VOA常速英语2021--伊朗防空部队在纳坦兹上空试射导弹

An Iranian air defense¹ test on Saturday in the Natanz region of central Iran caused an explosion heard as far as 20 kilometers away from the country's main nuclear complex.

伊朗星期六在伊朗中部的纳坦兹地区进行了一次防空试验，爆炸声在距离伊朗主要核设施20公里的地方都能听到。

According to an army spokesman, one of the region's missile systems was tested to assess readiness on the ground and there was nothing to fear.

据军方发言人称，他们对该地区的一个导弹系统进行了测试，以评估地面的准备情况，没什么可担心的。

The explosion was heard in the sky over the town of Badroud, 20 kilometers from the nuclear power plant.

爆炸声在距离核电站20公里的巴德鲁德镇上空回响。

The Iranian military test comes as talks to save the 2015 Iran nuclear deal resumed in Vienna last Monday.

就在伊朗进行军事试验之际，挽回2015年伊朗核协议的谈判于周一在维也纳重启。

Negotiations² are taking place between Iran and the major powers still party to the agreement, Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China, after former President Donald Trump³ withdrew the United States from the pact⁴ in 2018

伊朗与仍是该协议缔约方的主要大国——德国、法国、英国、俄罗斯和中国——正在进行谈判，前总统唐纳德·特朗普已在2018年让美国退出该协议。

Election officials in the West African nation of Gambia have started counting votes after polls closed for the first presidential election in decades that does not include former dictator Yahya Jammeh as a candidate.

西非国家冈比亚的选举官员在投票结束后开始清点选票，这是几十年来首次候选人不包括前独裁者叶海亚·贾梅的总统选举。

The vote is being seen as a test of democracy in the West African country.

这次投票被视为对这个西非国家的民主的考验。

Gambians came to vote in high numbers, with nearly one million registered voters expected to drop marbles into one of six ballot⁵ bins⁶, each adorned⁷ with the face and name of a candidate.

参与投票的冈比亚人很多，预计将有近100万注册选民将弹珠扔进六个投票箱中的一个，每个投票箱上都印有候选人的肖像和名字。

They include incumbent⁸ President Adama Barrow, who defeated Jammeh in 2016.

其中包括在2016年击败贾梅的现任总统阿达玛·巴罗。

Many Gambians are still not satisfied with the progress that Barrow's government has made in fighting poverty and corruption⁹.

许多冈比亚人仍然不满意巴罗政府在消除贫困和腐败方面所取得的进展。

Pope Francis warned Saturday that democracy in Europe and elsewhere is being threatened by populist politicians who appeal to disgruntled citizens with easy solutions to the world's most pressing problems.

教宗方济各星期六警告说，欧洲和其他地方的民主正受到民粹主义政客的威胁，这些政客呼吁心怀不满的公民用简单的办法解决世界上最紧迫的问题。

Francis did not name countries or world leaders, but he cautioned people to be wary¹⁰ of politicians with "an obsessive¹¹ quest for popularity, in a thirst for visibility, in a flurry of unrealistic promises."

方济各没有指名是哪个国家或世界的领导人，但他告诫人们要警惕那些“痴迷于追求人气、渴望曝光率，说着一连串不切实际的承诺”的政客。

The pope's remarks were made during a visit to Athens, Greece, widely viewed as the birthplace of democracy, the second and last stop on a Mediterranean¹² trip aimed at calling attention to the plight¹³ of migrants and refugees.

教皇是在访问希腊雅典期间发表上述讲话的。雅典被广泛认为是民主的发源地，这是教皇地中海之行的第二站，也是最后一站。教皇此行的目的是呼吁人们关注移民和难民的困境。

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 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 bins   

n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Garbage from all sources was deposited in bins on trolleys. 来自各方的垃圾是装在手推车上的垃圾箱里的。 来自辞典例句
• Would you be pleased at the prospect of its being on sale in dump bins? 对于它将被陈列在倾销箱中抛售这件事，你能欣然接受吗？ 来自辞典例句

7 adorned   

[计]被修饰的

参考例句：

• The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
• And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。

8 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

9 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。

10 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

11 obsessive   

adj. 着迷的, 强迫性的, 分神的

参考例句：

• Some people are obsessive about cleanliness.有些人有洁癖。
• He's becoming more and more obsessive about punctuality.他对守时要求越来越过分了。

12 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

13 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。