英国新闻听力 高盛投资银行收益高涨

Profits by the leading American investment bank Goldman Sachs have gone up by a third for the three months to June, far exceeding expectations. Details of the bank's performance were keenly awaited as a sign of whether massive bailouts for the financial sector¹ have put it on course for recovering. Rober Pasten reports.

This investment bank has consistently performed better than most of its rivals. But when that cataclysmic storm broke over the financial system last autumn, Goldman, like the rest, had to turn to taxpayers² for a crutch³ in the form of guarantees for its debt, access to central bank liquidity⁴ and capital. It has recently declared it can stand on its own two feet again without taxpayers to lean on. But some may well ask whether taxpayers shouldn’t have demanded a bit more for their support, given that Goldman is once again the world's preeminent⁵ money-making machine.

Officials in Mexico say 12 people who were tortured, then killed and dumped along a mountain highway have been identified as federal agents. The bodies were found tied and blindfolded⁶ on Monday near the town of La Huacana in Michoacán State. Initial reports suggest the agents were killed in retaliation⁷ for the arrest of an alleged⁸ senior drug trafficker. Dona Everha reports.

Arnoldo Rueda Medina, nicknamed La Minsa, has been accused by the authorities of organizing the distribution of cocaine⁹, marijuana and synthetic¹⁰ drugs for the La Familia cartel. His arrest sparked off a wave of violence in Michoacán neighboring states in which another six police officers and two soldiers were killed. The authorities have blamed the cartel for a number of what they said were reprisal¹¹ attacks on police stations and also a hotel where federal police were staying, using guns and grenades.

Two Israeli warships¹² have sailed through the Suez Canal from the Mediterranean¹³ to the Red Sea in what Israeli newspapers have said is a message to Iran. It's believed to be rare for Israeli naval¹⁴ ships to use the canal, although the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit says it's entirely¹⁵ legal.

"Passage through the Suez Canal is governed by the Treaty of Constantinople of 1888. This treaty grants warships the right of innocent passage through the canal, provided that they have no aggressive intent towards the state that owns the canal. That is Egypt. “

Several weeks ago, an Israeli submarine reportedly also used the canal. Israel has said repeatedly that it won't rule out military action against Iran because of Teheran's nuclear program.

The French Foreign Ministry¹⁶ has confirmed that two French security advisers¹⁷ who were working for the Somali government have been abducted¹⁸ in the capital Mogadishu. Eyewitnesses¹⁹ said a group of armed men stormed the hotel where the men were staying and took them away at gunpoint.

A court in Switzerland has ruled that assets of the former Congolese leader Mobutu Sese Seko, who died in 1997, be returned to his family. The court rejected an appeal to extend a freeze on assets worth more than 6 million dollars held in Swiss bank accounts. Marry Harbo reports.

The man who brought the appeal, Mark Pieth, described the decision to release Mr. Mobutu's money to his heirs as a black day for Congo, and all of those who had fought against the release of the funds. The move will also disappoint the Congolese government which has been trying for some years to get the money returned to Congo. It says Swiss Banks are holding at least 1 billion dollars worth of Mobutu's assets, far more than the 6. 7 million that's now due to go to his heirs. Mobutu, who governed Congo for 32 years, lived a life of excess while most people struggled to survive.

The Kenyan authorities say they have seized more than 300 kilograms of smuggled²⁰ ivory and rhinoceros²² horn in a raid on a cargo²³ plane bound for Asia. The spokesman for the Kenyan Wildlife Service said 16 elephant tusks²⁴ and two rhino²¹ horns were confiscated²⁵. The contraband²⁶ was reported to be hidden in wooden boxes shaped like coffins²⁷.

A bishop²⁸ in Britain has advised churches not to use holy water in order to prevent the spread of swine flu. The bishop of Chelmsford said all receptacles for water, including those used by people making the sign of the cross should be removed until the flu pandemic is over. The bishop has also urged special caution when taking Holy Communion on pastoral visits. He said if priests came across anyone with flu-like symptoms, only they should drink from the chalice²⁹.

Six volunteers have emerged from a Russian capsule where they spent 105 days cut off from the outside world simulating a voyage to Mars. The experiment included a mock Martian landing and unplanned emergency drills.

美国处于领先地位的投资银行高盛投资公司第二季度收益上涨三分之一，远远超出预期。相关部门急切等待该银行收益细节，以判断政府对金融机构的大规模救援是否已使其走上复苏的轨道。 Rober Pasten报道。

高盛投资银行的表现向来比大多数竞争对少要好。但是，自从去年秋天整个金融行业发生危机以来，高盛也像其他公司一样，必须向纳税人寻求帮助以解决债务担保，以及中央银行流动资产问题。最近，高盛投资公司宣布其可以再次自力更生而不再需要依赖纳税人。但是一些人会问，既然高盛再次成为世界上卓越的赚钱机器，纳税人是否应该为他们的支持做出更多的要求。

墨西哥官员称，已确认12名被虐待并杀害，随后被弃尸在高速公路旁的受害者是联邦警察。周一，尸体在米却肯州华卡纳镇公路旁被发现，尸体被半埋在地里。最初的报告显示，这12名警察是在拘捕贩毒分子时被杀害。Dona Everha报道。

Arnoldo Rueda Medina，外号La Minsa，被官方指控为贩毒集团“米却肯家族”(La Familia)组织分销可卡因，大麻和人工合成药物。La Minsa的被捕引发了米却肯州隔壁州的暴力事件，造成另外6名警察和2名士兵被杀。官方指责该贩毒团伙对警察所和联邦警察驻扎的宾馆发动一系列袭击。

