BBC News with Iain Purdon
Federal authorities in the United States have made 115 arrests in what the US Attorney General Eric Holder called the largest ever single-day operation against the mafia. Those detained include prominent members of at least six organised crime families. They face charges ranging from extortion to drug dealing and murder. Mr Holder said it was part of an ongoing battle against the mafia.
"Today's arrests mark an important and encouraging step forward in disrupting La Cosa Nostra's operations. But the reality is that our battle against organised crime enterprises is far from over. This is an ongoing effort, and it must and will remain a top priority for all of us in law enforcement. Members and associates of La Cosa Nostra are among the most dangerous criminals in our country."
Suicide bomb attacks near the Iraqi city of Karbala have killed at least 50 people and injured many more. Jim Muir reports from Baghdad.
The Karbala bombings came despite very stringent security measures to protect the many hundreds of thousands of Shia faithful making their way to the city on foot from all over the country in a pilgrimage that reaches its climax early next week. Even before that, the earlier spate of attacks had prompted questions here about the effectiveness of security arrangements not just for pilgrims but even for the security forces themselves increasingly targeted as American forces withdraw.
The Chinese President Hu Jintao says China has no interest in pursuing an arms race, nor exerting military dominance over other nations. Speaking at a business forum in Washington, Mr Hu said there was no need for the US to see China as a threat. Paul Adams reports.
President Hu used his lunch-time speech to drive home his message that America should not see China as a dangerous rival. "We do not engage in arms races," he said. "We are not a military threat to any country." He described Tibet and Taiwan as core Chinese interests but did not add the South China Sea to this list, suggesting a degree of flexibility on an issue that has been a recent source of tension. Earlier, President Hu swapped the military bands and state banquet at the White House for the rather more combative atmosphere of Capitol Hill. Members of Congress raised a number of familiar concerns, including human rights, efforts to contain North Korea, safeguarding intellectual property and the need for a level playing field in international trade.
Tunisia's new interim government says it'll recognise all banned political groups and grant amnesties to all political prisoners. A government spokesman said all groups would be recognised including the Islamist Ennahda movement. The announcement came as the new cabinet met for the first time a week after street protest[s] forced President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali to flee Tunisia.
World News from the BBC
The Vatican says it's worried about the latest scandal surrounding the Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and demanded higher moral standards from politicians. The secretary of state of the Holy See made his comments after being asked about allegations that Mr Berlusconi had organised sex parties with young prostitutes. He said Italy was in turmoil over the issue. The prime minister has vehemently denied the allegations.
A new estimate says there may be twice as much natural gas available in the world as previously thought. The International Energy Agency said new techniques to extract gas from previously inaccessible rock formations could extend global reserves for more than 250 years. Roger Harrabin reports.
A few years ago, the world looked likely to enjoy natural gas for 60 years with maybe a further 60 if engineers could access all known supplies. Then came a technological breakthrough in the United States, where firms found a way to free gas previously trapped in shale rocks. It made the US the world's top gas producer in 2009. Engineers worldwide now want to recover more so-called unconventional gas from coal beds and other rocks where it's currently trapped.
One of the most senior members of Britain's opposition Labour Party has announced that he's stepping down as its spokesman on financial affairs. The politician Alan Johnson had been in the job only a few months and admitted having little economic experience. He said he was resigning for personal reasons but gave no more details.
Police in Mexico say a posting on the social networking site Facebook has led them to the main suspect in the shooting of the Paraguayan footballer Salvador Cabanas last year. Police knew that the suspect, Jose Jorge Balderas Garza, was in a relationship with a Colombian model. When she listed a Mexico City neighbourhood as her current location on Facebook, police moved in.
