英国新闻听力 中国下周将处决英国毒贩

Reports from Iran say the security forces have clashed with opposition¹ supporters after the funeral of one of the country’s most influential² dissident figures, Grand Ayatollah Montazeri. Reformers’ websites reported that the car of the Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi was attacked by men on motorbikes after attending the funeral. Jon Leyne reports from London.

For the government, the funeral of Grand Ayatollah Montazeri turned into a demonstration³ they were powerless to prevent. Opposition leaders called for a major show of solidarity⁴ to mourn the death of one of the most outspoken⁵ clerics in Iran. They were greeted with a crowd stretched as far as eye could see. The funeral itself passed off peacefully, but then the crowd gathered outside the most important shrine⁶ in Qom broke into anti-government chanting. Opposition websites reported clashes between opposition supporters and government forces, but it was not clear how extensive they were.

The United Nations has described the killings⁷ of dozens of civilians⁸ by the security forces in Guinea in September as crimes against humanity. The UN findings confirmed that 109 people were dead or missing after the incident in Conakry and says President Moussa Dadis Camara bears direct responsibility. Here is Barbara Plett.

The report says the brutal⁹ suppression of the opposition rally was a widespread and systematic¹⁰ attack carried out by security and militia¹¹ forces, including the Presidential Guard. It says there are reasonable grounds to conclude that this may constitute crimes against humanity and that the President and military leader Moussa Dadis Camara bears direct criminal responsibility for the violence. It recommends that the International Criminal Court conduct investigation¹², that sanction be imposed on the main perpetrators and that the victims be compensated¹³.

The British government says it’s been told by China that it will execute a British citizen sentenced to death on Tuesday next week after it rejected the man’s appeal. Campaigners say Akmal Shaikh would be the first European Union citizen to be executed in China in 50 years. The British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged China to spare Mr. Shaikh’s life. Danny Shaw reports.

Akmal Shaikh who’s been in custody¹⁴ in China for more than two years was found guilty of carrying a suitcase containing 4 kilograms of heroin¹⁵. Mr. Shaikh asked the People’s Supreme¹⁶ Court of China to quash his conviction, but the appeal was turned down and he now faces the prospect¹⁷ of execution next week on December 29th. Akmal Shaikh who has married with 3 children claims that he was duped into carrying the drugs by someone who said they’d help him find work in a nightclub.

A BBC investigation has found that many of the Romanian orphans¹⁸ who came to international prominence¹⁹ in the 1990s after the end of communist rule are still in institutional care and living in appalling²⁰ conditions. The report uncovered widespread evidence of neglect. The Romanian government says it is committed to upholding the rights of those with disabilities.

For the first time in British politics, the leaders of the main parties have agreed to appear in a series of live televised debates during next year’s general election campaign. The Labor²¹ Prime Minister Gordon Brown and the opposition leaders David Cameron of the Conservatives and Nick Clegg of the Liberal Democrats²² will meet in three peak-time programs, each aired by a different broadcaster. Rob Watson reports.

Voters will now get a chance to see the three party leaders going head to head on television in a way they’ve never done before. This is exciting new territory for both voters and broadcasters. Unlike in the US for example, the political parties here are not allowed to advertise on television even during the short election period. But before everyone gets too carried away, the evidence from presidential debates in the US suggests they are rarely decisive to the outcome of the election.

United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has described the Copenhagen Climate Summit as a success despite widespread criticism that it was a failure. His comments came after Britain blamed China, Sudan and several Latin American countries for blocking any agreement on setting targets for cutting greenhouse gas emissions²³.

Colombia has denied spying on Venezuela using an unmanned aircraft built using American technology. The allegation was made on Sunday by the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The Colombian Defense²⁴ Minister told reporters that Colombia had no access to such machines. He joked that perhaps Venezuelan soldiers had seen Father Christmas’ sleigh flying overhead and confused it with the spy plane.

The Argentinean striker Lionel Messi has been named the World Player of the Year by football’s governing body FIFA. Messi has helped the Spanish team Barcelona to secure a host of honors in the last year, including the Champions League trophy²⁵ and the Spanish league title.

