澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2011-07-27

 The much-loved Australian artist Margaret Olley has died aged¹ 88. Born in Lismore, the free-spirited painter held her first show in 1948 and had a career which spanned² six decades. She was a generous benefactor³ who donated to galleries across the country. Margaret Olley was also one of the most painted figures of the Australian art world. Ben Quilty’s portrait of her won this year’s Archibald Prize. 

 

A private funeral will be held for British singer Amy Winehouse later today. An autopsy⁴ has failed to determine how the 27-year-old died. Police say further toxicology tests are needed and the results of those are expected within a month. The singer was found dead at her north London home on the weekend. 

 

Meanwhile, Amy Winehouse’s family has visited her flat in Camden, north London. Outside the apartment, fans have been placing flowers and letters, paying tribute⁵ to the singer’s short life. 

 

"You people in the street, I can’t tell you what this means to us. It really is making this a lot easier for us. You know, Amy was about one thing and that was love. Her whole life was devoted⁶ to her family and her friends and to you guys as well. So we are devastated⁷, you know, I’m speechless. But thanks for coming."

1 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

2 spanned   

（细胞或微生物的培养）生活期有限的

参考例句：

• A bridge spanned the rill. 一座桥横跨小河。
• His interests spanned a wide range of subjects. 他的兴趣涉及广泛的学科。

3 benefactor   

n. 恩人，行善的人，捐助人

参考例句：

• The chieftain of that country is disguised as a benefactor this time. 那个国家的首领这一次伪装出一副施恩者的姿态。
• The first thing I did, was to recompense my original benefactor, my good old captain. 我所做的第一件事, 就是报答我那最初的恩人, 那位好心的老船长。

4 autopsy   

n.尸体解剖；尸检

参考例句：

• They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
• A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。

5 tribute   

n.颂词，称赞，(表示敬意的)礼物；贡品

参考例句：

• She accepted their tribute graciously.她慈祥地接受了他们的致意。
• Many conquered nations had to pay tribute to the rulers of ancient Rome.许多被征服的国家必须向古罗马的统治者朝贡。

6 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

7 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。