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《路透社新闻》选自REUTERS
【精彩回顾】》》》----今日心情:
--香港恶劣习性引人担忧
--胡锦涛在港献唱《歌唱祖国》
--青少年被迫卖淫 美国联邦设圈营救
一《路透社新闻》选自REUTERS
1【Don’t count your pandas before they pop】蛋未孵化莫数小鸡
播放后点击【REPLAY】重播
TEXT:Shinshin the panda might be pregnant. But officials at Tokyo's Ueno zoo won't know until she actually gives birth. That's because pandas often show false signs of pregnancy, says the zoo's deputy director. SOUNDBITE: Yutaka Fukuda, Ueno Zoo Deputy Director, saying (Japanese): "We have no way of knowing if this is a false pregnancy until the very, very last minute. We're hoping for the best, but we don't know what will happen." Shinshin, and male panda Lili, arrived in Japan in 2011 from China. And the pair is extremely popular with visitors. SOUNDBITE: Michio Souma, zoo visitor, saying : "I'm at the zoo for the first time in a while because I heard there may be a cause for celebration soon and I really wanted to see the two pandas while they're in Japan." SOUNDBITE: Asaka Miura, zoo visitor, saying: "Today is perfect timing as it's my son's sixth birthday and he said he wanted to see the pandas, so we came to see them." The birth would be a milestone for the zoo, which last had a successful panda pregnancy 24 years ago. And if Shinshin does produce a cub, there's sure to be panda-monium. Tara Cleary, Reuters.
参考译文:大熊猫Shinshin可能怀孕了。但是直到它要分娩了，东京上野动物园的管理员才意识到。动物园的副主任说这因为熊猫总是表现出假孕现象，他说：“直到最后一刻，我们才知道是否是假孕，我们从好的方面想，但我们不知道会发生什么。Shinshin和雄性熊猫Lili在2011年从中国来到日本。这一对熊猫很受游客的欢迎。游客Michio Souma说：“我第一次来到这个公园，因为我听说不久可能会有一场庆祝会，既然它们在日本，我很想来看看这两只熊猫。”游客Asaka说：“今天是最好的一天，因为是我儿子的六岁生日，他说他想要来看熊猫，所以我们就来了。”小熊猫的出生对于动物园来说将会是一个里程碑，上一次是在24年前有过一次成功的怀孕。如果Shinshin真的产下幼崽，那无疑是panda-monium。
2【Supreme Court upholds Obama healthcare law centerpiece】
最高法院支持奥巴马的医疗核心法案
TEXT:U.S. President Barack Obama said that the Supreme Court's decision to uphold his landmark healthcare reform law was a victory for the American people, and he promised to implement it and improve upon it going forward. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING: "The highest court in the land has now spoken. We will continue to implement this law and we'll work together to improve on it where we can." A sharply divided U.S. Supreme Court Thursday upheld the centerpiece of Obama's healthcare law that requires that most Americans get insurance by 2014 or pay a financial penalty. U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA SAYING: "What we won't do - what the country can't afford to do - is re-fight the political battles of two years ago or go back to the way things were. With today's announcement, it's time for us to move forward." Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney called on voters to help him defeat Obama in order to repeal the law. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE MITT ROMNEY SAYING: "This is a time of choice for the American people. If we're going get rid of Obama care, we're going to have to replace President Obama. My mission is to make sure we do exactly that." The decision is a setback for Romney and his fellow Republicans, who had hoped that the Supreme Court would strike down Obama's central policy achievement. A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found that most Americans oppose the law even though they strongly support much of what it does. Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters
