英国新闻听力 奥巴马秘密访问阿富汗

President Obama has made a sudden and unannounced visit to Afghanistan where he's held a series of talks and addressed cheering American troops. At the huge Bagram air base, north of Kabul, Mr Obama thanked the soldiers for their sacrifices and said they would defeat al-Qaeda.

"We're gonna deny al-Qaeda safe haven¹. We're gonna reverse the Taliban's momentum². We're gonna strengthen the capacity of the Afghan security forces and the Afghan government so that they can begin taking responsibility and gain confidence of the Afghan people. Our strategy includes a military effort that takes the fight to the Taliban while creating the conditions for greater security and a transition to the Afghans; but also a civilian³ effort that improves the daily lives of the Afghan people."

The American president also held talks with his Afghan counterpart Hamid Karzai. Mr Obama said he wanted the Afghan government to improve good governance and fight corruption⁴.

The head of the United Nations peacekeepers in the Democratic Republic of Congo Alan Doss has said a change in strategy is needed to prevent further massacres⁵ by the rebel group, the Lord's Resistance Army. His comments in a BBC interview came after evidence emerged of a five-day rampage last December in which the LRA killed more than 300 people. Mr Doss said the rebels were difficult to track down.

"We have to look at this as a problem dealing⁶ with the small groups that move around a great deal. This requires better intelligence gathering⁷, it requires particularly air mobility⁸ and of course cooperation with the local people."

The first talks between the Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and the red shirt anti-government demonstrators who've been paralyzing Bangkok have ended inconclusively, although they will continue on Monday. Rachel Harvey reports from the Thai capital.

There were handshakes and smiles and a good deal of respectful listening, but ultimately no change in well-entrenched positions. The anti-government protest leaders, dressed in their trademark⁹ red shirts, repeated their demand for new elections. This, they said, was the only way to solve the problems created by the military coup¹⁰ of 2006. But the prime minister countered that in his view an early poll could inflame¹¹ an already volatile¹² situation.

There have been reports that the United States might abstain¹³ if the question of illegal Jewish settlements in occupied East Jerusalem is condemned¹⁵ by the UN Security Council. An Arab diplomat¹⁶ said that the Qatari foreign minister had been told this by a senior American official. There was no confirmation¹⁷ of this in Washington. Until now, the United States has always vetoed any attempt by the UN Security Council to condemn¹⁴ Israel. But the BBC state department correspondent says this could be a way for Washington to maintain pressure over the settlement issue. So far, the UN Security Council has not officially taken up the question of Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.

World News from the BBC

The Colombian rebel group, the Farc, has released a soldier it had held hostage for more than a year. Josue Daniel Calvo was released to a humanitarian¹⁸ commission headed by the left-wing Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba. From Medellin, Jeremy McDermott reports.

Private Calvo kidnapped in April last year is among 24 hostages the Farc hold who may want to swap¹⁹ for hundreds of guerrillas held in prison - something President Alvaro Uribe has refused to consider. The rebels are using the liberations and an escalation²⁰ in their military operations to try to discredit²¹ the tough US-backed security policy of Mr Uribe and influence May's presidential elections.

There is confusion about the status of one of China's best-known dissident lawyers Gao Zhisheng. Mr Gao had been widely assumed to be in jail or dead since he was abducted²² more than a year ago. Now he's spoken on the phone to the foreign media. He said he was free and living in the northern Wutai Shan mountains. But some reporters who spoke²³ to Mr Gao say he appears to be under surveillance. Before his disappearance²⁴, Mr Gao had complained of being tortured during a previous spell in detention²⁵. The Chinese authorities have never disclosed his whereabouts.

The President of Switzerland Doris Leuthard has called for a national register of priests implicated²⁶ in sexually abusing children. In a newspaper interview, she said it was important that such priests should no longer have any contact with children and be subjected to criminal law. A member of the church commission investigating abuses in Switzerland said recently that 60 individuals there had reported been victims.

The first of two days of voting has been taking place in many of Italy's 20 regions with indications of low turnout so far. The vote has been seen as a test for the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi who has been at the centre of a series of political and personal controversies²⁷.

