HEWS HEADLINES

 

 

The US Spy Plane Crisis

　The US spy plane crisis has entered its second week with no sign yet of a resolution of 1)diplomatic and military differences. Chinese authorities are still demanding an apology. US Secretary of State, Colin Powel, has said “Sorry,” for the death of the Chinese pilot, but Washington will not apologize for the incident. It’s almost ninedays since the US spy plane was forced to land in southern China, after 2)colliding with a Chinese jet fighter. China’s president has committed eighty planes and ships to search for the fighter pilot, missing after the collision between its fighter jet and the US spy plane.

　The pilot has been identified as Wang Wei. The Chinese state media quoting national defense¹ ministry² officials said President Jiang had ordered the pilot’s rescue 3)at all costs. With public anxiety rising in the US, the Bush administration says it will not 4)accede to President Jiang’s demand that Washington apologize for the mid-air collision.

 

South Korean’S Protest over Japanese Textbooks

　South Korea’s government has recalled its ambassador to Japan in the latest protest at a controversial school textbook. The ambassador has been ordered to return to Seoul immediately for 5)consultations. Seoul says the book 6)glosses over Japan’s colonial and war-time past. The South Korean government had already lodged³ a formal protest over the book.  

　　

Benazir Bhutto Faces A Retrial

　The Supreme⁴ Court in Pakistan has ordered that the country’s former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto face a 7)retrial on charges of corruption⁵. She was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison, two years ago. This has now been set aside. The Pakistan government says it is preparing new charges of corruption against both Ms. Bhutto and her husband.

 

A New Partnership⁶ between Britain and Yugoslavia

　Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Robin⁷ Cook, is to meet Yugoslavia’s President, Vojislav Kostunica in Belgrade today for talks over a new partnership between the two countries. Mr. Cook is expected to seek the 8)hand-over of former leader, Slobodan Milosevic, to the International War-Crimes Tribunal.

　　

Japan’s Bank Rescue Plan

    The Japanese government has released its bank rescue plan. It’s the third plan in three years and it’s considered lacking in detail and probably unworkable. Basically the 16 biggest banks have two years to write off their worst bad debts. To help them absorb the massive hit to their 9)balance sheets, the government will set up a fund to buy back some of the approximately $350 billion of shares Japan’s banks own. The yen⁸ fell sharply on the release of the rescue plan, then improvedwhen the Japanese government said it would take action against yen weakness.

 

European Software Stocks Sink

    European software stocks, such as SAP and Logica have fallen after Autonomy, the UK software group, announced after the close Thursday, that it would not meet first quarter sales targets. Autonomy blamed the dramatic slow-down of demand in Europe for its 10)woes. Its share price plummeted⁹ as much as 59% in morning trade.

 

Sophie Resigns from PR Firm

     Britain’s royal family is drawing up new guidelines on how its members should conduct their business affairs. This comes after the resignation on Sunday of Sophie, Countess of Wessex, as chairman of her public relations company, following comments made to an undercover reporter.

    Recent days in the media spotlight¹⁰ have been a trial for the countess. She is now considering her future public and professional life. But the compromise worked out with the queen and the palace seems designed to allow her to remain in business.

 

Kyoto Treaty on Global Warming

   Meanwhile a European Union delegation¹¹ is holding talks in China, in an attempt to 11)salvage the Kyoto Treaty on global warming. The United States rejected the 12)accord last month. The Swedish Environment Minister Kjell Larsson, who is leading the delegation, says the EU is hoping to convince other countries to ratify¹² the pact¹³ without Washington. He says Chinese officials have expressed support for such a move.

 

Golf News

      Golf and Tiger Woods is making all the headlines at the US Masters in 14)Augusta, where his second round of 66, has taken him to within two strokes of the leader. Still ahead though, is the previously¹⁴ unknown American, Chris DeMarco, who’s on 10-under-15)par after two rounds.

 

European Champions League

    The first in sport in football Bayern Munich have taken the advantage against Manchester United in their European Champions League quarter final tie, while Real Madrid have suffered an astonishing defeat against Galatasaray. Bayern beaten by United in the final two years ago, gained their revenge with a one-nil win in Manchester. In Istanbul, defending champions Real Madrid led two-nil at half-time, but in the second half, Galatasaray mounted a comeback, and won the game three-two.

