澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2012-02-20

 Showdown for the Labor¹ leadership could now be just a week away. Simmering attentions boiled over yesterday after the release of a video of Kevin Rudd, showing the former Prime Minister swearing profusely². Factional power breakers have told the ABC the issue must now be brought to ahead. 

 

In other news. The Federal Government will release its long awaited review of school funding today. The Gonski Report is expected to recommend the Government spend an extra $5 billion to improve education standards, focusing on disadvantaged students. The report is likely to recommend schools, state schools receive the lion's share of the new money. 

 

Several people have been rescued during flash flooding in Sydney's southern suburbs overnight. The State Emergency Service received more than 130 calls for help. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for flash flooding and damaging wind for the New South Wales mid³ north coast. 

 

Iran has stopped oil shipments to Britain and France in retaliation⁴ for European Union sanctions. The EU had planned to ban oil imports from Iran from 1st July in a moving tended to pressure Tehran to stop enriching uranium. Now the west fears Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, a claim strongly denied by Tehran. 

 

And election officials in Egypt have failed to confirm the date for the first presidential election since the overthrow⁵ of Hosni Mubarak. Cairo has hoped to hold elections in June, but the election commission says it's having problems organizing the expatriate vote.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 profusely   

ad.abundantly

参考例句：

• We were sweating profusely from the exertion of moving the furniture. 我们搬动家具大费气力，累得大汗淋漓。
• He had been working hard and was perspiring profusely. 他一直在努力干活，身上大汗淋漓的。

3 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

4 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。