英国新闻听力 查韦斯称哥伦比亚外交部长"弱智"

Police in Baghdad say two car bombs have killed more than 130 people and wounded more than 500. It’s the deadliest attack in Iraq since 2007. From Baghdad, Gabriel Gatehouse reports.

Less than a minute after one huge car bomb hit the Justice Ministry¹, another exploded near the local governor’s office. The bombers² struck one of the busiest times of day and in one of the busiest parts of Baghdad, in the heart of the city’s administrative³ district and right next to the Green Zone. The destruction was immense. Hours after the explosions, rescue workers were still sifting⁴ through the rubble⁵ and the wreckage⁶, looking for bodies and survivors⁷. Hospitals struggle to deal with the wounded as ambulances brought in more and more casualties as the day went on, so the death toll⁸ mounted.

International inspectors⁹ have begun their task of examining a uranium enrichment facility in Iran that's raised new suspicions in the West about Tehran’s nuclear program. The Iranians had kept it hidden from view until

recently. Here is our Tehran correspondent Jon Leyne.

The UN inspectors carried out the first what would be 3 days of inspections¹⁰ on the site just north of the holy city of Qom. What they would have seen is a cavern¹¹ inside the mountain inside the military base. Iran says the plant was meant to be the second enrichment plant, to back up the publicly-declared

facility in Natanz. One Iranian legislator said the inspectors’ visit showed that Iran’s nuclear activities were transparent¹² and peaceful. If Iran did have anything to hide, it’s had more than a month to hide it after the plant was first made public. In any case, western intelligence experts believed the plant was only being constructed and had not yet been used to enrich uranium.

An international meeting on climate change has heard that the prospects¹³ of saving the world’s coral reefs now appear so bleak¹⁴ that plans have been drawn¹⁵ up to freeze samples to preserve them for the future. The meeting in Denmark took evidence from researchers who say most coral reefs won’t survive even if tough new regulations on the green house gas emissions¹⁶ are put into place. Matt McGrath reports from Copenhagen.

Legislators from 16 major economies have been meeting here in the Danish capital to try to agree the way forward on climate change. One of the issues they have been considering is what to do with coral reefs which make up less than a quarter of one percent of the ocean’s floor. Yet for around 500 million people worldwide, they are a key source of food, income and coastal¹⁷ protection. At this meeting, politicians and scientists have been acknowledging that global emissions of carbon dioxide are rising so fast that we are losing the fight to save coral and the world must develop an alternative plan.

Egyptian authorities investigating a rail crash that left 18 people dead say it was caused by water buffalo¹⁸ on the track. The Egyptian Health Ministry said that the driver of the train heading to Fayoum made a sudden stop when he spotted¹⁹ the animal, the second train then plowed²⁰ into the back of the first at full speed. The investigation²¹ continues.

The United Nations has called on the West African regional group ECOWAS to impose tougher sanctions on Guinea and Niger. UN officials said ECOWAS should also freeze the assets of the 2 countries’ leaders and impose travel restrictions²² on them. Niger’s Information Minister said the UN officials were ill-intentioned. Guinea was suspended from ECOWAS in January after a military coup²³ while Niger was suspended last week after President Mamadou Tandja refused to postpone²⁴ elections.

The Venezuelan President Hugo Chaves has called the Colombian defense²⁵ minister mentally retarded²⁶, the remarks are likely to further strain the already tense relations between the neighboring countries. From Caracas, Will Grand reports.

President Chavez rarely pulls his punches when it comes to criticizing his opponents and on an occasion, the political discourse²⁷ descends²⁸ into plain insult. This was the case when the Venezuelan leader responded to a recent statement by the Colombian Defense Minister Gabriel Silva in which he attacked Venezuela for allegedly turning a blind eye to drug trafficking flights taking off from its territory.

He’s mentally retarded, said President Chaves, he must be. President Chaves went on to say that the Colombian government did whatever the United States demanded of them. The background to this conflict lies in a decision by Colombia to grant the US access to seven military bases on its soil.

The Afghan President Hamid Karzai and his challenger Doctor Abdullah Abdullah have both ruled out a power-sharing deal before the runoff vote in the fourth coming presidential election. Less than a week after bowing to pressure to accept a second round, President Karzai said that not holding one round would insult democracy. However, the BBC Kabul correspondent says that many Afghans and some people in western governments still hope the two will do some kind of deal with the winter coming and the Taliban threatening to disrupt the second round.

