BBC News with John Jason
The chairman of the American Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, has given the strongest indication yet that he may need to take more action to make the fragile recovery of the US economy on track. He said high unemployment and low inflation continue to pose a risk. Mark Mardell is in Washington.
The economic recovery in the USA officially began more than a year ago, but to many Americans it hardly feels like the recession has ended. The chairman of the Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, says that consumer confidence and spending are at the heart of the recovery, but growth has been less vigorous than he would like because of uncertainty among consumers and a painfully slow recovery of the jobs market. Moreover, he sees little improvement next year, with unemployment only declining slowly. Mr Bernanke gently hints there's a case for further action by the Federal Reserve that is buying more treasury bonds, the modern equivalent of printing more money.
The US has delayed until next month the publication of a report which is believed to accuse China of manipulating its currency to gain an unfair trade advantage. Such an accusation would have opened the way for sanctions against Chinese goods. The US treasury secretary indicated publication had been delayed because of action by China last month to allow its currency to rise.
Amid scenes of jubilation among miners and dignitaries, a giant drilling machine has punched through the final metres of rock under the St Gotthard section of the Swiss Alps to complete the world's longest tunnel. Construction of the rail tunnel has taken 14 years and cost $10 billion. From Switzerland, here is Imogen Foulkes.
Europe's freight, rumbling through on the backs of 40-ton lorries, has been clogging the alpine valleys for years. An estimated 3,000 heavy goods vehicles pass through the Swiss Alps every single day. Switzerland wants that freight underground, on the railways, and the new tunnel should achieve just that. It will be another six years before the line is open, but today's breakthrough is, the Swiss say, a crucial step to improving Europe's transport network and protecting the alpine environment.
Hundreds of residents affected by toxic sludge disaster in Hungary have been returning to their homes in the village of Kolontar. Nine people were killed when thousands of tons of toxic waste spilled from a storage reservoir of an aluminium plant 12 days ago. The company responsible for the plant restarted production today, as Nick Thorpe reports from Budapest.
This was a move urged by both the management and the workers of the plant to save the factory which provides 13% of Europe's alumina supply, the base material from which aluminium is made. On Wednesday, the managing director Zoltan Bakonyi was released after 48 hours in police custody. A criminal investigation is underway to find those responsible for the disaster.
World News from the BBC
One of the most successful English football clubs, Liverpool, now has new owners. New England Sports Ventures, who also own the Boston Red Sox baseball team, have won their legal battle for control of the club. The deal is thought to be worth nearly $500 million. The club's chairman is Martin Broughton.
"As every Liverpool fan knows, the most nerve-wracking way to win a match is in a penalty shoot-out, but in the end, as long as you get the right result, it's worth the wait. We've got the right result. John..."
John W Henry, the new owner, said a cloud had been lifted.
"I am proud and humble. We have a lot of work to do, and I can't tell you how happy I am that we've finally, finally got to this point."
Apologies for the delay there, but the former American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett who fought to block the sale say they'll sue New England Sports Ventures for over $1 billion in damages.
Prosecutors in the Netherlands have asked for the acquittal of the controversial politician Geert Wilders, who's been charged with inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims. The prosecutors told the court in Amsterdam that Mr Wilders had criticised Islam as an ideology and not Muslims as a group. They said Mr Wilders' statements, such as comparing Islam to Nazism, might well be hurtful to Muslims, but they said the wounding of feelings could play no role in a criminal trial. The case continues next week.
A unique German exhibition about Hitler has attracted thousands of visitors on the day it opened in the capital Berlin. Hitler and the German People is the first such event in Germany. Items on display include a toy model of Hitler for children, cups and saucers decorated with swastikas and a deck of playing cards showing Hitler. The organisers said they decided not to include any items that had belonged to Hitler because they did not want to attract neo-Nazis.
