BBC News with Iain Purdon
The United States has apologised for the Nato helicopter attack inside Pakistan last week that killed at least two Pakistani soldiers and provoked the fury of the government in Islamabad. From Washington, Adam Brooks reports.
The American Ambassador in Islamabad Anne Patterson called the killings a terrible accident. An investigation found that US helicopters mistook Pakistani soldiers for militants and fired on them, killing two and injuring four. In response to the attack, Pakistan closed an important border crossing, and hundreds of trucks loaded with supplies for the military effort in Afghanistan are now held up inside Pakistan. The Americans will be hoping that this apology will reopen the border crossing.
In the latest incident, police in northwestern Pakistan say militants have attacked and destroyed a parked convoy of Nato fuel tankers bound for Afghanistan. The raid near Peshawar comes hours after the Pakistani Taliban said they carried out a similar attack further south on the outskirts of Quetta. A Nato spokesman has said military operations in Afghanistan were not being affected because there were already plenty of supplies inside the country.
United States federal agents have arrested more than 60 Puerto Rican police officers on drugs-related charges after what's been described as the biggest police corruption investigation the FBI has ever mounted. Andy Gallacher reports from Miami.
In a series of predawn raids, over 100 people including members of the US military, prison guards and civilians were arrested in a huge operation coordinated from the US mainland. Almost 90 of those taken into custody were police officers accused of providing security for drug deals on the island in exchange for cash. Amongst the other charges are allegations that officers supplied and sold cocaine. The police force in Puerto Rico already has a tarnished reputation, but nothing has ever happened on this scale before.
The US government has suffered a serious setback in its first attempt to try a Guantanamo Bay detainee in a civilian court because of the way the defendant was treated while in CIA custody. The judge at the court in New York barred the prosecution's key witness from testifying, saying he'd only been located because of statements the defendant had made under cruel interrogation at a secret CIA jail. The witness was expected to testify that he'd sold explosives to the accused Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, which were later used in the bomb attacks on two US embassies in East Africa in 2008.
The British Prime Minister David Cameron facing criticism over wide-ranging budget cuts has told his Conservative Party conference that he can promise prosperity in the future if difficult decisions are taken now. Mr Cameron said he wished there were an easier way but warned of job losses and spending cuts to come. He also laid out his vision for what he called a smaller and more nimble state.
World News from the BBC
The Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao has urged the European Union not to add to the pressure for China to increase the value of its currency, the yuan. The EU has recently added its voice to long-standing complaints by the United States that the value of the yuan was artificially low, giving an unfair boost to China's exports. Speaking in Brussels, Mr Wen said a sharp revaluation could seriously damage the Chinese economy.
"If China raises its exchange rate by 20% to 40%, then many of our export companies will have to close down, and those enterprises' employees will lose jobs, and migrants will have to return back to their villages, and that will give rise to social turmoil. Should China's economy run into a crisis, that would not be good news for the world."
The World Wide Fund for Nature says researchers working in the Mekong River basin which stretches down South East Asia from China to the sea in Vietnam have discovered previously unknown life forms at a staggering speed. Our South East Asia correspondent Rachel Harvey reports from Bangkok.
A fish with curving teeth that make it look like an aquatic vampire and a carnivorous plant that grows up to seven metres high, they are among the stars of a report designed to raise awareness of the rich biodiversity of the Greater Mekong. The World Wide Fund for Nature says on average three new species were identified every week last year, a rate the fund describes as staggering. But WWF says new discoveries imply a new level of responsibility, a responsibility to protect these life forms.
Military sources in Tajikistan say at least 25 soldiers have been killed in a helicopter crash although officials confirmed only four deaths. The Tajik national guard helicopter crashed in the Rasht region about 200km east of the capital Dushanbe. It's not clear whether it was shot down by a missile or whether the crash was accidental.
