澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2009-11-10

Celebrations are continuing in Germany as thousands mark 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. German Chancellor¹ Angela Merkel joined the world leaders and dignitaries, setting off the line of giant dominos where the wall once stood. Despite the rain, tens of thousands of people gathered at the Brandenburg Gate to hear world leaders speak about the historic significance of events of 1989 and the reunification of the East and West.

Police are investigating the deaths of two people in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The bodies of an elderly man and his 37-year-old daughter were found at a house in Randwick yesterday afternoon. A 3-year-old girl thought to be the man’s grandchild was taken to hospital with stab wounds.

Torrential rain is continuing to lash² Central America as Hurricane Ida triggers more floods and mudslides. The death toll³ in El Salvador has risen to 130, and tens of thousands of people have been left homeless, rescue teams are struggling to reach some of the worst affected⁴ areas.

And food manufacture Kraft has launched a 17-billion-dollar bid for the British confectionery giant Cadbury. Cadbury’s management has already rejected an offer from Kraft. It’s now made a direct bid to the company’s shareholders⁵.

Stay with us for more news updates later.

1 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

2 lash   

v.系牢；鞭打；猛烈抨击；n.鞭打；眼睫毛

参考例句：

• He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
• With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。

3 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任