2007年VOA标准英语-London Police on Alert After Twin Bomb Plots Fo

By Sonja Pace
London
30 June 2007

British police officers walk past tourists in the pouring rain in central London, 30 Jun 2007

London is on alert - police have stepped up patrols and a search is under way for a man seen running from a Mercedes car that contained gas canisters, gasoline, nails and a cell phone that was believed to be the detonating device.

 

The Mercedes was abandoned in the Haymarket district of London - an area full of nightclubs, restaurants and theaters. It raised suspicion when ambulance drivers called to a nearby nightclub about an accident noticed smoke coming from the Mercedes and called in police. There are unconfirmed reports one of the policemen found the cell phone and removed it from the vehicle - thus averting¹ an explosion.

A Mercedes car that contained a suspected car bomb, is taken away from the Haymarket in Piccadilly area of central London, 29 Jun 2007

A second car was parked illegally nearby and was towed to an impound lot, where police later discovered similar explosive materials.

The head of London's anti-terrorism police, Peter Clark, said the two incidents are clearly linked, and he said had they not been found in time, the car bombs could have killed hundreds of people.

London Mayor Ken² Livingstone has tried to reassure³ residents.

"This is what's great about the way Londoners do react to these things, they put them in perspective... I think people will be completely safe to walk about the streets of London today," he said.

Police have so far not named any suspects. However, terrorism experts say indications are that individuals or a group either linked to or inspired by al-Qaida was behind the bombing attempts.

Next week, Britain marks the second anniversary of the July 7 bombings, in which four Muslim suicide bombers⁴ set off explosions on London's transport system that killed 52 bus and subway passengers.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown is seen after a meeting of the government's top emergency committee Cobra, 29 Jun 2007

1 averting   

防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
• These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。

2 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

3 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

4 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》