VOA常速英语2008年-East Timor's Wounded President Regains Consciou

By Phil Mercer
Sydney
21 February 2008

The East Timorese President, Jose Ramos-Horta, has regained¹ consciousness from a drug-induced coma² 10 days after he was shot in an assassination³ attempt. Doctors at the Australian hospital where Mr. Ramos-Horta is being treated say he has made good progress, although he remains⁴ in a serious condition. From Sydney, Phil Mercer reports.

 

Jose Ramos-Horta is finally emerging from the fog of heavy sedation at the Royal Darwin Hospital.

The East Timorese president has already had five operations in the past week and a half, and medical staff in Darwin say he will have to undergo more minor⁵ surgery.

The doctors say the president has been responding well to treatment, but he remains in intensive care, and it is not clear when he will be fit enough to leave hospital.

Dr. Len Notaras says Mr. Ramos-Horta is being brought back to consciousness in stages.

"He is now gradually waking up and the sedation is being reduced and has been gradually speaking to the senior clinical staff around him and to a number of very close family members as well," said Dr. Notaras. "His condition at this stage is still serious."

President Ramos-Horta was shot twice in the back and chest on February 11 in an attack by rebels in the East Timorese capital, Dili. The country's prime minister, Xanana Gusmao, was targeted in a separate ambush⁶ the same day, but escaped unharmed.

Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by followers⁷ of rebel leader Alfredo Reinado, who was killed during the assault on Mr. Ramos-Horta.

Arrest warrants have been issued against 17 people suspected of being involved in the attempted assassinations⁸.

Australian peacekeepers, along with reinforcements from Portugal, Malaysia and New Zealand, were deployed⁹ to East Timor in 2006.

They were sent to quell¹⁰ fighting between renegade elements of the East Timorese security forces - also led by Alfredo Reinado - and units loyal to the government.

Last week's assassination attempts prompted Australia to send an addition 200 troops and police officers to Dili amid fears of more unrest. International troops are now combing the area around Dili in search of the would-be assassins.

1 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

2 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

3 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

4 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。

5 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

6 ambush   

n.埋伏(地点)；伏兵；v.埋伏；伏击

参考例句：

• Our soldiers lay in ambush in the jungle for the enemy.我方战士埋伏在丛林中等待敌人。
• Four men led by a sergeant lay in ambush at the crossroads.由一名中士率领的四名士兵埋伏在十字路口。

7 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

8 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

9 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

10 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。