BBC News
美联储主席本·伯南克给出最强烈的暗示,将采取更多措施使美国微弱的经济复苏回到正轨。他说,高失业率和低通胀率仍然造成危险。Mark Mardell在华盛顿报道。
美国的经济复苏一年多以前正式开始,但是许多美国人几乎感觉不到经济衰退已经结束。联邦储蓄主席伯南克表示,消费者信心和支出是经济复苏的核心,但是,由于消费者的不确定性和就业市场复苏的极度缓慢,两者的增长并不像希望的那样有力。此外,他认为明年的情况也不会有所改观,失业率仅仅会出现缓慢的下降。伯南克暗示,美联储将采取更多行动,例如购买更多国库券,相当于印刷更多货币。
美国将指控中国操纵汇率以获得不公平的贸易优势的一份报告推迟到下月发表。该指控将为对中国货物实施制裁开辟道路。美国财长指出,由于中国上月采取行动允许人民币升值,他们暂缓了该报告的发表。
在矿工和官员的一片欢呼声中,一台大型钻孔机穿透了瑞士阿尔卑斯山下圣哥达段最后几米岩石,开通了世界上最长的隧道。该铁路隧道的建设耗时14年,花费了100亿美元。Imogen Foulkes在瑞士报道。
欧洲的货物装在40吨位的卡车上,几年来一直在阿尔卑斯山谷中穿梭。据估计,每天有3,000辆大型货运车经过瑞士阿尔卑斯山。瑞士希望这些货物在地下铁路通过,因此要开凿隧道。这条铁路开通还需要六年的时间,但是,瑞士表示,今天的突破是完善欧洲运输网络关键的一步,可以保护阿尔卑斯山的环境。
受匈牙利有毒废水灾难影响的数百名居民回到自己的家园,Kolontar村。12天前,数千吨有毒废水从一个铝厂的废水池泄漏,造成9人死亡。今天,负责该工厂的公司已经重新开始生产。Nick Thorpe在布达佩斯报道。
此举是由于该铝厂的管理人员和工人要求保存这座工厂。因为这座工厂供应着整个欧洲13%的铝矿。周三,总经理Zoltan Bakonyi被警方拘留48小时后获释。目前正在进行刑事调查,寻找这次灾难的责任人。
BBC世界新闻。
英超最成功的俱乐部之一利物浦有了新的老板。新英格兰体育风险投资公司赢得了该俱乐部的控制权,该公司目前还运营着波士顿红袜棒球队。据称该交易价值5亿美元。该俱乐部的主席是Martin Broughton。
“利物浦的每位球迷都知道,赢得比赛最令人紧张的就是点球决胜,但是最终,只要获得了良好的结果,等待也是值得的。我们赢得了正确的结果。”
新老板John W Henry发表了讲话。
“我感到非常自豪,也非常谦逊。我们有许多工作要做,我们最终获胜,我难以表达我有多么高兴。”
前美国老板Tom Hicks和George Gillett因阻止该交易导致延误而道歉,但是他们说将起诉新英格兰体育风险投资公司,要求10亿美元的赔偿。
荷兰检控官要求无罪释放有争议的政治家Geert Wilders,他被指控煽动对穆斯林的仇恨和歧视。检控官告诉阿姆斯特丹法庭,Wilders批评的是作为意识形态的伊斯兰主义,而不是批评穆斯林这个群体。他们说,Wilders将伊斯兰主义比作纳粹的言论可能对穆斯林造成伤害,但是这种感情上的伤害在刑事审判中起不到任何作用。该案件下周将继续。
关于希特勒的一次独特的德国展览在首都柏林开幕,吸引了数千民游客。“希特勒和德国人民”是德国首次类似的活动。参展的物品包括儿童玩的希特勒玩具,刻有纳粹十字标记的茶杯和茶托,一副希特勒图案的扑克牌。组织者称,他们决定不展出希特勒本人的物品,因为他们不想吸引新纳粹党。
1.vigorous adj.有力的
例句:She made a vigorous speech in defence of her boyfriend.
她为她的男朋友做了有力的辩护。
2.moreover adv.再者, 此外, 而且
例句:The rent is reasonable, and moreover, the location is perfect.
这房租合理, 而且地点优越。
I don't want to go skating and, moreover, the ice is too thin.
我不想去滑冰, 再说, 冰也太薄了。
3.equivalent adj.相等的, 相当的
例句:There is no exactly equivalent French tense to the present perfect tense in English.
法语里没有和英语中的现在完成时完全对应的时态。
4.jubilation n.欢腾,欢庆;庆祝活动
例句:The goal was greeted by jubilation from the home fans.
主场球迷为进球欢呼。
5.rumble vi.发出隆隆声, 发出辘辘声
例句:The big guns rumbled in the distance.