BBC News
上周,北约一架直升机在巴基斯坦境内发动袭击,造成至少两名巴基斯坦士兵死亡,激起伊斯兰堡政府的愤怒。美国对此表示道歉。华盛顿,Adam Brooks报道。
美国驻伊斯兰堡大使帕特森(Anne Patterson)称这次伤亡是非常可怕的事故。调查发现,美国的直升机错把巴基斯坦士兵当作好战分子而向他们开火,造成2人死亡,4人受伤。巴基斯坦对此作出回应,关闭了进口边境通道。数百辆装有供给阿富汗军队物资的卡车滞留在巴基斯坦境内。美国人希望他们的道歉能够使边境重新开放。
在最新的事件中,巴基斯坦西北部警方表示,好战分子袭击并摧毁了前往阿富汗的北约油罐车队的一部分。袭击发生在白沙瓦附近。几个小时之前,巴基斯坦塔利班分子曾经声称他们在南部奎塔南部实施了类似的袭击。北约一名发言人表示,阿富汗的军事行动不会受到影响,因为阿富汗国内已经有足够的补给物资。
美国FBI发动了最大规模的警方贪污状况调查,逮捕了60多名与毒品有关的波多黎各警官。Andy Galico在迈阿密报道。
在黎明前发动的一系列袭击中,共有100多名美国军人,狱警和平民在美国本土各部门团结进行的大规模行动中被捕。被拘留者几乎90%的人被指控为波多黎各岛上的毒品交易提供保障以换取金钱。其他指控则声称这些警官提供和出售可卡因,波多黎各的警察臭名昭著。但是以前并没有进行过如此大规模的行动。
美国政府在首次将关塔纳摩监狱囚犯转到平民法庭事件中遭遇了一系列挫折。主要是因为被告在被CIA关押时遭受了虐待。纽约法庭的法官禁止控方的关键证人作证。他说,这是因为被告是在秘密的CIA监狱中遭受了残酷的审讯才发表了这份声明。控方希望证人能够证明他向被告盖拉尼出售了炸药。被告后来使用这些炸药在2008年向美国驻东非两座大使馆发动了爆炸袭击。
英国首相卡梅伦因广泛削减预算而面临批评。他告诉保守党派会议,他承诺,如果现在做出这样艰难的决定,将来英国经济一定能够繁荣起来。卡梅伦表示,他也希望能够有更加轻松的方法,但是他警告大家即将出现的失业和支出削减。他还向大家表明了英国未来更加敏捷的预见。
BBC世界新闻。
中国国务院总理温家宝敦促欧盟不要向中国施压,要求人民币升值。欧盟最近加入一直抱怨的美国的行列,声称人民币的汇率太低,很不公平地促进了中国的出口。在布鲁塞尔发表讲话时,温总理表示,人民币大幅升值将严重损坏中国经济。“如果人民币升值20%至40%,许多出口公司将倒闭,这些企业和雇员会失去工作,民工将被迫返乡,这会增加社会动荡。如果中国经济陷入危机,这对全世界来说都不是好消息。”
世界自然基金会表示,在湄公河工作的研究人员以惊人的速度发现以前未知的生命形式。湄公河从东南亚流经中国,最后在越南入海。我们的东南亚记者Richel Harvy在曼谷报道。
一条鱼有着卷曲的牙齿,看上去就像水栖的蝙蝠,一株食肉植物长到七米高。这提醒人们注意到湄公河的生物多样性。世界自然基金会表示,去年,每周可以发现三个新的物种,这种速度是非常惊人的。但是WWF表示,新的发现彰显了新的责任,保护这些生命形式的责任。
塔吉克斯坦军事来源表示,至少25名士兵在直升机撞击事件中遇难,尽管官方确认仅有4人死亡。这架塔吉克斯坦直升机在雷什特地区坠毁,在首都杜尚别东部大约200千米处。目前还不清楚飞机是被击落还是偶然事故。
1.provoke vt.激起; 惹怒;引起;引发
例句:Her constant nagging provoked him.
她不断地唠叨激怒了他。
2.mount v.发动攻击; 攻击
例句:The opposition is getting ready to mount a powerful attack on the government.
反对党已准备好对政府发动一次有力的攻击。
3.predawn a.黎明前的
4.tarnish vt.玷污, 败坏
例句:His bad behaviour has tarnished the good name of the school.
