【英语时差8,16】马丁路德金遇刺四十年后，平权之梦仍渺茫

 Thousands mourned on April 4 the assassination¹ of civil rights leader Martin Luther King 40 years ago, but embraced a recommitment to his dream of equality.

"We are here because destiny has drawn² us here," his youngest daughter, Reverend Bernice King said as she addressed a huge crowd at the spot where he was shot to death at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, a day after rallying striking sanitation³ workers.

Thousands honored King's achievements but noted⁴ the need for more progress on equal rights.

King's son Martin Luther King III proposed to hold a march on Washington this year similar to the historic gathering⁵ his father headed in 1963.

That was when he delivered his landmark⁶ "I Have A Dream" speech that galvanized the civil rights movement with a message of equality and non-violence.

Five years later, at just 39, he was shot dead while he was standing⁷ on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel on April 4, 1968.

First hydrogen-battery powered plane flown in Spain: BoeingU.S. aircraft giant Boeing claimed on April 3 a world first in putting into the air a plane powered by a hydrogen-cell battery, a breakthrough that could herald⁸ a greener future for the industry.

"For the first time in the history of aviation, Boeing has flown a manned airplane that was powered by a hydrogen battery," Boeing chief technology officer John Tracy said.

Boeing staged three successful test flights of the 6.5-meter long plane in February and March at an airfield⁹ at Ocana, just south of Madrid.

The company said that although hydrogen fuel cells could be used to power small planes, it did not believe they could become the primary power source for large passenger aircraft.

Hydrogen power uses "fuel cells" that tap the energy produced from the chemical transformation¹⁰ of hydrogen and oxygen into water.

It holds the promise of a cleaner and renewable energy resource as it produces only harmless water vapor¹¹ as waste.

1 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 herald   

vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎

参考例句：

• In England, the cuckoo is the herald of spring.在英国杜鹃鸟是报春的使者。
• Dawn is the herald of day.曙光是白昼的先驱。

9 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

10 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

11 vapor   

n.蒸汽，雾气

参考例句：

• The cold wind condenses vapor into rain.冷风使水蒸气凝结成雨。
• This new machine sometimes transpires a lot of hot vapor.这部机器有时排出大量的热气。