英国新闻听力 49

BBC News with Julie Candler.

Five men accused of plotting the September the 11th attacks in the United States have told a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay that they want to plead guilty. The judge has asked for legal advice on whether he can accept the guilty pleas. The defendants¹ including the alleged² mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, have asked to be tried together. From Washington, Kim Ghattas reports.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two of his co-defendants decided³ to postpone⁴ their pleas until the military court determines whether the other two accused are fit to stand trial. The five men appear to want to cut short any attempts to try them in the controversial detention⁵ center, challenge the US government to put them to death and draw maximum attention to their case. But even if their pleas to the guilty are accepted, the proceedings⁶ could take weeks and the President-elect Barack Obama would have to deal with the fallout when he takes office in January.

Five American security guards have been indicted⁷ on manslaughter and other charges over the killing⁸ of 14 Iraqi civilians⁹ in Baghdad last year. The guards, employees of the private security firm Blackwater Worldwide, gave themselves up in the Middle Western state of Utah earlier in the day. They maintained that they opened fire in self-defense but witnesses in Baghdad have said the shooting was unprovoked. The US Assistant Attorney General for National Security Patrick Rowan said those responsible had to be held to account.

The government alleges¹⁰ today that at least 34 unarmed Iraqi civilians including women and children were killed or injured without justification¹¹ or provocation¹² by these security guards in the shooting at Nisur Square. Today’s indictment¹³ and guilty plea should serve as a reminder¹⁴ that those who engage in unprovoked and illegal attacks on civilians, whether during times of conflict or times of peace, will be held accountable.

Thousands of rioters across Greece have clashed with police and looted shops in another day of violent protests over the death of a 15-year-old boy shot by police. The Greek government has held an emergency meeting to discuss its response after ... more business, banks and public buildings were attacked. From Athens, Malcolm Brabant reports.

The Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos emerged from the meeting, saying that the government would not put up with the situation. Some political observers believe the prime minister may declare a state of emergency which would give the authorities extra powers to clear the streets, but under no circumstances will the government call in the troops. The Greek people have long and bitter memories of the military government and using the army to suppress protests would be beyond the pale.

French police say they have arrested the man they believe has just taken over as the new military leader of the Basque separatist organization ETA. He’s been named as Aitzol Iriondo, who was detained along with two other armed men in southwestern France. He’s believed to have become ETA’s military chief only in the past month.

World News from the BBC.

President George Bush has said a bailout bill for the struggling American car industry should consider the long term viability¹⁵ of the companies involved. In a television interview, Mr. Bush said the government should also make sure that taxpayer's money was paid back. Democratic Party leaders in the US Congress say they are preparing to introduce a bill which would make up to 15 billion dollars available to help the main three US carmakers.

The giant American media group Tribune which owns the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune has filed for bankruptcy¹⁶ protection. The company has billions of dollars of debt. Here is our business correspondent Greg Wood.

The recession means that companies are spending much less on newspaper and TV advertising¹⁷ and that has caused Tribune to suffer a big drop in revenue. At the same time, it’s been struggling to pay repayment¹⁸ on 13 billion dollars worth of debt taken on when Tribune was bought by the property billionaire Sam Zell last year. The bankruptcy filing will allow the company protection from its creditors¹⁹ while it tries to sort out its finances. Tribune said it would continue to operate its media businesses including its newspapers and TV stations without interruption.

The Caribbean community or CARICOM has called for the US President-elect Barack Obama to end the trade embargo²⁰ against Cuba. Opening a summit in Cuba, CARICOM's President Baldwin Spencer said almost all United Nations member states wanted the embargo stopped. The blockade is estimated to have cost Cuba more than 90 billion dollars in lost revenue since it was introduced in 1962.

The leading Latin American novelist Mario Vargas Llosa has described the plan by President Hugo Chavez to abolish term limits as a threat to Venezuela’s democracy. Mr. Vargas Llosa, who is Peruvian, said such a move could be dangerous especially in countries like his own which had a precarious²¹ democratic culture. The Venezuelan president wants to change the constitution so he can again stand for re-election.

BBC News.

1 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

2 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

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 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。

5 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。

6 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

7 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 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。

10 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

11 justification   

n.正当的理由；辩解的理由

参考例句：

• There's no justification for dividing the company into smaller units. 没有理由把公司划分成小单位。
• In the young there is a justification for this feeling. 在年轻人中有这种感觉是有理由的。

12 provocation   

n.激怒，刺激，挑拨，挑衅的事物，激怒的原因

参考例句：

• He's got a fiery temper and flares up at the slightest provocation.他是火爆性子，一点就着。
• They did not react to this provocation.他们对这一挑衅未作反应。

13 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

14 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

15 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

16 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

17 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

18 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。

19 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

21 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。