英国新闻听力 雅典抗议政府财政紧缩政策

There has been angry protests in Athens against the Greek government's announcement of further austerity measures to deal with the country's massive debts. Pensioners¹ scuffled with riot police and civil servants protested outside the Finance Ministry². The new measures are designed to save 6.5 billion dollars. The head of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso welcomed the move.

The additional measures announced today appropriately include expenditure³ cuts and in particular savings⁴ in the public wage bill which are essential for achieving permanent fiscal⁵ recognition ,effects and restore competitiveness. This is in the interest of the Greek people who will benefit from sounder public finances, better growth prospects⁷ and job opportunities. It is as well important for the overall financial stability of the euro area.

Brazil has rejected efforts by the visiting US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to persuade it to back sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program. At a news conference, the foreign minister said Brazil felt strongly that a dialogue with Iran should occur before sanctions are imposed. From Sao Paulo, here is Gary Duffy.

On her first official visit to South America's largest country, the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was adamant⁸ that only further sanctions would persuade Iran to negotiate in good fair.Though it doesn't have a veto, Brazil is currently a voting member of the UN Security Council, and the US administration is keen to have its support. However, President Lula continues to warn against isolating⁹ Iran, insisting instead, that it would be better to continue with negotiations¹⁰.

President Obama has dismissed any prospect⁶ of greater state control over the US health care system as he called on Congress to approve his sweeping¹¹ reform plans. Mr Obama said it was time to give the American people more control over their health insurance. From Washington, here is Paul Adams.

President Obama says he wants Congress to finish its work. He wants to sign health care reform into law. The process, he says, has simply taken long enough. For us to start over now could simply lead to delay that could last for another decade or even more. The American people and the US economy just can't wait that long. The president said this was not just about the ability of Washington to solve the problem of health care but about its ability to solve any problem. He repeated his offer to include some Republican ideas in his health care proposals, but the fact remains¹² that the Republicans are implacably opposed to the sort of overhaul¹³ the president wants.

The Italian police have arrested seven people suspected of trafficking arms to Iran in breach¹⁴ of a UN arms embargo¹⁵. The two Iranians and five Italians were allegedly involved in an operation which moved arms around Europe to avoid detection before sending them to Iran. Police have seized anti-tank shells and explosives.

The Red Cross in Uganda has begun an appeal for emergency shelters for the survivors¹⁶ of a series of disastrous¹⁷ mudslides. Three villages in the east of the country were swept away. Rescuers have recovered at least 86 bodies, and more than 260 people are still missing. Peter Greste reports from the district of Bududa.

As the rains began pounding the slopes in late this afternoon, rescue workers retreated from the disaster zone on high on the extinct volcano's flanks. As they trudged¹⁸ down through the mud, a group of villagers began the 2-hour march up to the site with makeshift coffins¹⁹ balanced on their heads. Uganda's Prime Minister Yoweri Museveni flew in the helicopter earlier on the day. He blamed the disaster on local people who settled dangerously unstable²⁰ mountain slopes and cleared the hillsides of forests. The Red Cross was appealed for help of emergency shelters, blankets and mobile medical clinic, and psychological help for the handful of survivors.

Aid agencies and the Ethiopian authorities have denied allegations in a BBC report that millions of dollars donated to the relief effort for the Ethiopian famine in the mid²¹ 1980s went to buy weapons. The rock star Bob Geldof, who was the public face of the appeal for funds, has also described the report as rubbish.

Libya is imposing²² an economic and commercial embargo against Switzerland. The announcement follows a call last week by the Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi for a jihad against the country. The Libyans have been angered by a Swiss ban on building minarets²³ and the detention²⁴ by Swiss police of Colonel Gaddafi's son in 2008 on assault charges that were later dropped.

The American Federal Aviation Administration is investigating why a child was apparently²⁵ allowed to direct air traffic at New York's JFK airport. The aviation authority said the behavior of employees involved was unacceptable. And a number of staff have been suspended.

雅典发生愤怒的抗议活动，反对希腊政府为应对巨额债务所宣布的紧缩政策。养老金领取者和防暴警察混战在一起，公务员也在财政大楼外抗议。新的措施是为了节约65亿美元。欧盟委员会主席巴罗佐(Jose Manuel Barroso)对此举表示欢迎。

今天宣布的新措施包括适当削减支出，尤其是公共工资储蓄金，这对于获取永久性的财政稳定效果和重建竞争力来说是必要的。这是为了希腊人民的利益，他们将从更强健的公共财政，更好的经济增长前景和就业机会中受益。对于整个欧元区的财政稳定来说也是非常重要的。

正在南美访问的美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿试图说服巴西支持针对伊朗核项目实施制裁，遭到巴西反对。在新闻发布会上，外交部长表示，巴西强烈地感到，在对伊朗实施制裁前应该进行对话。圣保罗，Gary Duffy报道。