新闻短讯

 

美军侦察机撞机事件

      侦察机事件进入第二个星期，仍然没有通过外交和军事途径解决的迹象。我国政府坚持要美方道歉。美国国务卿科林·鲍威尔对遇难的中国飞行员表示遗憾，但美国还是没有对这次事件表示道歉。自从美国侦察机与我国喷气式战斗机相撞并被迫在我国南部着陆后，差不多已过去了9天时间。江泽民主席已下令派80架次飞机和众多船只搜救与美侦察机相撞后失踪的战斗机飞行员。

　 飞行员被确认为王伟。我国国内各大媒体引述国防部官员的发言说，江泽民主席已下令不惜一切代价营救飞行员。美国公众日渐焦虑，布什政府称，美国将拒绝江泽民主席的要求对中国空中撞机事件作出道歉。

 

韩国抗议日本教科书歪曲历史

　   近日韩国召回驻日本大使以抗议日本发行有争议的教科书。大使接到命令立即返回汉城以进行磋商。韩国政府认为日本的教科书美化了日本的殖民统治和战争历史，并已对此做出正式抗议。

 

贝·布托面临复审

　   巴基斯坦最高法院已下令对前总理贝·布托贪污一案进行复审。两年前，她已被定罪并被判入狱五年。但这项判决却被搁置起来。巴基斯坦政府准备就对贝·布托总理夫妇贪污一案提出新一轮起诉。

 

英国与南联盟之间确定新型合作关系

　  英国外交部长罗宾·库克将于今日与南斯拉夫总统沃伊斯拉夫·科什图尼察在贝尔格莱德会面，就两国之间的新型合作关系进行会谈。库克将接替前总统斯洛博丹·米洛舍维奇成为国际战犯法庭的领导人。

 

日本银行拯救计划

　   日本政府公布了银行拯救计划。这是三年内的第三个计划，并被认为缺乏具体细节而有可能不能实行。十六家主要银行将在两年内销掉坏帐。为了帮助它们完成这一任务，政府建立起基金来买回约三千五百亿美元的银行股份。拯救计划出台后日元急剧下跌，日本政府宣布将采取措施来抵御日元的疲软后日元才有所回升。

 

欧洲软件股票持续走低

　  欧洲软件股票，如SAP和Logica继英国软件集团Autonomy后也开始下跌。Autonomy星期四宣布无法完成第一季度的销售任务。Autonomy指责了欧洲需求市场的急剧收缩。它的股价在今早的交易中直落59%。

　　　

苏菲王妃辞职

　  在对一个假扮的记者发表了一些不该说的评论后，星期天韦塞克斯女伯爵苏菲辞去公关公司主席一职，英国王室对其成员如何处理商务定出了新的条规。

　  最近几天媒体的关注对苏菲王妃来说是一场考验。她现在开始对她的未来公众形象和职业生活重新进行考虑。但她已和女王做出妥协，王室似乎允许她继续留在商界。

 

预防全球暖化的《京都议定书》

　  欧盟代表团准备在中国举行会谈以促使有关全球暖化的《京都议定书》的签署。美国上月已拒签议定书。代表团团长--瑞典环境部部长谢尔·拉松说，尽管美国不同意，欧盟希望能说服其他国家签署议定书。他说中国政府官员已对此行动表示支持。

 

高尔夫球赛况

　  高尔夫球方面，老虎伍兹在奥古斯塔举行的大师赛上一直位居榜首，第二轮得分66，再有两击就稳操胜券了。同时保持领先的还有先前默默无闻的美国人克里斯·德马科，两轮后低于标准杆15。

 

欧洲冠军杯

　  欧洲冠军杯四分之一决赛拜仁幕尼黑队对曼联时胜出，皇家马德里队则在对加拉塔萨雷队时意外失利。两年前拜仁幕尼黑队在决赛中被曼联击败，这次终于在曼彻斯特以1-0击败曼联雪耻。在伊斯坦布尔，上半场卫冕冠军皇家马德里队以2-0领先，但在下半场，加拉塔萨雷队恢复了元气，并以3-2取胜。

1) diplomatic   a. 外交的；老练的

2) collide   vi. 猛撞；冲突   

3) at all costs: 不惜任何牺牲，无论如何

4) accede   vt. 同意；应允

5) consultation  n. 商议；讨论会

6) gloss   vt. 似是而非地解释，曲解（通常后接over或away）    

7) retrial  n. 再审，复审注释

8) hand-over: 移交   

9) balance sheet: （会计术语）资产负债表

10) woe  n. 悲哀，灾难

11) salvage   vt.（从海难、火灾中）救出；打捞   

12) accord   n.（国家之间的）协议

14) Augusta   n. 奥古斯塔（美国佐治亚州东部一城市）   

15) par   n.（高尔夫球）标准杆数

1 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 lodged   

v.存放( lodge的过去式和过去分词 )；暂住；埋入；（权利、权威等）归属

参考例句：

• The certificate will have to be lodged at the registry. 证书必须存放在登记处。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Our neighbours lodged a complaint against us with the police. 我们的邻居向警方控告我们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

8 yen   

n. 日元；热望

参考例句：

• He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
• He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。

9 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

11 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

12 ratify   

v.批准，认可，追认

参考例句：

• The heads of two governments met to ratify the peace treaty.两国政府首脑会晤批准和平条约。
• The agreement have to be ratify by the board.该协议必须由董事会批准。

13 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

14 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。