BBC News with Marion Marshall

Islamist forces linked to al-Qaeda are reported to have seized the key town of Gao in northern Mali. Residents of the town say Islamist fighters have taken over buildings occupied by Tuareg rebels, including their headquarters, and raised the black flag. Our West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy reports.

Islamist combatants have once again taken the upper hands over the Tuareg-led counterparts in the vast northern region. After weeks of uneasytruce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">trucein Gao and the failure to build an alliance, MNLA Tuareg-led fighters have reportedly been driven out of the key northern town by militants who want to impose sharia law. Heavy fighting broke out on Wednesday morning between the two rival groups. A doctor at a hospital in Gao said over the phone that most people killed and injured seemed to have been armed but a number of civilians had also been caught in the fighting.

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said there are no quick or easy solutions to the crisis in the eurozone. Mrs Merkel has been holding talks in Paris with the French President Francois Hollande. Speaking ahead of an EU summit on Thursday, she said leaders should avoid making rash promises they can't keep.

"There is no easy and quick solution. There is no magic formula or singlecoup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coupwhich can make the government debt crisis go awayonce and for all."

British politicians have hailed a historic handshake between the Queen and a former IRA leader, Martin McGuinness. The Queen and Mr McGuinness, who's now a Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, shook hands at a theatre in Belfast. A spokesman for the Prime Minister David Cameron said the meeting had taken the Anglo-Irish relationship to a new level. Speaking at a Jubilee party attended by the Queen, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson said that the handshake was an important moment.

"I think it shows that Northern Ireland is moving forward. I think what you might describe asnormality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normalityis occurring in Northern Ireland. And you can see it from the people, enthusiasm that there is. You've got a confident people here wanting to reach out, and I think that speaks very well for the future.

Barclays bank has been fined $452m for misconduct by British and United States financial regulators. The bank has apologised for systematically misleading the authorities about key interest rate figures. BBC's business editor Robert Peston explains.

Barclays has owned up to something simple and many would say shocking. For four years between 2005 and 2009, it lied about the interest rate it was having to pay to borrow. It attempted to manipulate so-calledbenchmark interest ratesto increase profits or minimise losses on big deals. The regulators also say Barclays understated the interest rate it was being forced by creditors to pay during thecredit crunchto create the perception that it was seen as stronger than was the case.

World News from the BBC

The European Union, the United States and Japan have reinforced their legal challenge to Chinese quotas on the export of rare earth minerals, which are needed to make a wide range of high-tech products. The European Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said the quotas distorted global markets, giving Chinese companies an advantage. China says the quotas are to protect the environment.

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she has great hope that an international meeting on Saturday on the conflict in Syria could prove to be a turning point. The meeting in Geneva is due to be attended by all five permanent members of the Security Council, including Russia and China. Mrs Clinton said the talksconvene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convened">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convenedby the international envoy Kofi Annan could succeed if all parties backed Mr Annan's proposals.

"We are looking forward to hearing a report about his consultations with those whom he intends to invite. I'm keeping my calendar open for a meeting with a great hope that this perhaps can be a turning point in the very tragic circumstances affecting the Syrian people."

A month before the opening of the London Olympics, the Chinese state-run news agency yingyu.chazidian.com has predicted that China will top the medal table, once again beating the United States. The yingyu.chazidian.comeditorial">editorialsets outin precise terms where China can expect to win gold medals and predicts that it can win at least 37, nine of them in gymnastics alone. At the Beijing Olympics four years ago China won 51 gold medals.

Football, and Spain and Portugal are playing for a place in the final of the Euro 2012 football tournament. The match in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk has gone to extra time after no goals were scored in the regulation 90 minutes. The winners will face either Germany or Italy, who'll play the other semi-final in Warsaw on Thursday.

BBC News

第二页：中英双语听力稿

Islamist forces linked to al-Qaeda are reported to have seized the key town of Gao in northern Mali. Residents of the town say Islamist fighters have taken over buildings occupied by Tuareg rebels, including their headquarters, and raised the black flag. Our West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy reports.

据悉，与基地组织有关联的伊斯兰军队夺取马里北部重镇加奥。该镇居民称伊斯兰武装人员接管了图阿雷格叛军盘踞的大楼，包括其总部，并在楼上挂起黑旗。BBC西非记者Thomas Fessy报道。

Islamist combatants have once again taken the upper hands over the Tuareg-led counterparts in the vast northern region. After weeks of uneasy truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce in Gao and the failure to build an alliance, MNLA Tuareg-led fighters have reportedly been driven out of the key northern town by militants who want to impose sharia law. Heavy fighting broke out on Wednesday morning between the two rival groups. A doctor at a hospital in Gao said over the phone that most people killed and injured seemed to have been armed but a number of civilians had also been caught in the fighting.