奥巴马总统未经宣布突然访问阿富汗。访问期间，奥巴马进行了一系列会谈，并向欢欣鼓舞的美国军队发表讲话。在喀布尔北部的巴格拉姆(Bagram)空军基地，奥巴马对士兵们做出的牺牲表示感谢，并表示他们一定能够击败基地组织。

“我们将摧毁基地组织的安全港湾，我们将逆转塔利班的势头。我们将增强阿富汗安全力量以及阿富汗政府的能力，这样他们就可以开始自己承担安全责任，并获得阿富汗人民的信任。我们的策略包括，在阿富汗实施军事行动，打击塔利班分子，同时为阿富汗人民创造更加安全的环境，将安全责任过渡给阿富汗人民。同时，我们的策略还包括改善阿富汗人民的日常生活。”

奥巴马还与阿富汗总统卡尔扎伊进行了会谈。奥巴马表示，希望阿富汗政府能够提升执政能力，打击腐败现象。

联合国驻刚果民主共和国维和部队负责人Alan Doss表示，应该及时改变策略，防止反叛组织圣主抵抗军再次进行屠杀行动。他接受BBC采访发表这番讲话之前，已有证据表明去年12月份圣主抵抗军进行了为期5天的大屠杀，造成300多人死亡。Doss表示，追查叛军的工作非常困难。

“我们必须将这看作频繁活动的小股势力的问题。这需要更好的情报搜集工作，尤其要求空中机动性，当然，还需要当地人民的协作。”

泰国反政府红衫军示威者导致整个曼谷瘫痪。泰国总理阿披实(Abhisit Vejjajiva)与红衫军之间的首次谈判结束，未取得任何成果，尽管在周一将继续进行对话。Rachel Harvey在泰国首都报道。

双方会谈期间也是亲热的握手，微笑，尊敬的倾听，但是最终双方根深蒂固的立场没有做出任何改变。反政府抗议领袖身穿标志性的红衫，重申重新选举的要求。他们表示，这是解决2006年军事政变导致的问题的唯一方法。但是总理阿披实反驳称，按照他的观点，提前投票会激化本来已经反复无常的形势。

有报道称，如果东耶路撒冷犹太人非法定居点的问题受到联合国安理会谴责，美国应该弃权。一名阿拉伯外交官表示，一名高级美国官员已经向卡塔尔外交部长透露了这一点。目前为止，美国一直否决联合国安理会对以色列提出谴责的任何努力。但是BBC国务院记者表示，这应该是促使华盛顿对定居点问题保持压力的方法。目前为止，联合国安理会还没有正式对待以色列在巴勒斯坦领土建筑定居点的问题。

BBC世界新闻。

哥伦比亚叛军Farc(哥伦比亚武装力量)释放了劫持长达一年多的士兵。Josue Daniel Calvo被移交给由左翼哥伦比亚参议员Piedad Cordoba领导的人道主义委员会。麦德林，Jeremy McDermott报道。

士兵Calvo于去年4月份被绑架。至此，Farc共劫持了24名人质，可能希望用于交换被关押的几百名游击队员，而总统乌里韦拒绝考虑这一点。叛军在军事活动中不断宣传解放思想，不断扩张自己的力量，试图使美国支持的乌里韦的安全政策失信，并影响5月份的总统选举。

（这一段……同学们自己上网查找信息了）

瑞士洛伊特哈德(DorIS Leuthard)要求对涉嫌虐童事件的神父进行全国范围的登记。在报纸采访中，她表示，这些神父不应该再与儿童有任何联系，而且应该接受法律的制裁，这是非常重要的。调查瑞士虐童事件的教堂委员会成员表示，最近，瑞士已有60人声称是受害者。

为期两天的投票的第一天投票工作在意大利20个区的多个地区举行。有迹象表明，目前为止，出席投票率很低。这次投票被视为对意大利总理西尔维奥·贝鲁斯科尼的考验。他一直处于一系列政治和私人争议的中心。

1 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

2 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

3 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

4 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

5 massacres   

大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败

参考例句：

• The time is past for guns and killings and massacres. 动不动就用枪、动不动就杀、大规模屠杀的时代已经过去了。 来自教父部分
• Numberless recent massacres were still vivid in their recollection. 近来那些不可胜数的屠杀，在他们的头脑中记忆犹新。

6 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

7 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。

8 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

9 trademark   

n.商标；特征；vt.注册的…商标

参考例句：

• The trademark is registered on the book of the Patent Office.该商标已在专利局登记注册。
• The trademark of the pen was changed.这钢笔的商标改了。

10 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。

11 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

12 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。

13 abstain   

v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免

参考例句：

• His doctor ordered him to abstain from beer and wine.他的医生嘱咐他戒酒。
• Three Conservative MPs abstained in the vote.三位保守党下院议员投了弃权票。

14 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

15 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

16 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

17 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

18 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

19 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

20 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

21 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

22 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。

23 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

24 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

25 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。

26 implicated   

adj.密切关联的；牵涉其中的

参考例句：

• These groups are very strongly implicated in the violence. 这些组织与这起暴力事件有着极大的关联。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Having the stolen goods in his possession implicated him in the robbery. 因藏有赃物使他涉有偷盗的嫌疑。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

27 controversies   

争论

参考例句：

• We offer no comment on these controversies here. 对于这些争议，我们在这里不作任何评论。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon. 围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。 来自辞典例句