他行为不轨, 败坏了学校的声誉。
5.trail vi.(在比赛等中)输, 失败
例句:The party trailed in the election.
该党在选举中大大落后。
6.prosperity n.兴旺, 繁荣
例句:The new agreement raised hopes for conditions of prosperity and harmony.
新的协议唤起了人们对繁荣与和谐前景的期望。
7.nimble adj.灵活的; 敏捷的
例句:You need nimble figners for that job.
干这活需要手指灵活。
8.artificially adv.人工地,人为地
例句:The prices of meals are often artificially inflated.
饭菜价格常常被人为地抬高。
Motivation to learn must come from the child; it cannot be artificially imposed.
学习的动力必须源于孩子自身,是不可以人为强加的。
9.stretch v.延伸
例句:The road stretches uphill at a steep slope.
这条路以陡峭的坡度向山上延伸。
10.staggering adj.难以置信的;令人震惊的; 大得惊人的; 骇人的; 难以想像的
例句:Profits have shot up by a staggering 25%.
利润惊人地攀升了25%。
The public response was absolutely staggering.
公众的反应非常令人惊愕。
1.And hundreds of trucks loaded with supplies for the military effort in Afghanistan are now held up insided Pakistan.
hold up拦住, 使停顿, 耽搁
例句:We had planned to finish the work before dark, but the heavy rain held us up.
我们原计划在天黑以前干完这项工作, 可给大雨耽搁了。
Two policemen held up a truck so as to inspect the driver's license.
两个警察让一辆卡车停住以便检查司机的驾驶证。
2.In the lastest incident, police in northwestern Pakistan say militants have attacked and destroyed a part convoy of NATO feul tankers bound for Afghanistan.
bound for驶往
例句:This train is Bound for Illinois.
这火车开往伊利诺州。
3.A NATO spokesman has said military operations in Afghanistan would not be affected, because there were already plenty of supplies inside the country.
plenty of很多, 大量的
例句:There is plenty of coal in this area.
这个地区有丰富的煤。
4.He also laid out his vision for what he called a smaller and more nimble state.
lay out设计
例句:The architect laid out the interior of the building.
建筑师完成了这幢建筑的内部设计。
Our plan must be well laid out before we begin to work.
我们在开始工作之前, 必须制定好计划。
5.If China raises its exchange rate by 20 to 40% that many of our export companies will have to close down and those enterprises and employees will lose jobs and migrants will have to return back to their villages and that will give rise to social turmoil.
close down(使)停业, (使)停产
例句:Because of the continued loss, the factory closed down.
由于连续亏损, 工厂关闭了。
The government closed down the newspaper.
政府封闭了报馆。
1.The United States has apologised for the Nato helicopter attack inside Pakistan last week that killed at least two Pakistani soldiers and provoked the fury of the government in Islamabad.
参考翻译:上周,北约一架直升机在巴基斯坦境内发动袭击,造成至少两名巴基斯坦士兵死亡,激起伊斯兰堡政府的愤怒。美国对此表示道歉。
结构分析:这句话的主干是:The United States has apologised for the Nato helicopter attack。inside Pakistan last week是时间和地点状语。that killed and provoke是定语从句,修饰attack。
2.United States federal agents have arrested more than 60 Puerto Rican police officers on drugs-related charges after what's been described as the biggest police corruption investigation the FBI has ever mounted.
参考翻译:美国FBI发动了最大规模的警方贪污状况调查,逮捕了60多名与毒品有关的波多黎各警官。
结构分析:这句话的主干是:United States federal agents have arrested more than 60 Puerto Rican police officers。what's been described as是what引导的宾语从句。the FBI has ever mounted也是定语从句,修饰investigation。
3.The judge at the court in New York barred the prosecution's key witness from testifying, saying he'd only been located because of statements the defendant had made under cruel interrogation at a secret CIA jail.
参考翻译:纽约法庭的法官禁止控方的关键证人作证。他说,这是因为被告是在秘密的CIA监狱中遭受了残酷的审讯才发表了这份声明。
结构分析:这句话的主干是前面板半句。bar from禁止某人做某事。saying是现在分词做伴随状语。