BBC News with Jim Lee.
The oil company BP says it has for the first time stopped thetorrentof oil that's been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico for the past three months. A BP Vice President Kent Wells said a new 75-ton cap had cut off the oil flow during the early stages of a pressure test. Madeleine Morris reports from Washington.
For the first time in nearly three months, the cameras a mile under the surface of the Gulf of Mexico are showing no oil flowing from BP's broken well. In the words of the company, the well is "shut in". The four pipes connected to the new capping system are closed while the company tests the pressure inside. After around 48 hours of tests, BP will decide what to do next - whether to start siphoning the oil to four ships on the ocean surface, keep the well completely blocked, or open abackup.
In a major political victory for President Obama, the US Senate has given final approval to the biggest overhaul of American financial regulation in more than 70 years. The measure passed by a vote of 60 to 39. President Obama said this would prevent a repeat of the financial crisis of 2008.
"Because of this reform, the American people will never again be asked tofoot the billfor Wall Street's mistakes. There will be no more taxpayer-funded bailouts, period. If a large financial institution should ever fail, this reform gives us the ability towind it downwithoutendangering the broader economy. And there will be new rules to end the perception that any firm is too big to fail, so that we don't have another Lehman Brothers or AIG."
Medical officials in Iran say at least 20 people have been killed and around 100 injured in two suspected suicide bombings outside a Shia mosque in the southeastern city of Zahedan. A Sunni Muslim insurgent group, Jundallah, claimed responsibility for the attack on its website. Iran executed the group's leader, Abdolmalek Rigi, last month. This report from Jon Leyne.
Reports on the attack are coming from official Iranian news agencies. They say two suicide bomb blasts hit a Shia Muslim mosque in the city of Zahedan. That's the capital of Sistan-Baluchistan province in the extreme southeast of Iran which borders both Pakistan and Afghanistan. It's a troubled region with both a violent insurgency and heavily-armed gangs of drug smugglers. Worshippers and members of theelitemilitary force, the Revolutionary Guards, who were manning a checkpoint are believed to be among the dead.
An American official has told the BBC that an Iranian nuclear scientist who has just returned home was adefectorwho changed his mind because he wanted to see his family again. The official said the scientist, Shahram Amiri, provided the Americans with significant, original information. He said Mr Amiri was well paid, but the money was nowbeyond his reachbecause of the financial sanctions on Iran. Tehrandisputes this. It says Mr Amiri was kidnapped and tortured by the CIA.
World News from the BBC.
China has become the biggest worldwide investor inrenewableenergy, overtaking the US.Two United Nations reports say China took the lead after opening new wind farms that produce as much electricity as 20 coal-fired power stations.Nearly a fifth of the world's electricity now comes from renewablesources, including solar and hydropower that don't release greenhouse gases.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has spoken of the resumption of a dialogue with India after several hours of talks in Islamabad with his Indian counterpart SM Krishna. Relations soured after India accused Pakistan of failing to counter Islamist attacks in India. An assault by Pakistani gunmen in Mumbai in 2008 killed more than 160 people.
A court in Gambia has sentenced eight men to death for taking part in an alleged coup plot against President Yahya Jammeh four years ago. The president himself seized power in a coup in 1994. Caroline Duffield reports.
The eight men were found guilty of plotting to overthrow the government. They include the former army chief, the former intelligence chief and the former deputy chief of police. Eyewitnesses in court described people fainting and relativesbreaking downas the death sentence wasread out. The men were accused of trying to smuggle arms, ammunition and mercenaries into Gambia in an attempted coup. The prosecution said that they weresponsored by drugs money, and Gambia is a major transit route for cocaine.
The authorities in Mexico City have offered a free honeymoon to the first gay couple to marry in Argentina, following that country's decision to legalize same-sex marriage. The Tourism Minister of Mexico City Alejandro Rojas said the offer was intended to celebrate tolerance and to promote gay-friendly tourism in the Mexican capital which itself legalized gay marriage last year. Argentina became the first country in Latin America to legalize same-sex marriage.
