英国新闻听力 美国防部提出废除同性恋服役禁令

The Defence Department in Washington has announced a review of how to lift a ban on openly homosexual people serving in the US military. The Obama administration says the current policy is harming military effectiveness by driving key personnel out of the armed services. From Washington, Kevin Connolly.

The policy known as "don't ask, don't tell" emerged as a compromise in the early 1990s, permitting gay men and women to serve in the American military but preventing them from doing so openly. As attitudes towards gay rights in America have steadily¹ evolved, the compromise has begun to look a little dated. President Obama promised in his State of the Union address to move towards repealing² the measure. And while there is still resistance among some senior military officers, the Defence Secretary Robert Gates told the Senate Armed Forces Committee that he wanted to see change.

A big air attack in Pakistan by American pilotless planes has killed at least ten militants³ near the Afghan border. The United States has stepped up drone attacks since a suicide bomber⁴ killed seven CIA personnel in eastern Afghanistan at the end of December. Jonny Hogg reports.

Pakistani security sources say that at least ten al-Qaeda and Taliban fighters were killed in the American drone attack, the latest and largest in a series of such operations in recent weeks. They say the unmanned aircraft fired 18 missiles at various targets in North Waziristan, on the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This strike comes amid continued confusion as to whether a senior Taliban leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, died in a similar attack in January.

Ukraine and Russia have publicly accused each other of spying. The incident comes just two weeks after a Russian ambassador returned to Ukraine following an absence of five months and less than a week before the second round of the Ukrainian presidential election. James Rodgers has more.

Ukraine says that the five alleged⁵ Russian spies were caught with a camera concealed⁶ inside a pen, other espionage⁷ equipment and 2,000 dollars, a reported bribe⁸ for a Ukrainian contact. The head of Ukraine's security service says the five were trying to obtain military secrets. Four of them have been expelled from Ukraine, while the fifth has been detained. Russia's security service, the FSB, has confirmed the detention⁹ but denied the Ukrainian version of events. The FSB said its actions were a response to the recruitments of Russians by the Ukrainian security services.

A leading British medical publication, the Lancet, has formally retracted¹⁰ a study it published 12 years ago, suggesting a link between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine¹¹, MMR, and autism. Britain's General Medical Council said the author of the report, Doctor Andrew Wakefield, had been dishonest and irresponsible. The study had caused a large drop in the number of children receiving the vaccine, as many parents believed it was unsafe.

The American airline Continental¹² and five men have gone on trial in France over the crash of a Concorde supersonic airliner¹³ outside Paris, which killed 113 people ten years ago. They are accused of manslaughter after an official report said that during take-off the Concorde hit a piece of metal, which had fallen off a Continental plane. All those charged deny any wrongdoing.

The United Nations has warned of a potentially volatile¹⁴ situation in Haiti after gunmen attacked a food convoy¹⁵. There are also reports of violence and looting inside the camps set up to house the survivors¹⁶ of last month's devastating¹⁷ earthquake. From Port-au-Prince, here is Nick Davis.

The medical needs of Haitians hurt in the earthquake exactly three weeks ago continues to be an ongoing¹⁸ issue. The long-term treatment of the injured and the job of health care teams (are) made more difficult by sporadic¹⁹ outbursts of gang violence in some parts of the city. The UN reports that a food convoy has been attacked and the Haitian police are increasing their patrols. The threat of gang violence has been blamed by the US military for delays in aid distribution in neighborhoods like Cite Soleil. In the past, it was a notorious area with hundreds killed during the political instability five years ago.

The head of national intelligence in the United States has described the recent reports of cyber attacks on Google in China as a wakeup call. Speaking in a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, Dennis Blair said malicious²⁰ activity was occurring on an unprecedented²¹ scale with extraordinary sophistication. He said neither the US government nor the private sector²² could fully²³ control or protect the country's information infrastructure²⁴.

The nominations²⁵ for next month's Academy Awards have been announced in Hollywood. The science-fiction epic²⁶ “Avatar” and the Iraq war drama “The Hurt Locker” have been nominated for nine Oscars each, including the category “Best Film”.

