希腊经济稳定紧急法案的一部分的财政紧缩措施。一位BBC通讯员认为，政治不稳定的情形势必会延长，这是可以预期的，随后很可能是新选举。

In France, the socialist president-elect Francois Hollande has spent the day talking to a number of world leaders and planning the transition at home. During his presidential campaign, he called for a new emphasis within the European Union on promoting economic growth as a way to combat the high levels of debts and unemployment. The BBC's Gavin Hewitt says Mr. Hollande has many problems to tackle.

法国，社会党总统当选人弗朗索瓦·奥朗德（Francois Hollande）与多国领导人进行了多日谈话，并在家中规划其过渡期。在其总统竞选活动中，作为新的着重点，他提倡在欧盟中大力促进经济增长，以应对居高不下的债务问题和失业问题。BBC的嘉文·休伊特（Gavin Hewitt）认为，奥朗德（Hollande）先生要应付的问题很多。

I think there are huge difficulties for him. He has promised the balance of budget within the five years. Yet at the same time, he says he will boost certain amounts of spending. How precisely will he do that? He says that he wants to renegotiate the pact to enforce greater budget discipline within the Euro zone. Yet Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor made it quite clear there would be no renegotiation. He wants to set himself as a leader of a new Europe, being opposed to austerity first but being in favor of growth. Yet how can he do that when so many countries still have large debts?

我认为他将面临巨大的困难。他承诺在五年内实现收支平衡。然而同时，他又说他将增加一定数额的开支。他怎么才能做到这一点呢？他宣称要就“财政契约”重新谈判，期望通过该契约强化各国的财政纪律。然而，德国总理安格拉·默克尔（Angela Merkel）明确表示，将不会再有任何重新谈判。他将自己定位为新欧洲的领导人，反对财政紧缩，致力于经济增长。但是，在诸多国家仍背负大量债务的情况下，他怎样才能做到这一点呢？

A group representing about a quarter of Roman Catholic priest in Ireland has called for radical reforms in what it seems as about unprecedented attack on the Vatican's authority. The Association of Catholic Priests meeting in Dublin says the reforms are needed to stem the Church's decline in the wake of the long-running sexual abuse scandals. It says public trust will only be restored by fundamental change, such as an end to compulsory celibacy for priests and the ordination of women.

代表了大约1/4罗马天主教牧师的爱尔兰牧师团体要求进行根本性改革，这对梵蒂冈当局来说，是前所未有的冲击。天主教牧师协会在都伯林的会议上称，由于持续已久的性虐丑闻，教派的衰落难以避免，而改革有助于阻止这一点。他指出，只有根本性的改变才能挽回公信，例如，终止对牧师和女性神职的强制禁欲。

This is the world news from the BBC.

The US based company Abbott Laboratories has agreed to pay $1.6bn to settle federal and state claims that it promoted the mood stabilizing drug Depakote for uses that would not be approved by regulators. It's thought to be the largest settlement of its kind involving a single drug. Paul Adams reports from Washington.

美国雅培制药（Abbott Laboratories）公司已经同意支付16亿美元为情绪稳定药物Depakote未经批准的用途进行不当推广的行为向联邦和州政府理赔。可以认为，这是在涉及到单一药品的理赔中数额最高的。保尔·亚当姆斯（Paul Adams）于华盛顿报道。

Lawsuits brought by whistle-blowers alleged that Abbott encouraged its sales teams to market Depakote, a drug approved for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar disorder and migraines for other uses. It was also alleged that Abbott doctors kick backs to promote the use of Depakote for so called off-label uses. According to a justice department statement, Abbott maintained a specialized sales force to market the drug in nursing homes for the control of agitation in elderly dementia patients. Despite the absence of any credible scientific evidence, the Depakote was safe and effective for that use.

揭发人诉讼宣称，雅培制药（Abbott Laboratories）鼓励其销售团队为用于治疗癫痫、躁郁症和偏头痛的药物Depakote未经批准的用途进行不当营销。同时宣称雅培的医生利用回扣推广Depakote药品的超适应证使用。根据司法部门的报告，雅培支持了一支特别销售力量，专门针对疗养院的老年痴呆症患者的兴奋控制进行营销。尽管缺少任何可信的科学证明，Depakote对于这一病情的使用是安全且有效的。

Shoppers in Malawi have being rushing to buy basic goods fearing huge price rises after its currency was devalued by 50%. Many shops are run out of staple food like sugar, cooking oil and bread. The Kwacha was devalued as the new Malawi government tried to improve relations with donors. This man in Blantyre told BBC that the devaluation was already having a major effect on his finances.

马拉维发生恐慌性抢购潮，货币贬值50%导致物价飙升，民众疯狂抢购基本生活用品。大部分商店的糖、食用油和面包等基本生活用品均被抢购一空。为改善与捐赠国之间的关系，马拉维新政府令克瓦查货币大幅贬值。布兰太尔的一位居民告诉BBC，货币贬值已经对他的经济产生了巨大的影响。

I'm very afraid. I had dipped already my pockets. Now it had been the same salary. Definitely, I think of course these service providers are into business and they will definitely adjust / while my salary will be the same.

我很害怕。我的口袋已经空空如也，但是我的收入却一成不变。毫无疑问，我想那些卖东西的商家肯定会调价，但是我的收入还是和过去相同。

Police in Columbia say an alleged drugs lord on the country's most wanted list has turned himself in. Javier Antonio Calle Serna, better known as Comba, is accused of the murder in 2008 of Wilber Varela, a Columbium drugs baron whose smuggling-routes he allegedly took over.

哥伦比亚警方称，在国家通缉榜中赫赫有名的毒枭已经自首。哈维尔·安东尼奥·卡列·塞尔纳（Javier Antonio Calle Serna），更多的人称呼他为库姆巴（Comba），被控曾于2008年谋杀哥伦比亚毒枭威尔伯·巴雷拉（Wilber Varela），以接管其所谓的走私线路。