VOA常速英语2021--秘鲁一辆公交车坠崖，已造成32人死亡

Officials in Peru say 32 passengers died, including two children, and more than 20 were injured when a bus plummeted¹ from a cliff early Tuesday.

秘鲁官员称，周二早些时候一辆公交车从悬崖上坠落，造成包括两名儿童在内的32名乘客死亡，另有20多人受伤。

The accident happened some 37 miles, or 60 kilometers, east of the capital Lima.

事故发生在首都利马以东约37英里(60公里)处。

There had been 63 passengers on the bus.

车上有63名乘客。

The local police commander told TV Peru, quote, "recklessness" contributed to Tuesday's accident, adding that the bus had been travelling "at high speed."

当地警察指挥官告诉秘鲁电视台，用他的话说，“鲁莽”导致了周二的事故，并补充说，公交车一直在“高速”行驶。

It hit a rock and plunged² into an abyss some 650 feet deep, according to survivors³.

据幸存者说，车撞上了一块岩石，坠入大约650英尺深的深渊。

Venezuelan opposition⁴ parties announced Tuesday they will participate in regional and municipal elections scheduled for November, reversing ground from their previous boycotts⁵ of recent balloting⁶.

委内瑞拉反对党星期二宣布，他们将参加定于11月举行的地区和市政选举，扭转了他们此前抵制最近投票的立场。

The announcement comes days before the opposition and the government of President Nicolás Maduro are expected to meet in Mexico City to continue negotiations⁷ on finding a common path out of Venezuela's political standoff.

宣布这一消息的几天后，反对派和总统尼古拉斯·马杜罗的政府预计将在墨西哥城会面，继续就寻找走出委内瑞拉政治僵局的共同道路进行谈判。

The regional and municipal elections are scheduled for November 21st.

地区和市政选举定于11月21日举行。

The opposition parties grouped in the so-called "Unitary Platform" and led by Juan Guaidó boycotted⁸ previous elections, including the re-election of Maduro as president in 2018, arguing that Venezuela lacks the conditions for free and fair elections.

由胡安·瓜伊多领导的反对党联合在所谓的“单一纲领”中抵制之前的选举，包括2018年马杜罗连任总统，他们认为委内瑞拉缺乏自由和公正选举的条件。

The U.S. aid agency said Tuesday rebels in Ethiopia's war-torn Tigray region have been looting aid warehouses⁹, calling the alleged¹⁰ thefts, quote, "a great concern for humanitarians¹¹."

美国救援机构星期二说，在埃塞俄比亚饱受战争蹂躏的提格雷地区，反政府武装一直在抢劫救援物资仓库，并称所谓的盗窃事件是“人道主义人士的极大担忧”。

Sean Jones, head of the USAID mission in Ethiopia, told state television EBC, quote, "We know for a fact that the TPLF, Tigray People's Liberation Front, every town they've gone into they looted the warehouses, they've looted trucks, they've caused a great deal of destruction in all the villages they visited."

美国国际开发署驻埃塞俄比亚任务负责人肖恩·琼斯告诉埃塞俄比亚国家电视台EBC说，“我们知道，TPLF，也就是提格雷人民解放阵线，他们洗劫每一个所到城镇的仓库，抢劫卡车，他们给他们到过的所有村庄造成了巨大的破坏。”

1 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

3 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

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 boycotts   

（对某事物的）抵制( boycott的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Their methods included boycotts and court action, supplemented by'sit-ins". 他们的主要方法包括联合抵制、法庭起诉，还附带进行静坐抗议。
• Are boycotts for other purposes illegal? 至于用于其它目的的联合抵制行动是否也是非法的呢？

6 balloting   

v.（使）投票表决( ballot的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Clark took a commanding leading in the early balloting. 在最初投票时，克拉克遥遥领先。 来自辞典例句
• The balloting had stagnated, he couldn't win. 投票工作陷于停顿，他不能得胜。 来自辞典例句

7 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。

8 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。

9 warehouses   

仓库，货栈( warehouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The whisky was taken to bonded warehouses at Port Dundee. 威士忌酒已送到邓迪港的保稅仓库。
• Row upon row of newly built warehouses line the waterfront. 江岸新建的仓库鳞次栉比。

10 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

11 humanitarians   

n.慈善家( humanitarian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finally, humanitarians saw it as a means of helping to feed the hungry of the world. 人道主义者把这一计划看成是为世界上那些忍饥挨饿的人提供粮食的一项措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• All humanitarians fought against slavery. 所有人道主义者都为反对奴隶制而斗争过。 来自互联网