伊斯兰武装人员在广大的北部地区占了图阿雷格叛军的上风。据悉，经过数周不稳定的休战期，组建联盟的努力也告失败，图阿雷格叛军领导的阿扎瓦德民族解放运动武装分子已被希望实施伊斯兰法律的武装人员逐出这一北部重镇。周三早上，两个敌对组织之间爆发激烈战斗。加奥医院的一位医生在电话中说，大多数死伤者似乎是武装人员，但也有许多平民在战斗中被俘。

The German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said there are no quick or easy solutions to the crisis in the eurozone. Mrs Merkel has been holding talks in Paris with the French President Francois Hollande. Speaking ahead of an EU summit on Thursday, she said leaders should avoid making rash promises they can't keep.

德国总理安吉拉·默克尔说，解决欧元区危机没有简单的办法。默克尔在巴黎与法国总统弗朗索瓦·奥朗德进行了会谈，她在周四举行的欧洲峰会上说，领导人们应避免做出无法兑现的草率承诺。

"There is no easy and quick solution. There is no magic formula or single coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup which can make the government debt crisis go away once and for all."

“简单而易行的办法是不存在的，没有神奇的公式可循，也没有让政府债务危机一下子就解决并一劳永逸的办法。”

British politicians have hailed a historic handshake between the Queen and a former IRA leader, Martin McGuinness. The Queen and Mr McGuinness, who's now a Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, shook hands at a theatre in Belfast. A spokesman for the Prime Minister David Cameron said the meeting had taken the Anglo-Irish relationship to a new level. Speaking at a Jubilee party attended by the Queen, Northern Ireland's First Minister Peter Robinson said that the handshake was an important moment.

英国政治家对女王与爱尔兰共和军前领导人马丁·麦吉尼斯历史性的握手表示赞扬。女王和爱尔兰现任第一副总理麦吉尼斯在贝尔法斯特一家剧场握手。总理戴维德·卡梅隆的发言人说，这次会议使英格兰与爱尔兰的关系上升到新的高度。北爱首席大臣在由女王出席的钻石庆典上说，这次握手是个重要时刻。

"I think it shows that Northern Ireland is moving forward. I think what you might describe as normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality is occurring in Northern Ireland. And you can see it from the people, enthusiasm that there is. You've got a confident people here wanting to reach out, and I think that speaks very well for the future.

“我想这表明北爱尔兰在向前发展，你可能认为北爱所发生的一切是常态。你可以看那里人们的热情，他们非常自信，希望保持接触，我想这对未来是很有利的。”

Barclays bank has been fined $452m for misconduct by British and United States financial regulators. The bank has apologised for systematically misleading the authorities about key interest rate figures. BBC's business editor Robert Peston explains.

巴克莱银行因不端行为被英国和美国的金融机构处以4.52亿美元的罚款。该银行在主要利率数据上有组织地误导当局，不过现已对此道歉。BBC商业编辑罗伯特·派斯顿报道。

Barclays has owned up to something simple and many would say shocking. For four years between 2005 and 2009, it lied about the interest rate it was having to pay to borrow. It attempted to manipulate so-called benchmark interest rates to increase profits or minimise losses on big deals. The regulators also say Barclays understated the interest rate it was being forced by creditors to pay during the credit crunch to create the perception that it was seen as stronger than was the case.

巴克莱银行已经供认了简单的过错，但可能会吐露一些令人吃惊的大错。2005到2009的四年时间内，该银行在支付贷款的利率上撒谎，试图操纵所谓的基准利率来增加利润或将大宗交易的损失最小化。金融机构还称，巴克莱银行轻描淡写信贷紧缩期间的贷方要支付的利率，以制造它比实际上要强大的印象。

The European Union, the United States and Japan have reinforced their legal challenge to Chinese quotas on the export of rare earth minerals, which are needed to make a wide range of high-tech products. The European Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht said the quotas distorted global markets, giving Chinese companies an advantage. China says the quotas are to protect the environment.

欧盟、美国和日本对中国稀土出口配额进一步加大法律压力，稀土是制造多种高科技产品的材料。欧盟贸易专员卡洛·德古赫特说，配额扭曲了国际市场，使中国的公司享有优势。中国称配额是为了保护环境。

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she has great hope that an international meeting on Saturday on the conflict in Syria could prove to be a turning point. The meeting in Geneva is due to be attended by all five permanent members of the Security Council, including Russia and China. Mrs Clinton said the talks convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convened">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convened by the international envoy Kofi Annan could succeed if all parties backed Mr Annan's proposals.

美国国务卿希拉里·克林顿说，她相信周六举行的关于叙利亚冲突的国际会议会是个转折点。包括俄罗斯和中国在内的安理会五个常任理事国都要参加这次将在日内瓦举行的会议。克林顿说，如果各方都支持国际使者科菲·安南的提议，这么这次同样由安南组织的国际会议就会成功。

"We are looking forward to hearing a report about his consultations with those whom he intends to invite. I'm keeping my calendar open for a meeting with a great hope that this perhaps can be a turning point in the very tragic circumstances affecting the Syrian people."

