VOA标准英语2009年-Zimbabwe Finance Minister Receives Threate

Zimbabwe Finance Minister Tendai Biti, a top official for the Movement for Democratic Change, says he has received a threatening letter with a bullet inside.

Biti says he received a letter Friday and felt there was something inside. He said he decided¹ to throw it away, suspecting it was some article associated with traditional healing. He was in Johannesburg for the weekend.
　
Zimbabwe's finance minister Tendai Biti (file photo)

He said the envelope was retrieved² from his garbage can early Monday, and he saw there was a note wrapped around what he believes is a nine millimeter bullet.

The note said 'remember the leaders' written in his mother tongue, Shona.

Biti said he is not frightened by the letter, but is worried for his family. He said he sent the note, envelope and bullet to the secret service.

Assistant Police Inspector³ Wayne Bvudzijena said he did not know of the incident.

Biti, a lawyer by profession, but MDC economic affairs secretary for several years, was appointed finance minister in February.

Days after being sworn into office, and with an almost bare public purse, he managed to find enough money to pay civil servants for the first time in many months so they could afford to buy food.

He was arrested several times before the current inclusive government was formed and was assaulted repeatedly, along with Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, in early 2007. Biti was charged with treason by the former government, and was detained after last year's elections.

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 retrieved   

v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

3 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。