澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2012-01-16

 The death toll¹ from an Italian cruise ship than run aground in the Mediterranean² has risen to 5, 15 people are still missing, an Italian crew member and a south Korean couple were the latest to be rescued from the stricken ship, the ship’s captain has been arrested, accused of leaving the ship before the evacuation was completed. 

 

Independent MP Andrew Wilkie insisted poker³ machine reforms remain on track, he met Prime Minister Jullie Gillard to discuss the reforms late yesterday. Mr. Wilkie has refused to give details of the talks and says they’ll have more to say later in the week.

 

A wave of attacks in Iraq has killed 7 people and wounded dozen, dozens more. All the dead are police officers who were killed during a 3-hour sieged police compounds in Ramadi in the country’s west. 4 car bombs and 3 suicide bombers⁴ are also involved in the attacks. 

 

Syria’s president has issued a general amnesty for crimes committed during the 10-month uprising. Just last week president Bashar Assad gave a speech, vowing⁵ to crush those who were responsible for the protest. Earlier United Nations General Ban Ki-moon again demanded an end to the violence. 

 

Three Australian anti-violence protesters will arrive home today. Supports are gathering⁶ in the West Australian port of Albany to greet them. The men illegally boarded a Japanese whaling boat and were transferred to an Australian customs ship on Friday.

1 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。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。

4 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。