澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-05-10

A new opinion poll has bad news for the Prime Minister as MPs return to Canberra for the budget sitting of Parliament. The Fairfax poll shows that after a month of new tax announcement(s), Kevin Rudd's support has dropped 14 points to 45 per cent. But the poll still puts Mr. Rudd ahead of Tony Abbott as preferred leader.

 

The United States says it has evidence that the Pakistani Taliban was behind the attempted car bomb in Times Square. US Attorney General Eric Holder¹ says the militants² probably also helped finance the New York plot. US officials have previously³ denied any link.

 

European finance ministers have gathered in Brussels to consider an unofficial bailout for the Greek economy. They are aiming to prevent the Greek debt crisis from spreading, but Britain has said that it won't underwrite a 60-billion-dollar loan guarantee.

 

And there is still no deal to end Britain's election stalemate. The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats⁴ are contemplating⁵ forming a new government. Both parties say they've held very positive and productive talks. The Tories won the most votes in Thursday's election but they're short of the majority.

 

And Iceland's volcano is again disrupting European air travel. Ash's drifting across areas of France, Spain, northern Italy and Germany. Several airports have been closed and hundreds of flights have been cancelled.

1 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 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。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 contemplating   

深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想

参考例句：

• You're too young to be contemplating retirement. 你考虑退休还太年轻。
• She stood contemplating the painting. 她站在那儿凝视那幅图画。