华盛顿国防部宣布评审怎样取消对同性恋士兵服役的限制政策。奥巴马政府表示，现行的政策将主要人员驱逐出军队，危害了军队的效率。Kevin Connolly在华盛顿报道。

90年代初，新出现的“不问不说”(Don't Ask, Don't Tell)政策成为一项折衷案，允许同性恋男女在美国军队服役，但是禁止他们的公开行为。随着美国对同性恋权利的态度取得稳定的进展，该折衷似乎有点过时。奥巴马总统在国情咨文中承诺废止这项措施。尽管一些高级军官仍然反对，国防部长罗伯特·盖茨告诉参议院军事委员会，他希望看到变革。

美国无人机在巴基斯坦进行了大规模的空袭，击毙阿富汗边境至少10名好战分子。自12月末阿富汗东部一起自杀式爆炸杀害7名CIA特工以来，美国加强了无人机的袭击力度。Jonny Hogg报道。

巴基斯坦安全消息来源称，至少10名基地组织和塔利班战士在美国无人机袭击中丧失，这是近几周一系列类似行动中最新也是最大规模的一次。他们表示，无人机在巴基斯坦和阿富汗边境北瓦齐里斯坦的不同目标发射了18枚导弹。目前，塔利班高级头目马哈苏德是否在一月份类似的袭击中丧生还不确定。

乌克兰和俄罗斯互相公开指责对方从事间谍活动。该事件发生两周前，俄罗斯大使在缺席5个月之后返回乌克兰，距离乌克兰第二轮总统选举还有一周时间。James Rodgers报道更详细信息。

乌克兰表示，5名俄罗斯间谍被抓获时，身上携带藏在钢笔内的照相机，其他间谍设备以及2,000美元，据称这是给一名乌克兰联络人的贿赂。乌克兰安全部门负责人表示，这5人试图窃取军事机密。其中4人被驱逐出乌克兰，另外一人仍被拘留。俄罗斯联邦安全局(FSB)确认了被拘事件，但是否认乌克兰的说法。FSB表示，他们的行为是为了对乌克兰安全部门招募俄罗斯人作出回应。

英国主流医学杂志《柳叶刀》正式收回12年前发表的一份研究。该研究称麻腮风和自闭症之间存在联系。英国医学总会表示，这份研究的作者Andrew Wakefield医生不诚实，不负责任。该研究导致注射这种疫苗的儿童数量大大减少，因为许多父母认为这种疫苗不安全。

十年前，一架协和式超音飞机在巴黎城外坠毁，造成113人死亡。日前，美国大陆航空公司和5名男子在法国接受审判。他们被指控过失杀人，因为一份官方报告称，在起飞过程中，这架飞机撞上一块金属片，该金属片是大陆航空公司一家架飞机上脱落的。所有被告均否认任何过失。

持枪分子袭击了粮食护卫队之后，联合国提醒警惕海地反复多变的形势。还有报道称安置上月地震幸存者的帐篷中暴力和洗劫事件频发。太子港，Nick Davis报道。

三周前在地震中受伤的海地人的医疗需求仍然是一个问题。太子港部分地区零星爆发的团伙暴力事件使得伤者的长期治疗和医疗小组的工作更加困难。联合国报告称，一个粮食护卫队遇袭，海地警方增加了巡逻力量。美国军方指责团伙暴力的威胁延误了Cite Soleil等社区的粮食分发工作。过去，这是一个臭名昭著的地区，数百人在5年前的政治不稳定期间遇难。

美国情报部门负责人称，最近谷歌在中国受到的网络袭击是一个警钟。在参议院情报委员会听证会上，Dennis Blair表示，网络恶意行为的范围前所未有，手段也更加成熟。他说，无论是美国政府还是私人部门都无法全面控制胡保护国家信息基础设施。

下月奥斯卡金像奖提名在好莱坞宣布。科幻影片《阿凡达》和伊拉克战争片《拆弹部队》分别被提名9个奖项，包括最佳影片奖。

1 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

2 repealing   

撤销，废除( repeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In addition, repealing the alternative minimum tax would also help. 此外，废除替代性最低税也会有所帮助。
• Repealing the investment tax credit. 取消投资税款扣除。

3 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

4 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

5 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

6 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

7 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

8 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

9 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

10 retracted   

v.撤回或撤消( retract的过去式和过去分词 )；拒绝执行或遵守；缩回；拉回

参考例句：

• He made a false confession which he later retracted. 他作了假供词，后来又翻供。
• A caddy retracted his statement. 一个球童收回了他的话。 来自辞典例句

11 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

12 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

13 airliner   

n.客机，班机

参考例句：

• The pilot landed the airliner safely.驾驶员使客机安全着陆。
• The passengers were shepherded across the tarmac to the airliner.旅客们被引导走过跑道去上飞机。

14 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

15 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

16 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

17 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

18 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

19 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

20 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

21 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

22 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。

23 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

24 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

25 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

26 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。