BBC News
英国石油公司表示,他们首次完全制止了石油向墨西哥湾的泄漏。这次漏油已经持续了三个月之久。BP副总裁Kent Wells表示,一个新的重达75吨的大礼帽在压力测试的初级阶段已经切断了石油泄漏。Madeleine Morris在华盛顿报道。
接近三个月来,水面以下一英里处的摄像头首次显示英石油破裂的钻井没有向墨西哥湾泄漏石油。用英国石油公司的话说,油井已经被“关闭”。公司测试内部压力时,连接到新的大礼帽的四个管道全部关闭。经过大约48小时的测试,BP将决定下一步的行动——是开始将石油虹吸入海面上的四艘船只,将油井完全封闭,还是启动后备方案。
在奥巴马总统的重大政治胜利中,美国参议院最终通过了70多年来美国金融调控体系最重大的改革。该法案以60:39的投票通过。奥巴马总统表示,这将防止2008年的金融危机重演。
“由于这次改革,美国人民将不必再为华尔街的错误买单。不会再有纳税人提供资金的救助。如果一家大型金融机构应该破产,这次改革将给予我们在不危及大的经济形势而将其关闭的能力。新的条例将终止任何公司太大而不能倒闭的观念,所以,我们不会再出现另外一个雷曼兄弟和AIG。”
伊朗医疗官员表示,在东南部城市扎黑丹一座什叶派清真寺外发生了两起自杀式爆炸,造成至少20人死亡,大约100人受伤。逊尼派穆斯林反叛组织“真主旅”(Jundallah)在网上宣布为袭击事件负责。上月,伊朗处决了该组织头目Abdolmalek Rigi。Jon Leyne报道。
伊朗官方新闻机构对这次袭击进行了报道。他们表示,两枚自杀式炸弹在扎黑丹袭击了一座什叶派穆斯林清真寺。扎黑丹是伊朗东南部Sistan-Baluchistan省的首府,与巴基斯坦和阿富汗接壤。该地区形势非常混乱,暴力反叛和武装贩毒团伙在此处活动猖獗。死者中包括礼拜者和军队精英,操控检查点的革命卫队成员。
一名美国官员告诉BBC,伊朗核科学家突然变节返回家乡,因为他想再次见到自己的家人。这位官员表示,Shahram Amiri向美国提供了非常重要的原始信息。他说,Amiri收到了丰厚的报酬,但是他现在拿不到,因为对伊朗实施了金融制裁。德黑兰对此予以否认。他们说,Amiri被CIA逮捕并遭受虐待。
BBC世界新闻。
中国超越美国成为世界上可再生能源的最大生产国。两份联合国报告称,中国开辟了新的风力发电农田,生产的电量相当于20座火力发电站的电量,在世界上处于领先地位。目前世界上大约五分之一的电力来自可再生资源,包括太阳能和水力发电,不会释放温室气体。
巴基斯坦外长库雷希(Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi)在伊斯坦布尔与印度外交部长克斯纳(SM Krishna)进行了几个小时的会谈之后,宣布与印度恢复对话。印度指控巴基斯坦未打击伊斯兰分子对印度的袭击之后,双方关系恶化。2008年,巴基斯坦持枪分子对孟买的袭击造成超过160人死亡。
冈比亚一座法庭判处四年前参与反对总统叶海亚·贾梅(Yahya Jammeh)的军事政变阴谋的八名男子死刑。总统本人在1994年的军事政变中夺取政权。Caroline Duffield报道。
这八名男子被发现阴谋推翻政府。其中包括前军事领袖,前情报部门领袖和前警察副局长。法庭上的目击证人说,法庭宣布死刑判决时,他们的亲人晕厥过去。这些人被指控试图向冈比亚走私武器,弹药和雇佣兵,试图进行军事政变。检控官表示,他们的资金由出售毒品获得,冈比亚是可卡因运输的主要通道。
阿根廷决定将同性婚姻合法化之后,墨西哥城当局为第一对在阿根廷结婚的同性恋伴侣提供免费蜜月旅行。墨西哥城旅游部长Alejandro Rojas表示,他们旨在庆祝包容性,促进墨西哥首都的同性恋友好旅游业。墨西哥城于去年宣布同性恋婚姻合法。阿根廷成为拉丁美洲第一个将同性婚姻合法化的拉丁美洲国家。
1.torrent n.奔流, 急流, 洪流, 激流,湍流
例句:I was proceeding through torrents of rain.
我在倾盆大雨中前进。
爆发, 迸发; 连续不断, 狂潮
例句:He was answered with a torrent of oaths.