巴格达警方称，两起汽车爆炸事件导致130多人死亡，500多人受伤。这是自2007年以来伊拉克发生的最为致命的袭击事件。巴格达，Gabriel Gatehouse报道。

最初，伊拉克司法部大楼遭遇特大汽车爆炸袭击，不到一分钟之后，附近的当地省政府办公楼也发生汽车爆炸。爆炸者选择了一天中最为繁忙的时间，在巴格达最为繁忙的地区，巴格达行政区的中心位置实施爆炸，刚好在巴格达绿区隔壁。毁坏范围非常大。爆炸几小时之后，搜救人员仍然在废墟和残骸中寻找尸体和幸存者。随着救护车运来越来越多的伤者，医院疲于应对。随着一天的时间过去，死亡数字不断攀升。

伊朗核设施引起西方国家对德黑兰核项目的怀疑，现在，国际监察机构开始对其铀浓缩设施进行检查。伊朗直到最近才披露该设施的存在。我们的德黑兰记者Jon Leyne报道。

联合国检查员开始对位于圣城库姆附近的核设施进行为期三天的检查。他们看到的应该是位于军事基地内的一个山洞。伊朗称，该核设施原打算用做第二座铀浓缩工厂，用于支持其公开宣布的纳兹兰核设施。一名伊朗立法者表示，国际检查员的访问可以表明伊朗核行动是透明的，和平的。如果伊朗真的有需要隐藏的东西，在公布该设施之后需要一个多月的时间来隐藏。无论如何，西方情报专家相信，该厂只是在建设，还没有用于浓缩铀。

国际气候变化会议了解到，保护世界珊瑚礁前景黯淡，现在已经计划冷冻某些样本，以备将来之用。在丹麦举行的会议从研究人员那里得到证据，即使能够出台控制温室气体排放的新条例，大多数珊瑚礁也难以生存。Matt McGrath在哥本哈根报道。

来自16个主要经济体的立法者在丹麦首都举行会晤，试图就控制气候变化达成协议。他们正在考虑的其中一个问题就是怎样处理构成大洋底0.25%的珊瑚礁。对于全世界5亿人民来说，这是重要的食物，收入和海洋保护来源。在这次会议上，政治家和科学家认识到，全球二氧化碳排放量增加过快，我们已经在保护珊瑚礁的战斗中失败，世界必须出台新的应对计划。

埃及官方对造成18人死亡的火车撞击事件进行调查。他们表示，这次撞车事件由轨道上的水牛造成。埃及卫生官员表示，开往Fayoum的火车司机在看到一头动物在轨道上之后紧急刹车，后面的火车正在全速前进，意外地撞上前面的火车。调查工作仍然在继续。

联合国要求西非区域性组织西非经济共同体(ECOWAS)对几内亚和尼日尔实施更严厉制裁。联合国官员表示，ECOWAS应该冻结该两国领袖的资产，并对其实行旅行限制。尼日尔信息部长称，联合国官员居心不良。1月份军事政变之后，几内亚被取消ECOWAS成员国资格，而尼日尔上周因总统坦贾拒绝推迟选举而被取消资格。

委内瑞拉总统查韦斯称哥伦比亚国防部长为弱智。该言论可能会使这两个邻国之间原本紧张的关系更加紧张。加拉加斯，Will Grand报道。

查韦斯总统在批评自己的竞争对手的时候很少留情。有的时候，政治谈话会演变为人身攻击。这位委内瑞拉领袖对哥伦比亚国防部长席尔瓦最近发表的声明所做的反应就是这样。他说，席尔瓦对哥伦比亚国内的毒品走私未采取严厉措施。

查韦斯总统说，他是弱智，他一定是。查韦斯还说，无论美国要求什么，哥伦比亚政府都会照做。这次冲突的背景是，哥伦比亚决定授权美国使用其7个军事基地。

在即将到来的4日举行的总统选举之前，阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊和竞争对手阿卜杜拉均拒绝了权力分享协议。向二轮角逐的压力屈服之后不到一周，卡尔扎伊总统表示，不进行二轮角逐将有辱民主体制。然而，BBC喀布尔记者表示，由于冬季即将来临，而且塔利班威胁称将破坏二轮选举，阿富汗人民和西方国家人民仍然希望双方能够达成协议。

1 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。

2 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》

3 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

4 sifting   

n.筛，过滤v.筛( sift的现在分词 )；筛滤；细查；详审

参考例句：

• He lay on the beach, sifting the sand through his fingers. 他躺在沙滩上用手筛砂子玩。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I was sifting the cinders when she came in. 她进来时，我正在筛煤渣。 来自辞典例句

5 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

6 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

7 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

8 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

9 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 cavern   

n.洞穴，大山洞

参考例句：

• The cavern walls echoed his cries.大山洞的四壁回响着他的喊声。
• It suddenly began to shower,and we took refuge in the cavern.天突然下起雨来，我们在一个山洞里避雨。

12 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

13 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

14 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。

15 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。

16 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

17 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

18 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

19 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

20 plowed   

v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• They plowed nearly 100,000 acres of virgin moorland. 他们犁了将近10万英亩未开垦的高沼地。 来自辞典例句
• He plowed the land and then sowed the seeds. 他先翻土，然后播种。 来自辞典例句

21 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

22 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

23 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。

24 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

25 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

26 retarded   

a.智力迟钝的，智力发育迟缓的

参考例句：

• The progression of the disease can be retarded by early surgery. 早期手术可以抑制病情的发展。
• He was so slow that many thought him mentally retarded. 他迟钝得很，许多人以为他智力低下。

27 discourse   

n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述

参考例句：

• We'll discourse on the subject tonight.我们今晚要谈论这个问题。
• He fell into discourse with the customers who were drinking at the counter.他和站在柜台旁的酒客谈了起来。

28 descends   

v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite. 这个节日起源于宗教仪式。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The path descends steeply to the village. 小路陡直而下直到村子。 来自《简明英汉词典》