在对南美最大的国家进行的首次正式访问中，美国国务卿强硬地认为，只有进一步的制裁才能劝服伊朗开诚布公地进行谈判。尽管没有否决权，而巴西现在是联合国安理会投票成员，美国政府急于获得巴西的支持。然而，巴西总统卢拉仍然警告不要对伊朗进行孤立，而是坚持称，继续进行谈判将取得更好的效果。

美国总统奥巴马敦促国会通过其大规模的改革计划，并否认了国家对美国医疗保健体系更大的控制权的可能性。奥巴马说，应该让美国民众对他们的医疗保险拥有更大的控制权。Paul Adams在华盛顿报道。

奥巴马表示希望国会完成这项工作。他希望将医疗改革签署法律。他说，这个过程已经拖延了足够的时间。如果重新开始将造成不必要的拖延，有可能再持续十年甚至更长时间。美国人民和美国经济不能等待那么久。奥巴马表示，这不仅仅考验华盛顿解决医疗问题的能力，还考验他们解决任何问题的能力。他再次表达了将共和党一些想法列入医改提案的建议，但是共和党仍然固执地反对总统希望进行的大规模的改革。

7名男子涉嫌违反联合国武器禁令向伊朗运输武器，被意大利警方逮捕。这2名伊朗人和5名意大利人被控将武器辗转运往欧洲各国躲避检查，随后运往伊朗。警方缴获了反坦克高爆弹和炸药。

乌干达红十字会呼吁为一系列灾难性泥石流的幸存者提供紧急庇护所。乌干达东部三个村庄被卷走。目前为止，搜救人员已经发现至少86具尸体，260多人仍然失踪。Peter Greste在Bududa区报道。

下午晚些时候，大雨开始袭击山坡，搜救人员从这个死火山侧面的灾难发生地区撤退。他们在泥泞中蹒跚前行的时候，一些村民头顶临时棺材，开始了前往灾难发生地点的长达两个小时的行程。今天早些时候，总统约韦里·穆塞韦尼(Yoweri Museveni)乘直升飞机抵达。他指责这次灾难是由于当地居民在危险的山坡定居，并砍伐了山坡上的森林。红十字会呼吁紧急避难所，毯子和移动医疗诊所，以及对仅存的幸存者提供心理帮助。

BBC一份报道称，80年代中期为埃塞俄比亚灾荒捐赠的数百万美元被用于购买武器，救援机构和埃塞俄比亚当局否认了BBC的指控。这次募捐的慈善大使，摇滚明星Bob Geldof也称该报道是捏造的。

利比亚对瑞士施行经济和商业禁令。上周，利比亚领袖卡扎菲上校宣布对瑞士实行讨伐异教运动，随后宣布了该禁令。由于瑞士禁止建造伊斯兰寺院尖塔，而且2008年，瑞士警方以攻击罪拘留了卡扎菲的儿子，该指控随后被放弃，利比亚人非常愤怒。

美国联邦航空管理局正在调查纽约肯尼迪机场指挥飞机事件。航空管理部门表示，相关雇员的行为是难以接受的。已有多名职员被解雇。

1 pensioners   

n.领取退休、养老金或抚恤金的人( pensioner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He intends to redistribute income from the middle class to poorer paid employees and pensioners. 他意图把中产阶级到低薪雇员和退休人员的收入做重新分配。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor. 我自己就是一个我们的高贵的施主遗留基金的养老金领取者。 来自辞典例句

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

6 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。

7 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

8 adamant   

adj.坚硬的，固执的

参考例句：

• We are adamant on the building of a well-off society.在建设小康社会这一点上，我们是坚定不移的。
• Veronica was quite adamant that they should stay on.维罗妮卡坚信他们必须继续留下去。

9 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

14 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

15 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。

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 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。

18 trudged   

vt.& vi.跋涉，吃力地走（trudge的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He trudged the last two miles to the town. 他步履艰难地走完最后两英里到了城里。
• He trudged wearily along the path. 他沿着小路疲惫地走去。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 coffins   

n.棺材( coffin的名词复数 )；使某人早亡[死，完蛋，垮台等]之物

参考例句：

• The shop was close and hot, and the atmosphere seemed tainted with the smell of coffins. 店堂里相当闷热，空气仿佛被棺木的味儿污染了。 来自辞典例句
• Donate some coffins to the temple, equal to the number of deaths. 到寺庙里，捐赠棺材盒给这些死者吧。 来自电影对白

20 unstable   

adj.不稳定的，易变的

参考例句：

• This bookcase is too unstable to hold so many books.这书橱很不结实，装不了这么多书。
• The patient's condition was unstable.那患者的病情不稳定。

21 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

22 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

23 minarets   

n.（清真寺旁由报告祈祷时刻的人使用的）光塔( minaret的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Remind you of a mosque, red baked bricks, the minarets. 红砖和尖塔都会使你联想到伊斯兰教的礼拜寺。 来自互联网
• These purchases usually went along with embellishments such as minarets. 这些购置通常也伴随着注入尖塔等的装饰。 来自互联网

24 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。

25 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。