两艘以色列军舰由地中海通过苏伊士运河驶向红海。以色列报纸称，这是向伊朗发出信号。据称，尽管埃及外交部长Ahmed Aboul Gheit称这是完全合法的，但是通常以色列海军舰船很少使用苏伊士运河。

“苏伊士运河通道由1888年的君士坦丁堡条约管理。该条约规定，只要战舰对运河所有国埃及没有恶意目标，可以合法通过运河。”

据报道，几周前，一艘以色列潜艇也使用了苏伊士运河。以色列方面反复强调，由于德黑兰的核项目，他们不排除对伊朗采取军事行动的可能性。

法国外交部长证实，为索马里政府工作的两名法国安全顾问在首都摩加迪沙被绑架。目击者称，一群武装人员冲入他们入住的宾馆，用枪指着把他们带走。

瑞士法庭判决，于1997年去世的前刚果领袖蒙博托·塞塞·塞科的财产可以归还给其家人。该法庭拒绝了解除冻结瑞士银行账户被价值600多万美元的财产的要求。Marry Harbo报道。

提起上诉的Mark Pieth称，将财产返还给蒙博托·塞塞·塞科继承人的决定对刚果和所有反对归还财产的人来说都是黑暗的一天。此举也会使刚果政府非常失望。过去的几年，刚果政府一直努力企图将这些资产归还给刚果。它说，瑞士银行持有蒙博托至少10亿美元的资产，远远超过现在判给其继承人的670万美元。蒙博托统治刚果长达32年，过着相当奢华的生活，而大多数人都在生存线上挣扎。

肯尼亚官方称，在搜捕一架准备开往亚洲的货运飞机时缴获300多千克走私象牙和犀牛角。肯尼亚野生动物服务部门发言人称，16只象牙和2只犀牛角全部没收。据报道，这些走私品被藏在形状像棺材的木箱里。

英国一名主教建议，为了防止猪流感的传播，教堂不要使用圣水。切姆斯福德主教称，所有装水的容器，包括用来画十字形的水都会被移走，知道猪流感大流行结束。这位主教还建议在进行圣餐礼时要特别注意，他说，当神父遇到有猪流感症状的人时，只有他们可以在圣餐杯中饮水。

参加“登火星”模拟试验的6名志愿者当天结束了3个多月的“火星生活”，重新“返回”地面。他们花费105天的时间模拟登陆火星。该实验包括模仿火星登陆和非计划的紧急训练。

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

3 crutch   

n.T字形拐杖；支持，依靠，精神支柱

参考例句：

• Her religion was a crutch to her when John died.约翰死后，她在精神上依靠宗教信仰支撑住自己。
• He uses his wife as a kind of crutch because of his lack of confidence.他缺乏自信心，总把妻子当作主心骨。

4 liquidity   

n.流动性，偿债能力，流动资产

参考例句：

• The bank has progressively increased its liquidity.银行逐渐地增加其流动资产。
• The demand for and the supply of credit is closely linked to changes in liquidity.信用的供求和流动资金的变化有密切关系。

5 preeminent   

adj.卓越的，杰出的

参考例句：

• Washington was recognized as the preeminent spokesman of American Negroes by 1895. 到1895年,华盛顿被公认为美国黑人的卓越代言人。
• He is preeminent because his articles are well written. 他的文章写得很漂亮,卓尔不群。

6 blindfolded   

v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗

参考例句：

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded. 人质被捆绑起来并蒙上了眼睛。
• They were each blindfolded with big red handkerchiefs. 他们每个人的眼睛都被一块红色大手巾蒙住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

9 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

10 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

11 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

12 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

13 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

14 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

15 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

16 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

17 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

18 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

19 eyewitnesses   

目击者( eyewitness的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The examination of all the eyewitnesses took a week. 对所有证人的质询用了一周的时间。
• Several eyewitnesses testified that they saw the officers hit Miller in the face. 几位目击证人证明他们看见那几个警官打了米勒的脸。

20 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

21 rhino   

n.犀牛，钱, 现金

参考例句：

• The rhino charged headlong towards us.犀牛急速地向我们冲来。
• They have driven the rhino to the edge of extinction.他们已经令犀牛濒临灭绝。

22 rhinoceros   

n.犀牛

参考例句：

• The rhinoceros has one horn on its nose.犀牛鼻子上有一个角。
• The body of the rhinoceros likes a cattle and the head likes a triangle.犀牛的形体像牛，头呈三角形。

23 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

24 tusks   

n.（象等动物的）长牙( tusk的名词复数 )；獠牙；尖形物；尖头

参考例句：

• The elephants are poached for their tusks. 为获取象牙而偷猎大象。
• Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used in some parts of Africa. 非洲的一些地区则使用象牙、猴尾和盐。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

25 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

26 contraband   

n.违禁品，走私品

参考例句：

• Most of the city markets were flooded with contraband goods.大多数的城市市场上都充斥着走私货。
• The customs officers rummaged the ship suspected to have contraband goods.海关人员仔细搜查了一艘有走私嫌疑的海轮。

27 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

28 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。

29 chalice   

n.圣餐杯；金杯毒酒

参考例句：

• He inherited a poisoned chalice when he took over the job as union leader.他接手工会领导职务，看似风光，实则会给他带来很多麻烦。
• She was essentially feminine,in other words,a parasite and a chalice.她在本质上是个女人，换句话说，是一个食客和一只酒杯。