英国新闻听力 98

The Movement for Democratic Change in Zimbabwe says it'll join a national unity¹ government with the Zanu-PF Party of President Robert Mugabe. The new administration is to be formed by February 13th, ending ten months of political paralysis². The MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, said significant concessions³ had been made by Zanu-PF which, for its part, said the country would now be able to focus on reconstruction⁴. The leader of Zimbabwe's third biggest party Arthur Mutambara said he welcomed the agreement.

"This is an agreement that is not satisfactory, but it is the best short-time answer to extricate⁵ our country from its worst situation. We are saying the agenda of this government is to prepare for free and fair elections. This government is a transitional authority to recover the economy, to heal the nation, to do a new constitution, and resolve the humanitarian⁶ crisis. Then we'll go through free and fair election/, get a winner and set up a proper government in our country."

Mr. Mutambara described the humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe as the thir great challenge facing the new administration. He said that addressing the food situation and worsening cholera⁷ outbreak could be among the main tasks. Earlier, the World Health Organization estimated that the number of cholera cases had passed 60, 000, a level it previously⁸ described as the worst case scenario⁹.

Security has been tightened¹⁰ across Iraq in advance of Saturday's provincial¹¹ elections in which up to 15 million people are expected to vote. During the campaign, at least eight out of the more than 14,000 candidates were killed. Our correspondent Jim Muir reports from Baghdad.

The threat from insurgents¹² related to al-Qaeda is believed to be high. Thousands of security forces will be out trying to protect polling stations from suicide bombers¹³ or other attacks. But despite the intimidation¹⁴, many Sunni voters who boycotted¹⁵ the last provincial elections in 2005 say they will vote this time. If they pass off relatively¹⁶ peacefully, these elections will set the stage for general polls at the end of the year.

President Obama has described the deepening economic crisis as a disaster for American families. He was speaking after the latest figures showed US Gross Domestic Product was shrinking at its fastest rate in almost 30 years. In the last quarter of last year, GDP fell at an annual rate of 3.8%. Mr. Obama said the statistics were further proof that his multi-billion-dollar stimulus¹⁷ package needed to be passed as a matter of urgency.

"I'm pleased that the House has acted with the urgency necessary in passing this plan. I hope we can strengthen it further in the Senate. What we can't do is drag our feet or delay much longer. The American people expect us to act, and that's exactly what I intend to do as President of the United States."

World News from the BBC.

The highest ranking US intelligence officer ever to be jailed for spying against his country has been charged with selling secrets to Russia from his prison cell. Harold Nicholson, who's serving a 23-year sentence, appeared in court with his son on Thursday, and pleaded not guilty. Richard Lister reports from Washington.

Harold Nicholson was sent to prison in 1997 after admitting that he'd sold the identities of CIA agents that he'd helped to train as well as the name of the agency's station chief in Moscow. But federal prosecutors¹⁸ say that wasn't the end of his career as a spy. He's now facing charges that while in jail, he used his son Nathaniel to contact his Russian handlers and sell more information. He and his son have both pleaded not guilty to espionage¹⁹ and money laundering²⁰. The Russian embassy in Washington has refused to comment.

Russia has signed a partnership²¹ agreement with Cuba in a move to rebuild a once close relationship that was strained by the breakup of the Soviet²² Union. President Dmitry Medvedev told the visiting Cuban leader Raul Castro that they were taking their relationship to a new strategic level. Cuba will get loans and food aid, and the two sides agreed on closer economic cooperation.

A bishop²³ who denied the full extent of the Nazi²⁴ Holocaust²⁵ has apologized to the Pope. The Bishop Richard Williamson said he was sorry for the distress²⁶ and problems he'd caused. In a letter to the Vatican, he said / his remarks had been imprudent, although he didn't retract²⁷ them.

And it's emerged that a woman who gave birth to eight babies in the United States earlier this week already has six young children. Doctors at a hospital near the city of Los Angeles say the woman who's not to be named had already had fertility treatment when she came to them 12 weeks into her pregnancy²⁸. A BBC correspondent says questions have been asked about why a mother of six would be given fertility treatment.

1 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

2 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

3 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

4 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

5 extricate   

v.拯救，救出；解脱

参考例句：

• How can we extricate the firm from this trouble?我们该如何承救公司脱离困境呢？
• She found it impossible to extricate herself from the relationship.她发现不可能把自己从这种关系中解脱出来。

6 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。

7 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

8 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

9 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

10 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

11 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

12 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

13 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》

14 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

15 boycotted   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Athletes from several countries boycotted the Olympic Games. 有好几国的运动员抵制奥林匹克运动会。
• The opposition party earlier boycotted the Diet agenda, demanding Miyaji's resignation. 反对党曾杯葛国会议程，要宫路下台。

16 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

17 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

18 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

19 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。

20 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

22 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

23 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

24 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

25 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

26 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

27 retract   

vt.缩回，撤回收回，取消

参考例句：

• The criminals should stop on the precipice, retract from the wrong path and not go any further.犯罪分子应当迷途知返，悬崖勒马，不要在错误的道路上继续走下去。
• I don't want to speak rashly now and later have to retract my statements.我不想现在说些轻率的话，然后又要收回自己说过的话。

28 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。