英国新闻听力 福特取消在墨西哥建设16亿美元工厂计划

Republicans in the US congress have withdrawn¹ a controversial initiative to strip an independent congressional ethics² watchdog of its powers. The plan,which outraged³ Democrats⁴, also drew criticism from the president-elect Donald Trump⁵ who said it was not a priority. He suggested the tax reform and healthcare were more pressing concerns.

The car giant Ford⁶ has announced it will cancel building a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico in favor of further investment in the United States. Ford's chief executive Mark Fields said the decision was a vote of confidence in the pro-business environment Donald Trump was creating.

The White House says it's likely more inmates⁷ will be released from the Guantanamo bay detention⁸ center before president Obama steps down on Jan. 20.Closing the camp was a priority when Mr. Obama took office eight years ago, but his plans have been thwarted⁹ by congress. Mr. Trump has stated his opposition¹⁰ to the release of any further inmates.

Syrian activists¹¹ say airstrikes have hit a building used by a jihadist rebel group in the northern province of Idlib, killing¹² at least 25 people. The Syrian Observatory¹³ for Human Rights said the identity of the aircraft was not clear. The strikes targeted Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly¹⁴ known as the Nusra Front and linked to al-Qaeda.

The UN says it will take appropriate action against two of its observers who were filmed dancing with members of the Colombian rebel group the Farc at a New Year's Eve party. The men, wearing blue UN vests, were shown dancing hip¹⁵ to hip with female fighters. They were deployed¹⁶ to oversee¹⁷ the disarmament of guerrillas as part of a peace deal.

And one of the last remaining members of the American religious society, known as the Shakers, has died at the community's Sabbathday Lake estate in Maine.The death of Sister Frances Carr at the age of 89 leaves just two members of the faith. The Shakers settled there in 1783 after fleeing persecution¹⁸ in England. They practice equality of the sexes, pacifism, communal¹⁹ ownership of property and celibacy²⁰.

美国国会共和党人撤回了一项有争议的倡议，要求剥夺国会独立的道德监察机构的权利。该计划激怒了民主党人，还引起候任总统唐纳德·特朗普的批评，他说，这并非第一要务。他认为，税收改革和医改是最迫切的问题。

汽车巨头福特宣布取消在墨西哥建造耗资16亿美元工厂的计划，支持进一步在美国投资。福特首席执行官马克·菲尔兹(Mark Fields)表示，该计划对唐纳德·特朗普创造的支持企业的环境投了信任票。

白宫表示，1月20日奥巴马总统离任之前，关塔纳摩湾拘留中心可能会释放更多囚犯。关闭该监狱是奥巴马总统八年前上台时的首要任务，但是他的计划受到国会阻挠。特朗普反对继续释放任何囚犯。

叙利亚积极分子表示，空袭击中了北部伊德利卜省圣战分子反叛组织使用的一栋建筑，造成至少25人死亡。叙利亚人权观察机构表示，飞机的身份尚未确定。袭击针对的是与基地组织有关的叙利亚努斯拉阵线。

联合国表示将采取恰当措施处理两名观察员，他们被拍摄到在新年前夕的晚会上与叛军组织哥伦比亚革命武装力量成员一起跳舞。这两名身穿联合国防护衣的男子与Farc女战士大跳贴臀舞。他们原本是被派遣前往该组织监督游击队解除武装的情况，作为和平协议的一部分。

美国宗教团体震教派最后的成员之一在缅因州萨巴斯代湖一个农庄去世，享年89岁。Frances Carr的去世导致该教派仅剩两名会员。1783年，震教派为了逃避英格兰的迫害来到这里定居。他们追求性别平等，反战主义，财产共享和独身主义。

1 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

2 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

3 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

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 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

6 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

7 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

9 thwarted   

阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
• Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

13 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

14 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

15 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

16 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

17 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

18 persecution   

n. 迫害,烦扰

参考例句：

• He had fled from France at the time of the persecution. 他在大迫害时期逃离了法国。
• Their persecution only serves to arouse the opposition of the people. 他们的迫害只激起人民对他们的反抗。

19 communal   

adj.公有的，公共的，公社的，公社制的

参考例句：

• There was a communal toilet on the landing for the four flats.在楼梯平台上有一处公共卫生间供4套公寓使用。
• The toilets and other communal facilities were in a shocking state.厕所及其他公共设施的状况极其糟糕。

20 celibacy   

n.独身(主义)

参考例句：

• People in some religious orders take a vow of celibacy. 有些宗教修会的人发誓不结婚。
• The concept of celibacy carries connotations of asceticism and religious fervor. 修道者的独身观念含有禁欲与宗教热情之意。