澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 阿博特内阁再次接受考验

Tony Abbott's leadership will come under the spotlight¹ again today when federal cabinet meets in Canberra.

Senior ministers have been defending the prime minister but that hasn't stopped talk of a leadership change.

Reports have emerged this morning that Mr Abbott asked foreign minister Julie Bishop² for an assurance she won't challenge, and she declined to make the promise.

Mr Abbott has refused to comment on the report.

The northern territory's chief minister Adam Giles has been dumped in a late night coup³.

He's been replaced by the member for Katherine, Willem Westra Van Holthe.

Mr Giles lost the leadership ballot⁴ by eight votes to six.

Australian journalist Peter Greste says he's relieved to be free but is concerned about his two al Jazeera colleagues who are still behind bars in egypt.

Mr Greste has spoken publicly for the first time since his release from an egyptian jail yesterday.

There are growing expectations that the reserve bank could cut interest rates today when it meets for the first time this year.

But most economists⁵ surveyed by Bloomberg still believe the official rate will remain at two and a half per cent, where it's been for the last 18 months.

今天堪培拉联邦内阁会议召开时托尼·阿博特的领导能力将再次受到检验。

高级部长们一直在阻碍这位总理,但是这并不能阻止领导权发生改变。

今天早上的报告显示阿博特先生要求外交部长朱莉·比斯普保证不会提出质疑,但部长拒绝对此做出承诺。

阿博特先生拒绝评论该报告。

北部地区的首席部长亚当·贾尔斯在一场深夜政变中被踢出政坛。

他已被凯瑟琳成员威廉·韦斯特拉·范·赫尔提所取代。

贾尔斯先生以8对6的选票失去了领导权。

澳大利亚记者彼得·格莱斯特表示虽然自己因为获得自由而感到解脱，但对埃及监狱仍然在押的2名半岛电视台同事感到担心。

昨天从埃及监狱获释以来，格莱斯特先生首次公开发表讲话。

今天越来越多的人期望今年首次召开会议以来的央行进行降息。

但接受彭博社调查的大多数经济学家认为官方利率仍将维持在过去18个月的2.5个百分点。

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

2 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

3 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

4 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

5 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》