英语听力精选进阶版 9940（在线收听）

The American gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, has called for armed guards in every school in its first response to the mass shooting in Connecticut, in which 26 children and adults were killed. From Washington, Mark Mardell.

康涅狄格州枪杀案导致26名儿童和成年人丧生，案发后，美国枪支游说团全国步枪协会就(NRA)呼吁在各所学校建立武装警卫队。Mark Mardell在华盛顿报道。

Those who expected an offer of compromise were disappointed. Instead, their leader, Wayne La Pierre, mounted impassioned attack on what he said was the media's hatred of his organization and what he called the filthy pornography of violent video games. He was interrupted twice by protesters. "NRA, stop killing our children!" But at the heart of his argument, a fierce defense of guns themselves is the only real answer and a plan for armed police and volunteers in every school. After the press conference, the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, accused the NRA of a shameful evasion of the crisis facing the United States. Earlier, people across the United States observed a period of silence to mark one week since the shootings at Sandy Hook.

那些希望该协会让步的人要失望了，总裁Wayne La Pierre激昂慷慨地反击说，各媒体对NRA抱有敌意，称暴力的视频游戏肮脏色情。他被抗议者打断了两次，他们高呼“NRA，别杀我们的孩子！”但他讲话的核心，就是认为，解决问题的唯一办法是建立强大的武装防御队伍，并在各学校建立武装警察和志愿者组织。新闻发布会后，纽约市长迈克尔·布隆伯格指责NRA逃避美国所面临的危机，是不齿的。早些时候，全美人民为桑迪胡克一周纪念默哀。

President Obama has nominated Senator John Kerry as his next secretary of state to replace Hillary Clinton. Senator Kerry became an almost certain nominee after his rival for the job, the ambassador to the U.N., Susan Rice, withdrew from consideration last week. Ben Wright has more.

总统奥巴马任命约翰·克里接替希拉里·克林顿担任下届国务卿。自从竞争者苏珊·赖斯上周放弃角逐该职位后，克里就成为不二人选。Ben Wright报道。

It's a job John Kerry has craved since losing his bid to be president eight years ago. The role should be a comfortable fit for the obeying Massachusetts Senator. A decorated Vietnam veteran, Kerry late became an outspoken critic of the war, as he was about America's invasion of Iraq during the 2004 presidential election. But it wasn't enough to beat George Bush. John Kerry is currently chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and his decades of experience scrutinizing and shaping U.S. policy overseas.

自从约翰·克里8年前竞选总统失败后，国务卿一职就成为他的追求目标。对这位尽忠尽职的马萨诸塞州参议院来说，这个职位很适合。克里原是一名受勋越战退伍军人，后来严词批评这场战争，他在2004年总统选举期间也批评了美国进攻伊拉克一事。但他最终最能打败乔治·布什。约翰·克里现任参议院外交委员会主席，他以几十年的经验审查并塑造了美国的海外关系。

The Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti has resigned, after parliament in Rome gave its final approval to the budget for next year. The resignation paves the way for an early election expected in February. Alan Johnston reports.

意大利总理马里奥·蒙蒂已辞职，此前罗马议院就明年的预算做出最后批准。蒙蒂辞职为1月份及早选举做了铺垫。Alan Johnston报道。

Soon after seen through one last piece of parliamentary business, Mr. Monti made his way to the presidential palace. There his resignation brought to an end 13 months in power. They began with Italy deep in financial crisis, and Mr. Monti imposed emergency austerity measures that he said were needed to avert economic disaster. Now, there is intense speculation that he might be tended to enter the election campaign and try to secure a powerful position in the next government. He is expected to spell out his intentions over the weekend.

蒙蒂完成最后一件议会事务后，就开始为参选总统做准备了。他现已结束在位13个月的总理一职。初上任时，意大利正处于金融危机的水深火热中，蒙蒂采取了紧急紧缩政策，他称这对避免经济灾难是有必要的。现在，人们普遍猜测蒙蒂可能有意参加竞选，试图在下届政府中谋得大权。他可能要在周末宣布自己的打算。

The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned the shooting-down of a U.N. helicopter by the South Sudanese army. He said the helicopter was clearly marked. Mr. Ban called on the government of South Sudan to carry out an immediate investigation and bring to account those responsible.

联合国秘书长潘基文严词谴责南苏丹军方击落联合国直升机一事。他说这架直升机上标志很明显，他呼吁南苏丹政府尽快调查，追究当事人责任。

World news from the BBC

Police in Kenya said at least 39 people have been killed in a fresh outbreak of violence in the south of the country. People armed with machetes attacked a village in the Tana Delta region. Paramilitary police have been flown to the area. Police say ethnic Pokomo farmers attacked members of the Omar community in revenge for clashes in August, which left more than 100 dead.

肯尼亚警方称该国南部发生新一轮暴力事件，至少39人丧生。在塔纳河三角洲，手持大刀者袭击了一个村庄。武警也赶到这个地区，警察称Pokomo族的农民为报复8月份导致100多人丧生的冲突，就袭击了Omar社区。

Taiwan has executed six convicts in its first use of the death penalty this year. The Justice Ministry did not say how the six were killed, but executions in Taiwan are usually carried out with a bullet to the head. The executions have reignited the debate over the death penalty in Taiwan, as Cindy Sue reports.

台湾今年首次动用死刑并处决6名犯人，司法部并未透露这6人是如何处决的，但台湾通常是用子弹打中头部行刑的。这次处决又引发台湾对死刑的争论，Cindy Sue报道。

Anti-death penalty groups say this was another case of the government bowing to public pressure, even as it has signed U.N. covenants and stated repeatedly it wants to reduce the use of the death penalty. The Ministry said it has the obligation to carry out the law until there is public consensus on abolishing the death penalty. Most Taiwanese people support maintaining capital punishment. Rights groups say the government should have informed the public of global and local statistics showing executions do not reduce crime.

反死刑组织称这是政府屈从公众压力的又一例证，虽然台湾签署了联合国盟约，并一再重申希望减少使用死刑。司法部称除非公众一致要求废除死刑，否则将有责任履行法律。大多数台湾人都支持保留死刑，权利组织称政府应该告知全球公众，当地统计局也表示死刑并未减少犯罪。

Two of the rebel groups active in northern Mali have said they will suspend hostilities and negotiate with the Malian government to end the crisis. The Islamist Ansar Dine Movement and the ethnic Tuareg MNLA made the announcement after meeting in Algeria. Both groups denounced the United Nations(’) resolution made on Thursday to deploy an African-led military intervention in northern Mali, which was seized by rebels earlier this year.

马里北部两个叛军组织称将终结与马里政府的冲突，开始协商以结束这场危机。“伊斯兰卫士”运动和图阿雷格部族阿扎瓦德民族解放运动（MNLA）在阿尔及利亚会谈后做出如此声明。两个组织都谴责联合国周四向马里北部部署以非洲为领导的军事干预的决议，今年初马里北部被叛军占领。

And the British actor, Hugh Grant, has settled his legal claim against Rupert Murdoch's now [defunct tabloid], News of the World. He had accused journalists on the paper of hacking his phone. Mr. Grant's lawyer said he would receive a substantial sum, but did not say how much. The lawyer said the money would be donated to the campaign group, Hacked Off, which represents victims of phone-hacking.

英国演员休·格兰特了结与默多克已倒闭的《世界新闻》的法律争端。他曾指控该报记者窃听其电话，格兰特的律师称他将收到一大笔资金，但并未透露多少。这位律师称准备将这笔钱捐给为电话窃听受害者伸张正义的活动组织Hacked Off。