VOA常速英语2008年-Iraqi Refugees Face Life-Threatening Situation

By Tony Budny
Washington
28 February 2008
 

A top United Nations official is warning U.S. lawmakers that Iraqi refugees face what he terms "absolutely dire¹ circumstances" in their countries of asylum².  Between two and five million Iraqis have fled their homeland.  VOA's Tony Budny has more.

1 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

2 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。