来自伊朗的报道称，全国最有影响力的反对派人物Grand Ayatollah Montazeri的葬礼过后，安全力量和反对派支持者之间发生冲突。改革派网站报道称，伊朗反对派领袖穆萨维参加葬礼过后受到多名骑摩托车男子的袭击。Jon Leyne在伦敦报道。

对于政府来说，Grand Ayatollah Montazeri的葬礼演变为他们无力控制的示威活动。反对派领袖呼吁全国表现出最大程度的团结，来哀悼伊朗这位最直言不讳的教士的去世。哀悼的人群一望无际。葬礼本身和平地度过，而随后在库姆最大的神龛外聚集的人群高呼反政府口号。反对派网站报道称，反对派支持者和政府力量之间发生冲突，但是冲突的范围和程度还不清晰。

联合国称，九月份几内亚安全力量杀害数十名平民的行为是违反人道的罪行。联合国调查结果证实，在科纳克里这场冲突中共有109人死亡和失踪，并表示总统Moussa Dadis应当承担直接责任。Barbara Plett报道。

该报告称，对反对集会的残酷镇压是安全力量和包括总统卫队在内的国民卫队实施的广泛的，有系统的袭击活动。报告称，有合理证据推断，这足以构成违反人道主义罪行，总统、军事领袖穆萨·达迪斯·卡马拉应该为这次暴力事件承担直接的刑事责任。报告建议国际刑事法庭介入调查，对作恶之人实施制裁，并对受害者进行补偿。

英国政府称收到中国通知，中国拒绝了一名被判处死刑的英国公民的上诉请求，并于下周二执行死刑。社会运动人士表示，Akmal Shaikh将是50年来在中国被处决的首个欧盟公民。英国首相戈登·布朗曾敦促中国饶恕Shaikh的性命。Danny Shaw报道。

Akmal Shaikh被发现携带装有4千克海洛因的手提箱，已经在中国被拘留了两年多的时间。Shaikh要求中国最高人民法院宣布判决无效，但是上诉被驳回。他现在将面临下周12月29日被处决。Akmal Shaikh已婚，并有3个孩子。他辩称自己是被骗携带毒品的，别人说将帮助他在夜总会找到一份工作。

BBC一份调查显示，90年代共产主义统治结束之后引起国际关注的许多罗马尼亚孤儿仍然接受孤儿院管理，状况堪虞。该报告披露了大量玩忽职守的证据。罗马尼亚政府称，他们一直致力于保障残障人士的权利。

英国各主要党派领袖同意在明年大选竞选期间参加一系列现场电视辩论，这在英国政治历史上还是首次。执政党工党领袖戈登·布朗、保守党领袖大卫·卡梅伦和自由民主党领导人尼克·克雷格均表示同意在明年大选前，参加三场黄金时间电视辩论，辩论将分别通过不同的广播公司播出。Rob Watson报道。

现在，投票者将有机会看到三大党派领袖在电视上短兵相接，这在以前是从来没有过的。这对于投票者和广播公司来说都是令人激动的新领域。例如，与美国不同，英国的政治党派不允许在短暂的竞选期间进行电视广告宣传。但是在每个人没有过分被胜利冲昏头脑之前，美国总统辩论的证据表明，他们在竞选结果方面并不是非常有决定性。

联合国秘书长潘基文表示，哥本哈根气候峰会的召开比较成功，尽管各方存广泛批评峰会以失败告终。此前，英国曾指责中国，苏丹和其他几个拉美国家在达成减排目标协议方面设置障碍。

哥伦比亚否认使用美国技术制造的无人机对委内瑞拉实施间谍活动。委内瑞拉总统查韦斯曾在周日做出指控。哥伦比亚国防部长告诉记者，哥伦比亚没有这种飞机。他开玩笑说，委内瑞拉士兵可能看到圣诞老人的雪橇从头顶驶过，误以为是间谍飞机。

阿根廷前锋梅西被国际足联提名为世界足球先生。去年，梅西帮助西班牙巴塞罗那队赢得了一系列荣誉，包括冠军杯和西班牙联赛冠军。

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

5 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

6 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

7 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

10 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

11 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

12 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。

13 compensated   

补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款）

参考例句：

• The marvelous acting compensated for the play's weak script. 本剧的精彩表演弥补了剧本的不足。
• I compensated his loss with money. 我赔偿他经济损失。

14 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

15 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

16 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

17 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

18 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

19 prominence   

n.突出；显著；杰出；重要

参考例句：

• He came to prominence during the World Cup in Italy.他在意大利的世界杯赛中声名鹊起。
• This young fashion designer is rising to prominence.这位年轻的时装设计师的声望越来越高。

20 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

21 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

22 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 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。

24 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。

25 trophy   

n.优胜旗，奖品，奖杯，战胜品，纪念品

参考例句：

• The cup is a cherished trophy of the company.那只奖杯是该公司很珍惜的奖品。
• He hung the lion's head as a trophy.他把那狮子头挂起来作为狩猎纪念品。