“我们期待听到安南与与会人员磋商后所做的报告，我会专为这次会谈腾出时间，非常希望这对折磨叙利亚人民的局势来说是个转折点。”

A month before the opening of the London Olympics, the Chinese state-run news agency yingyu.chazidian.com has predicted that China will top the medal table, once again beating the United States. The yingyu.chazidian.com editorial">editorial sets out in precise terms where China can expect to win gold medals and predicts that it can win at least 37, nine of them in gymnastics alone. At the Beijing Olympics four years ago China won 51 gold medals.

就在伦敦奥运会开幕一个月之际，中国国家新闻机构新华社预言中国将夺得最多金牌，再次打败美国。新华社社论精确预测中国将在哪些项目上夺得金牌，称至少能夺得37枚金牌，仅体操一项就可获得9枚金牌。4年前的北京奥运会上，中国获得51枚金牌。

Football, and Spain and Portugal are playing for a place in the final of the Euro 2012 football tournament. The match in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk has gone to extra time after no goals were scored in the regulation 90 minutes. The winners will face either Germany or Italy, who'll play the other semi-final in Warsaw on Thursday.

足球方面的新闻，西班牙和葡萄牙进入欧洲杯2012足球锦标赛决赛。在乌克兰顿涅茨克举行的90分钟比赛并无进球，于是进入了加时赛阶段。胜出者将与将于周四在华沙进行半决赛的德国或意大利对决。

第三页：词汇解析

truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce

英汉解释

n. 停战；休战；休战协定

vt. 以休战结束；停止争执

vi. 停战

同义词

n.armistice，cease-fire

参考例句

1. The Russians rejected a French offer for atruce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce.

俄国人拒绝法国人提出的停战建议。

2. The rockets fired from Lebanon this week were a reminder, if one were needed, that the 2006 war ended in atruce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">trucenot a peace.

本周从黎巴嫩发射的火箭就是个提醒，假如需要提醒的话，提醒我们2006年的战争结束不过是休战，而非和平。

3. The Israeli government also rejected thetruce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truce">truceproposal. Israeli spokesman Mark Regev says Hamas is a terrorist organization that refuses to renounce violence or recognize Israel.

以色列政府也拒绝停战的建议。以色列发言人雷格夫说，哈马斯是一个恐怖组织，它拒绝放弃暴力，拒绝承认以色列。

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coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup

英汉解释

n. 政变；妙计；出乎意料的行动；砰然的一击

vt. 使…颠倒；使…倾斜

vi. 推倒；倾斜；溢出

同义词

n.coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup d'etat，putsch，takeover

参考例句

1. Deby who took power in acoup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coupin 1990.

代比在1990年的一次政变中，夺得政权。

2. State Department officials called the militarycoup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coupa step backward for democracy in Thailand.

美国务院官员称军方政变的做法使得泰国民主的进程退步。

3. Turkey arrested at least another 30 people suspected of involvement in acoup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coup">coupplot, including some retired generals and a former police chief.

土耳其拘捕至少30名怀疑与一项政变阴谋有关的人，包括部分退休将领和一位前警察总长。

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normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality

英汉解释

n. 常态；当量浓度；规定浓度

同义词

n.n，normalcy

反义词

n.abnormal condition，abnormalcy，abnormality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality

参考例句

1. On the one hand, it is a welcome return tonormality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality.

一方面，这是向正常的回归，是受欢迎的。

2. Seamless experts believe that under the conditions of a market economy, overcapacity is anormality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality.

无缝管专家认为市场经济条件下，产能过剩是一种常态。

3. For this quantity to be a meaningful measure of dispersion of the scale factors, the assumption ofnormality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normality">normalityis again required.

该量是标度因数离散程度的一个有效的量度。就这个量来说，也要求正态性假定。

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convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene

英汉解释

vt. 召集，集合；传唤

vi. 聚集，集合

同义词

v.convoke

参考例句

1. Theyconvene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convened a meeting of the members of the club.

他们召开了一次俱乐部会员大会。

2. Does the UNconvene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">conveneevery year?

联合国每年都召开大会吗?

3. The club willconvene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convene">convenein October.

俱乐部将于十月开会。

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editorial">editorial

英汉解释

adj. 编辑的；社论的

n. 社论

同义词

n.column，newspaper column

参考例句

1. The Editorial Projects in Education Research Center prepared the report.

社论工程教育研究中心发表了这个报告。

2. The Editorial Projects in Education Research Center prepared the report.

教育研究中心的社论计划做了这个报告。

3. The Editorial Projects in the Education Research Center prepared the report.

教育研究中心的社论的项目组组织了此报道。