他所得到的回报是一连串的咒骂声。
2.backup n.替代物;备用品;支援人员, 后备, 后补, 助手
例句:a backup singer for Stevie Wonder
史蒂维·旺德的伴唱歌手
The hospital has a backup generator in case there is a power failure.
医院有备用发电机以防停电。
3.endanger vt.危及, 使遭受危险
例句:You will endanger your health if you smoke.
你如果吸烟, 就会危及健康。
4.elite n.精华,精锐,中坚分子
5.defector n.叛离者;逃兵;背叛者
例句:the defector’s handlers.
处理叛逃者的人
6.dispute vt.vi.辩论; 争论
例句:Some husbands and wives are always disputing.
有些夫妇总是争吵。
Let's dispute the decision.
咱们来讨论一下这个决定吧。
7.renewable adj.可继续的,可续订的
例句:a government-sponsored renewable energy project
政府资助的可再生能源项目
Electricity companies pay a premium for renewable energy.
电力公司为可再生能源支付额外的费用。
8.sour vt.vi.(使某物)变酸, 变馊; (使某人)阴郁 ;关系,态度恶化
9.sponsor vt.赞助, 发起, 主办
例句:The United States sponsored the important meeting.
美国主办了那次重要的会议。
1.In the words of the company, the well is "shut in".
shut in锁〔封〕在里边
例句:If you close that door, you can shut the noise in.
你要是关上那扇门, 就听不到吵闹声了。
She feels rather shut in.
她觉得简直是被关在里面。
2.Because of this reform, the American people will never again be asked to foot the bill for Wall Street's mistakes.
foot the bill付账
例句:Who's going to foot the bill for the damage?
谁来负责这笔损害赔偿金?
3.If a large financial institution should ever fail, this reform gives us the ability to wind it down without endangering the broader economy.
wind down摇低,干劲减小
4.He said Mr Amiri was well paid, but the money was now beyond his reach because of the financial sanctions on Iran.
beyond reach手够不着, 达不到
例句:It's a few inches beyond my reach.
我够不着它, 差几英寸。
The gang live abroad, beyond reach of the British police.
这帮匪徒住在国外, 英国警方鞭长莫及。
5.Eyewitnesses in court described people fainting and relatives breaking down as the death sentence was read out.
read out大声朗诵, 宣读
例句:First the secretary read out the minutes of the last meeting.
首先秘书宣读了上次会议的记录。
读出
例句:The machine will read out the result of the calculation.
机器将读出计算结果。
break down衰弱下来
例句:His health has broken down completely.
他的身体已完全垮了。
Two United Nations reports say China took the lead after opening new wind farms that produce as much electricity as 20 coal-fired power stations.
倍数比较
“翻一番”或“为…的两倍”。3倍常用three times, triple, threefold表示,译为“增加2倍,增至三倍”或“为…的3倍”。4倍用
quadruple,基数词+times,基数词+fold表示,译为“增加3倍,增至4倍”或“为…的4倍”。例如:
He earned double the usual wage in holiday. 他在假期里挣了比平时多1倍的工资。
This bridge is as long again as that bridge. 这座大桥的长度是那座大桥的2倍。
They have produced four-fold as many laptops as they did last year.他们今年生产的笔记本电脑相当于去年的4倍。
Their grains have trebled (tripled) this year. 他们的粮食今年增加了2倍(是…的三倍)。
1) 主语 谓语 X times as adj. as
这个句型译为:① A…是B的X倍(或净增加X-1倍).
例如:This pen (A) is twice as expensive as that pen (B).
这只钢笔(A)的价格是那只钢笔(B)的2倍。(即A比B贵一倍)
I have three times as many as you. 我有你三倍那么多。(我的比你的多两倍)
This box is four times as heavy as that box. 这个盒子比那个盒子重4倍。
2)主语 谓语 X times the size (amount, width, breadth, level, value, velocity, length…) of…
这个句型表示净增加“1倍,是…的2倍”例如:
The earth is 49 times the size of the moon. 地球是月球大小的49倍。
3)主语 谓语 X times 形容词(副词)比较级 than…
这个句型表示的数为净增加数。例如:
The grain output is one time higher this year than that of last year.
今年比去年粮食产量增加一倍。
4)还可以用by 倍数,表示增加多少倍
The production of grain has been increased by four times this year.
今年粮食产量增加了4倍。