CNN 2012-02-29

 Hi,I am Carl Azuz.I am glad to be back hosting CNN STUDENTS NEWS,want to thank those Morehouse students for getting the week started.They were part of our report from last Friday on historically Black Colleges and Universities.You can check the extended version of that report on our website.

 

Right now,this Monday,February 27th,we are starting off in Syria.You know about the violence happening in the middleeastern nation.The International Red Cross has been trying to negotiate temporary ceasefire.They are urging everyone to stop fighting for two hours each day so the aid can be delivered in different cities.The spokesperson says the negotiations¹ haven't gotten anywhere so far, but they are planing to keep trying.

 

Voting, meanwhile started Sunday on possible changes to Syrian constitution.Syrian officials say it's one way they are working to reform their government,that's something that protesters have demanded.But those protesters and many analysts² say that the voting was purely³ superficial.They argue it's the only designed to quiet critics and that it really won't change anything.

 

On this day in history back in 1951,the 22rd Amendments⁴ to the US constitution was ratified⁵.It limited US president to two terms in office.In 1973,a group of two hundred native Americans took over the town of Wounded Knee,South Dakota.They were demanding better treatment from the US government.And in 1991,President George HW Bush ordered a ceasefire,officially ending the Persian Gulf⁶ War and declaring that Iraq's army had been defeated.

 

Vladimir Putin severed⁷ two terms as Russia's president from 2000 to 2008.He's been the country's Prime Minister since then but he's looking to return to the presidency⁸ when elections are held next week.He definitely has his supporters.You can see the size of this crowd at a rally for Prime Minister, Putin.His re-election win in 2004 was a landslide⁹ and he is predicted to win big this year as well.But not everybody in Russia is this happy with the idea of Putin regaining¹⁰ the presidency.Phil Black now reports a peaceful protest in Moscow.

 

One week out from Russia's presidential election and this is the latest protest action by people who want that vote to be free and fair and don't want the candidate,current Prime Minister,Vladimir Putin to ultimately win that election.This protest action is a little bit different from what we see in Moscow in recent month.It's sort of a rally in one place with tens of thousands of people,instead,the goal here is to form a human chain all the way around,one of Moscow's ring roads,know as the Garden Ring.You can see lots of people wearing white ribbons,the symbol of this protest movement.Cars are honking¹¹ their horns and supporters as they drive by.There are lots of smiling,lots of waving.It is a happy event, despite the fact, these people know Vladimir Putin  is very likely to return to the presidency for a third term.

 

We know,it's for sure.

 

And what happens then?

 

I think that he needs to,to have a moderation of this year, so people with society don't understand what's going on.To give our some rights to make decisions,to know who is the decision maker¹² between us.So,I know that he knows that and I thinks that's changed.

 

It's definitely clear civil society is getting together and is ready to,say it clearly,to state clearly, yeah,they are ready to fight for our freedom, and for our right to vote for parties we like.

 

The Garden Ring is about 50 kilometers long, a little under 10 miles.Organizers estimated they need about 34 thousands people to complete the human chain.They didn't get there.There are some pretty big gap along the road.But either way,this is another example of a political demonstration¹³.That was unimaginable in this country,just a few months ago.Phil Black,CNN Moscow.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 purely   

adv.纯粹地，完全地

参考例句：

• I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。
• This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

4 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

5 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

6 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

7 severed   

v.切断，断绝( sever的过去式和过去分词 )；断，裂

参考例句：

• The doctor said I'd severed a vessel in my leg. 医生说我割断了腿上的一根血管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We have severed diplomatic relations with that country. 我们与那个国家断绝了外交关系。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

9 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

10 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

11 honking   

v.（使）发出雁叫似的声音，鸣（喇叭），按（喇叭）( honk的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停，喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Flocks of honking geese flew past. 雁群嗷嗷地飞过。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

12 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

13 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。