BBC News
美国联邦当局实施了15次逮捕行动,美国司法部长埃里克·霍尔德(Eric Holder)称这是一天之内针对黑手党实施的最大规模的行动。被拘留者包括至少六个有组织的犯罪团伙中的卓越人物。他们将面临从敲诈到贩卖毒品到谋杀的罪名。霍尔德表示,这是针对黑手党的持续的斗争的一部分。
“今天的逮捕行动意味着在打击拉科萨家族(La Cosa Nostra)的行动中取得了重大的鼓舞人心的一步。但是实际情况是,我们打击犯罪团伙的战争还远远没有结束。我们一直在不断努力,而且这项活动对执法系统中的所有人来说都必须是首要任务。拉科萨家族的成员和有关联的人物都是我们的国家最危险的犯罪分子。”
伊拉克城市卡尔巴拉附近发生自杀式爆炸袭击,造成至少50人死亡,多人受伤。Jim Muir在巴格达报道。
数十万什叶派信徒从全国各地前往该城市参加朝圣,活动将于下周初达到顶峰。当局采取了严厉的安全措施来保护这些信徒,但是仍然发生了爆炸袭击。甚至在那之前的一系列爆炸已经引发人们对这里的安全措施的怀疑,因为不仅是穆斯林,随着美国军队的撤退,安全力量本身也逐渐成为袭击的目标。
中国国家主席胡锦涛表示,中国没有兴趣参加军备竞赛,没有兴趣对其他国家实施军事统治。在华盛顿商务论坛上发表讲话时胡锦涛表示,美国没有必要将中国视为威胁。Paul Adams报道。
胡锦涛利用午餐时间讲话传达了他的信息,美国人不应该将中国视为危险的竞争对手。“我们不参加任何军事竞赛,我们对任何国家来说都不是军事威胁。”他表示,西藏和台湾是中国的核心利益,但是没有将南中国海加入这个名单,这表明,这个最近引发紧张形势的问题是有弹性的。此前,胡锦涛主席与奥巴马交换了军章,并在白宫享受了国宴。但是在国会山更加好战的气氛中,国会议员提出了一系列已经耳熟能详的担忧,包括人权,控制朝鲜,保护知识产权和为国际贸易提供舞台的问题。
突尼斯新的临时政府表示,他们将认可所有被禁止的政治组织,特赦所有政治犯。政府一名发言人表示,所有组织都将被认可,包括伊斯兰Ennahda运动在内。民众的街头抗议迫使总统本·阿里(Zine El Abidine Ben Ali)逃离突尼斯一周之后,新的内阁举行首次会晤时宣布了该决定。
BBC世界新闻。
梵蒂冈表示,他们担忧关于意大利总理贝卢斯科尼的最新的丑闻,要求政客们要提高道德标准。教廷秘书长被问到有关称贝卢斯科尼曾经与年轻的卖淫者一起组织性派对的传闻之后发表了该评论。他说,由于该事件,意大利已经陷入混乱。总理否认了所有说法。
一项新的评估表示,全世界的天然气储备可能是此前评估的两倍。国际能源组织表示,从岩石中提取天然气的新技术可能延长全球储备250年的时间。Roger Harrabin报道。
几年前,全世界认为天然气可以供人类使用60年的时间,如果工程人员能够开采所有已知的储备,或许可以再延长60年。后来美国出现了技术突破,一些公司发现了从页岩中提取天然气的方法。这使得美国在2009年成为世界上最大的天然气生产国。全世界的过程人员现在都想在煤层和其他岩石中发现更多所谓的非传统的天然气。
英国反对派工党最高级成员之一宣布他将辞去金融事务发言人的职位。政治家Alan Johnson几个月前才开始从事该工作,他承认自己没有什么经济经验。他说,他辞职是因为个人原因,但是没有透露详细情况。
墨西哥警方表示,社交网站Facebook上公开的一份信息让他们找到了去年枪击巴拉圭球员卡巴拿斯(Salvador Cabañas)的主要嫌疑人。警方了解到,这名嫌疑人Jose Jorge Balderas Garza正与一名哥伦比亚模特恋爱中。这名模特在Facebook中贴出了她现在居住在墨西哥的一个社区后,警方采取了行动。
1.prominent adj.杰出的, 著名的, 卓越的
例句:He is a prominent physician.
他是位著名的医生。
He is prominent in science.
他是科学界杰出的人物。
2.extortion n.敲诈,勒索,逼取;被勒索的财物
例句:to stand trial for extortion
涉嫌敲诈而受审判
He was known for running a brutal extortion racket.
他因干过一起残忍的敲诈勒索而出名。
3.stringent adj.严格的;严厉的
例句:Some of the conditions in the contract are too stringent.
合同中有几项条件太苛刻。
4.climax n.高潮
例句:The climax of the book happens in Egypt.
该故事的高潮发生在埃及。
5.exert v.运用, 发挥, 施加
例句:He likes to exert his authority.
他喜欢行使自己的权力。
6.flexibility n.柔韧性;机动性,灵活性,易曲性;适应性,弹性
例句:Her great strength lies in her flexibility.
她的优势在于她灵活变通。
7.vehemently adv.激烈地;暴烈地;强烈地
例句:Both women vehemently deny the charges against them.
两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。
He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse.
他和妻子争论得很激烈,以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
1.The Karbala bombings came despite very stringent security measures to protect the many hundreds of thousands of Shia faithful making their way to the city on foot from all over the country in a pilgrimage that reaches its climax early next week.
make their way to取道,前往
例句:Visitors from as far away as Finland make their way to this primary rainforest jungle in the heart of Sabah, East Malaysia.
有的游客甚至从芬兰远道而来,进入马来西亚东部的沙巴中央的这个主要雨林。
2. "We do not engage in arms races," he said. "We are not a military threat to any country."
engage in参加; 从事; 忙于
例句:I have no time to engage in the debate.
我没时间参加辩论。
He engaged in a serious study of the problem.
他对这个问题进行了认真的研究。
3.One of the most senior members of Britain's opposition Labour Party has announced that he's stepping down as its spokesman on financial affairs.
step down退休, 辞职
例句:The manager had to step down on account of poor health.
