英语听力精选进阶版 9984（在线收听）

Pope Benedict will step down as head of the Roman Catholic Church at the end of this month. Benedict, who’s 85, said he no longer had the strength of mind or body to fulfil his duties. Though Vatican watchers could see Pope Benedict was becoming increasingly tired and frail, the resignation took even the pope’s closest aides by surprise. Allan Johnston is in Rome.

本尼迪克特教皇本月底将从罗马天主教皇一职退下。今年85岁高龄的本尼迪克称，自觉在体力、心理和精神上难以再胜任牧灵重职。尽管梵蒂冈的观察家们可能看得出本尼迪克特教皇正在日益疲惫和虚弱，但是这一辞职让其最亲密的助理也大感吃惊。艾伦?约翰斯顿在罗马报道。

Nothing like this has happened since the Middle Ages. For centuries every pope has died in office-- they don’t resign. But speaking in Latin at a meeting in the Vatican, Pope Benedict explained that he just couldn’t go on. Events will now move swiftly. In just over a fortnight, Pope Benedict, regarded by his church as the successor to Saint Peter, will simply walk away from the leadership of the Catholic world. And the Vatican will try to ensure that his successor is in place in time for Easter.

自从中世纪后未曾有教皇辞职。六年来，每位教皇都是死在职位上，无人辞职。但本尼迪克特教皇在梵蒂冈的一次会议上却用拉丁语解释道，是自己再也跟不上时代了，这世界变化太快。仅仅两周后，作为圣彼得大教堂的本尼迪克特教皇，将从天主教最高领袖的职位上退位。但是，梵蒂冈将确保其继任者能在即将到来的复活节及时到位。

The pope’s brother, Georg Ratzinger, has told the BBC that Benedict has reached an age achieved by very few of his predecessors and felt that he was gradually losing the abilities needed to fulfil his role, and he said his brother would not seek to influence the new pope.

教皇的弟弟，Georg Ratzinger，告诉BBC以前的教皇少有活到本尼迪克这般高寿的，本尼迪克感到自己逐渐失去了继续担当重职的能力，并且教皇的弟弟还说，本尼迪克教皇不会试图对新教皇施加影响。

“He will not interfere in the business of his successor. Where he is needed, he will make himself available. But he will not want to intervene in the affairs of his successor.”

“他不会干涉继任者工作。但是，如果需要他，他将会随时出现提供帮助。但是，他不想介入继任者的任何事务中。”

President Obama has extended prayers and appreciation to Pope Benedict on behalf of the American people. There’ve also been tributes from many European leaders including the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Emily Buchanan reports.

总统奥巴马代表美国人民向本尼迪克教皇祈祷并表达感谢。欧洲包括德国总理默克尔在内的许多欧洲领导人也向教皇表示敬意。Emily Buchanan报道。

Shock and disbelief at the announcement have been followed by a widespread view that while a papal resignation is highly unusual, it seems a sensible pragmatic step for a man of 85. The German Chancellor Angela Merkel was one of many leaders who said she had the greatest respect for the pope’s difficult decision and praised his legacy.

这一消息宣布之初，大家感到万分震惊、难以置信，后来大家普遍认为：尽管教皇的辞职极不寻常，但这是一位85岁老人的明智、务实之举。德国总理默克尔和众多领导人都非常敬重教皇的这一重大决定，并颂扬了教皇的不朽功绩。

“He’s a shepherd for more than a billion people. He knows that the church can only succeed in the world if it engages in dialogue. And he had led talks with other churches and religions. He has strengthened the relationship with the eastern Orthodox churches and extended his hand to the Muslim and Jewish faiths.

“他拥有一亿多教民。他深知只有当宗教参与全世界的对话，才能赢得世界的信任。并且，他带头与其它教派和宗教展开交流，加强了与东正教的关系，并且向穆斯林和犹太教伸出了友谊之手。”

The former archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, who was one of those present to the pope’s election in Rome, said the thorny issues of child abuse and corruption that have dogged the Vatican shouldn’t tarnish how he is remembered. Whatever people’s views about his style of papacy, Pope Benedict’s manner of leaving office appears to have endeared him to millions.