远处炮火轰鸣。
6.shoot-out n.拼个你死我活的枪战,(足球)点球决胜负
7.humble adj.谦逊的, 谦虚的
例句:In my humble opinion, he will win the election.
依我拙见, 他将在选举中获胜。
8.acquittal n.宣告无罪
例句:Of the three cases that went to trial, two ended in acquittals.
所审理的三个案件中, 有两个以无罪而告终。
9.incite vt.刺激, 激励, 煽动
例句:Insults incite resentment.
侮辱激起仇恨。
The captain's example incited the men to bravery.
船长的榜样激发了水手们的勇敢精神。
1.Such an accusation would have opened the way for sanctions against Chinese goods.
open the way for为…开辟道路
类似短语:
pave the way for铺平道路
例句:Their economic policy pave the way for industrial expansion.
他们的经济政策为工业发展铺平了道路。
2.The economic recovery in the USA officially began more than a year ago, but to many Americans it hardly feels like the recession has ended.
barely,hardly区别
Hardly 和一个否定词在一起的用法在标准英语中应尽量避免, 一些批评学家一直怀疑象hardly,rarely 和 scarcely 这样的副词在传统的双重否定的句中应被视为否定词, 这样的词使句子象I couldn't hardly see him 和 I didn't get none 一样被弄糟了, 他们争论说,毕竟句子Mary hardly laughed 的意思是玛丽的确笑了, 而不是她没笑,所以不表示否定的建议。但是hardly 和 scarcely 和其他的否定表示一起在许多方面出现, 举例说,他们和象any 和 at all 这样独特的和否定上下文联系的条目组合在一起, 我们说I hardly saw him at all 或 I never saw him at all , 但并不是I occasionally saw him at all; 我们说I hardly had any time 或 I didn't have any time 但不是I had any time 等。 象其它否定副词,hardly 在句子开头时引起主语和助动词的倒装, 于是我们说Hardly had I arrived when she left, 和 Never have I read such a book 或 At no time has he condemned the movement. 等同样的句型。 别的副词并不用这样的倒装:我们不能说Occasionally has he addressed this question 或 To a slight degree have they changed their position 。 事实是象hardly
这样的副词语义上是否定的, 他们限定修饰了与不发生有关的状态或事件。于是hardly 的意思大概是“几乎根本不”; rarely 的意思大概是“实际上没有”;等等。
由于hardly, barely和scarcely等本身是否定词,所以不可与not或never 连用。
hardly,scarcely和barely这三个词在意义上都接近于否定。
hardly 主要与any,ever,at all或动词can连用:
He has hadly any money.
他几乎没有钱。(非常少)
I hardly ever go out.
我很少外出。(我极少外出。)
It hadly rained at all last summer.
去年夏天没怎么下雨。
Her case is so heavy that she can hadly lift it.
她的箱子太重了,她简直提不起来。
也可以和其他动词连用:
I hardly know him.
我不太认识他。(我只是与他认识而已。)
3.They said Mr Wilders' statements, such as comparing Islam to Nazism, might well be hurtful to Muslims, but they said the wounding of feelings could play no role in a criminal trial.
play a role起作用
例句:Why Moses had to play a role as a Judge?
为何摩西需要扮演裁决者的角色?
4.Items on display include a toy model of Hitler for children, cups and saucers decorated with swastikas and a deck of playing cards showing Hitler.
on display陈列着,在展览
例句:There are many exhibits on display in the museum.
博物馆里陈列着许多展览品。
1.The US has delayed until next month the publication of a report which is believed to accuse China of manipulating its currency to gain an unfair trade advantage.
参考翻译:美国将指控中国操纵汇率以获得不公平的贸易优势的一份报告推迟到下月发表。
结构分析:这句话的主干是:The US has delayed until next month the publication。which is believed to是定语从句,修饰report。
accuse China of指控某人做某事。to gain an unfair trade advantage表示目的。
2.This was a move urged by both the management and the workers of the plant to save the factory which provides 13% of Europe's alumina supply, the base material from which aluminium is made.
参考翻译:此举是由于该铝厂的管理人员和工人要求保存这座工厂。因为这座工厂供应着整个欧洲13%的铝矿。
结构分析:这句话的主干是:This was a move urged by both the management and the workers,其中urged是过去分词做后置定语,修饰move。which provides是定语从句,修饰factory。the base material是alumina的同位语。