那位经理由于身体不好, 只能辞职不干。
4.They face charges ranging from extortion to drug dealing and murder.
range from to范围从到
例句:His interests range from chess to stamp.
他的兴趣范围广泛,从下象棋到集邮无所不包。
1.A new estimate says there may be twice as much natural gas available in the world as previously thought.
twice as much倍数
英语表示倍数增减或倍数对比的句型多种多样,其中有 一些(如下文中的句型②、⑤、⑥、⑧、(12) 等, 见圈码)很容易译错——其主要原因在于:英汉两语在表述或对比倍数方面存在着语言与思维差异。现将常 用的英语倍数句型及其正确译法归纳如下:
倍数增加
(一) A is n times as great(long,much,…)as B.(①) A is n times greater (longer, more,…)than B.(②) A is n times the size (length, amount,…)of B.(③) 以上三句都应译为;A的大小(长度,数量,……)是B的n倍[或A比B大(长,多,……)n-1倍]. Eg. This book is three times as long as (three times longer than,three times the length of )that one. 这本书的篇幅是那本书的3倍(即长两倍)。 注:当相比的对象B很明显时,than(as,of)B常被省去。
(二)increase to n times(④) increase n times/n-fold(⑤) increase by n times(⑥) increase by a factor of n(⑦) 以上四式均应译为:增加到n倍(或:增加n-1倍)。 Eg. The production of integrated circuits has been increased to three times as compared with last year. 集成电路的产量比去年增加了两倍。 Eg. The output of chemical fertilizer has been raised five times as against l986. 化肥产量比1986年增加了4倍。 Eg. That can increase metabolic rates by two or three times. 那可使代谢率提高到原来的2倍或3倍(即提高1倍或2倍)。 Eg. The drain voltage has been increased by a factor of four. 漏电压增加了3借(即增加到原来的4倍)。 注:在这类句型中increase常被raise,grow,go/step up,multiply等词所替代。
(三)There is a n-fold increase/growth…(⑧) 应译为:增加n-倍(或增至n倍)。这个句型还有其它一些形式: Eg. A record high increase in value of four times was reported. 据报道,价值破记录地增长了3倍。
(四)double (增加1倍),treble(增加2倍),quadruple(增加3倍)。(⑨) Eg. The efficiency of the machines has been more than trebled or quadrupled. 这些机器的效率已提高了2倍或3倍多。
(五)此外,英语中还有一种用again而不用倍数词来比较倍数的方法,如: A is as much (large,long,…)again as B.(= A is twice as much (large,long,…)as B.(⑩) 应译为:A比B多(大,长,……)1倍。 A is half as much (large, 1ong,…)again as B. 【= A is one and a half times as much (large, 1ong,…)as B.】(11) 应译为:A比B多(大,长……)一半(即A是B的一倍半)。
倍数减少
(一)A is n times as small (light,slow,…)as B.(12) A is n times smaller (lighter, slower,…) than B.(13) 以上两句均应译为:A的大小(重量,速度,……)是B的1/n[或A比B小(轻,慢,……)(n-1)/n]。 Eg. The hydrogen atom is near1y l6 times as light as the oxygen atom. 氢原子的重量约为氧原子的1/16(即比氧原子约轻15/16)。 Eg. This sort of membrane is twice thinner than ordinary paper. 这种薄膜比普通纸张要薄一半(即是普通纸厚度的1/2)。 注:当相比的对象B很明显时,than/as B常被省去。
(二)decrease n times/n--fold (14) decrease by n times(15) decrease by a factor of n(16) 以上三式均译为:减少到1/n[或:减少(n-1)/n]。 decrease常被reduce, shorten, go/slow down等词替代。 Eg. Switching time of the new-type transistor is shortened 3 times. 新型晶体管的开关时间缩短了1/3(即缩短到2/3)。 Eg. When the voltage is stepped up by ten times, the strength of the current is stepped down by ten times. 电压升高9倍,电流强度便降低9/10(即90%)。Eg. The equipment reduced the error probability by a factor of 5. 该设备误差概率降低了4/5。
(三)There is a n-fold decrease/reduction… 应译为:减至1/n [或:减少(n一1)/n]。(17) 这个句型还有其它一些形式, Eg. A rapid decrease by a factor of 7 was observed. 发现迅速减少到1/7。 Eg. The principal advantage of the products is a two-fold reduction in weight. 这些产品的主要优点是重量减轻了1/2。 从上列倍数增减句型及其译法中不难看出:与汉语不 同的是,英语在表述或比较倍数时,无论使用什么句 型(除了不含倍数词的again句型外)都包括基础倍 数在内,因此都不是净增或净减n倍,而是净增或 净减n-1倍。所以句型⑤、③表示的倍数增量=句型④; 句型(13)表示的倍数比差=句型12,且decrease(by) 3 times应译为“减少2/3”,而不是“减少3/4”。