前威斯敏斯特大主教，红衣主教奥康纳，是罗马教皇选举的在场人之一。他说虐待儿童和贪污腐败这些棘手问题的连绵不绝并不会让人们忘记这位教皇。无论人们如何看待教皇行事风格，本尼迪克教皇的离职一举显然让他受到了上百万人的喜爱。

The chief rabbi in Israel appraised his ability to reach out to other faiths. In Egypt, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar Ahmed El-Tayeb said he was shaken by the news. You are listening to the World News from the BBC.

以色列首席拉比赞扬教皇主动了解其它信仰的心胸。埃及的阿兹哈尔清真寺大教长Ahmed El-Tayeb称他为这一消息感到震惊。

Four Iraqi soldiers have been killed and at least four others injured in a suicide attack in the city of Mosul in northern Iraq. The authorities said that a car bomb was detonated at a military base. The attack comes amid increased tension between the minority Sunni and majority Shia communities.

在伊拉克北部的摩苏尔市的一次自杀性袭击中，四名伊拉克士兵被杀，另有至少四名士兵受伤。当局称这起汽车爆炸是在军事机地引爆的，袭击是在少数逊尼派和多数什叶派社区愈演愈烈的紧张态势下发生的。

The first-ever live presidential election TV debate has taken place in Kenya. Opinion polls suggest a close race between the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his deputy Uhuru Kenyatta. Here's Richard Hamilton.

肯尼亚首次现场直播总统选举电视辩论大赛已经开始，民意调查显示总理拉伊拉?奥廷加和其副手乌呼鲁?肯雅塔难分高下。理查德·汉密尔顿报道。

Although this American-style presidential TV debate is a first for Kenya, many analysts say Kenyans have already made up their minds and will vote along ethnic lines. Uhuru Kenyatta is from the largest ethnic group, the Kikuyu, and is also the son of the country’s first president. But if he is elected, then Kenya faces the prospect of having a president who’s been charged with crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court for his alleged role in the post-election violence in 2007 and 2008.

尽管这一美国式总统选举电视辩论大赛是肯尼亚的第一次，但许多分析家认为肯尼亚人民已经下定决心，并将遵循种族原则进行投票。乌呼鲁?肯雅塔来自于最大的族裔，基库尤，并且也是该国第一任总统的儿子。但是，如果他当选，那么肯尼亚将可能面临拥有一位被国际刑事法院指控其犯有反人类罪的总统，因他被控涉嫌2007和2008年的选举后暴力事件。

During the debate Mr Kenyatta described tribalism as a cancer that has afflicted the country. Referring to the prospect of his rival’s trial, Mr Odinga said it would be difficult to run a government by Skype from The Hague.

在电视辩论赛中，肯雅塔先生将部落制称为折磨肯尼亚的癌症。当谈到奥廷加先生的竞争对手的未来审判时，他说从生活海牙通过网络电话来管理政府将是有难度的。

The eurozone says it will commission an independent study into anti-money laundering measures in Cyprus before it decides whether to bail the country out. The island requested financial aid last year because its banks made huge losses in Greece. But the bailout hasn’t yet been agreed because of concerns about allegations that Russian oligarchs used Cyprian banks to launder money. Officials in Nicosia reject the claims.

欧元区称将委托独立研究机构，在其决定是否对其救市前，调查塞浦路斯的反洗钱措施。由于塞浦路斯在希腊的银行损失惨重，这一岛国于去年要求金融救助。但是，由于担心据称的俄罗斯寡头使用塞浦路斯银行洗钱，救市一直未得到批准。尼科西亚的官员们否认这些说法。

A cruise ship with more than 4,000 people on board is spending a second day adrift in the Gulf of Mexico after a fire destroyed its propulsion system. The ship, the Carnival Triumph, left Texas on Thursday for a four-day cruise. It’s now awaiting the arrival of tugboats to tow it to the city of Progreso in Mexico.

一艘由于火灾毁坏了推进系统的载有4000多人的游轮，目前这艘船在墨西哥湾漂浮了两天。这艘叫做嘉年华成功号的游轮，于周四从德克萨斯州驶出，开始为期四天的巡游。目前，它正在等待拖船将其拖至墨西哥的普罗格雷索市。