参考译文:美国总统奥巴马称最高人民法院决定，对他提出的里程碑似的医改法表示支持，这是美国人民的一次胜利，他还承诺要实现并进一步完善它。奥巴马称：“国家最高法院现在已经表示，我们将继续执行这项法律，共同来完善它。”周三最高人民法院在支持奥巴马医疗法案的核心问题上意见极不统一，医改核心要求大部分美国人在2014年获得保险或支付经济处罚。奥巴马称：“我们不会去做的，这个国家未能提供的，要不重谈两年前的政治争议，要不原封不动。今天的宣布，是我们向前的时刻。”共和党候选人罗姆尼呼吁选民帮助他击败奥巴马以废除这项法律。罗姆尼称：“这是美国人民选择的时刻。如果我们要摆脱奥巴马的医改，我们就要取代他的总统之位。我的使命就是确保我们确实是那样做。”这个决定对于罗姆尼和他的共和党人来说是一次挫折，他们曾希望最高法院能反对奥巴马的中央政策成就。最近Reuters和Ipsos做的一项调查发现，大部分美国人反对这项法律，尽管他们强烈支持法律中的大部分内容。
3【Euro 2012: Spain victorious】2012欧洲杯西班牙获胜
TEXT:Tens of thousands celebrate in Madrid after watching Spain cement their status as a global football superpower. Spain thrashed Italy 4-0 to retain their European title, in the biggest victory margin in a World Cup or Euro final. Italy were in danger of losing from as early as the 14th minute when Spain took the lead. As they failed to stop a further three goals, the party in Spain began at the countdown to the final whistle. UNNAMED SPAIN SUPPORTER SAYING: "Very happy. Champions Spain, champions" SOUNDBITE: UNNAMED SPAIN SUPPORTER SAYING (Spanish): "They were very bad, very bad. They couldn't meet the expectations. They should have done more. It was a very easy final." The picture in Italy was of bitter disappointment. Dreams of victory turned to dust as fans watched goal after goal being scored against them. SOUNDBITE: FAN FEDERICO IZZO SAYING (Italian): "It just shouldn't have finished like this. I hoped and hoped and waved my flag, but it counted for nothing." In Spain the party carried on into the night. They've become the first national side to win three major trophies after their Euro 2008 success and World Cup victory two years ago. Sarah Charlton, Reuters
参考译文:在观看西班牙巩固其世界足球超级大国后，成千上万的人们在马德里庆祝。西班牙以4-0击败意大利蝉联欧洲冠军，这是世界杯或欧洲杯决赛中最大的获胜比分。当西班牙早在14分钟开始领先的时候，意大利就有输球的危险。当他们未能阻止第三个进球，西班牙一方已经开始吹响终场的倒计时。一位没有透露姓名的西班牙球迷说：“非常开心，西班牙，冠军”。另一位西班牙球迷说：“他们真的是遭透了，他们不能满足我们的期望，本应该更精彩的，这场决赛太没悬念了。”意大利这方确是失望的痛苦。在看到比分压倒他们之后，胜利的梦想烟消云散。意大利球迷Federico Izzo说：“结果不应该是这样子的，我满怀希望的挥舞着旗子，但这一文不值。”在西班牙，狂欢一直到了晚上。继2008年获得欧洲杯冠军以及2年前获得世界杯冠军后，他们已经成为了首个获得三项主要大奖的国家。
4【'Geneva plan does not concern Syrians' - government official.】
叙利亚官员称“日内瓦计划与叙利亚人民无关”
TEXT:A Syrian member of parliament dismissed the agreement reached by world powers in Geneva Saturday, saying the agreement had little to do with the Syrian people. Khaled al-Abboud is a member of the Syrian Parliament. (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) SYRIAN MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT KHALED AL-ABBOUD, SAYING: "The Geneva meeting does not concern Syrians. This meeting is on an international stage where international conflicted forces are meeting on Syria. It does not concern Syrians. Syrians are the ones who can resolve these issues. The only thing that helps Syrians is their steadfastness and ability to respond to this project against the Syrian people. In my opinion, what is happening is symptomatic of the conflict between the United States and other parties at the regional and international level." International powers meeing in Geneva agreed that a national unity government should be set up in Syria to resolve the conflict between President Bashar al-Assad and opposition forces trying to oust him. Deborah Lutterbeck, Reuters
参考译文:叙利亚议会成员否认了周六世界大国在日内瓦达成的协议，称这项协议与叙利亚人民基本上没有关系。叙利亚议会成员Khaled al-Abboud说：“日内瓦会议没有关系到叙利亚人民，这个会议是在一个国际舞台上，在那里世界冲突力量正在叙利亚会见。这与叙利亚人民无关。叙利亚人民才是唯一能解决这些问题的人。他们唯一能帮助的是以坚定和力量来应对反对叙利亚人民的决议。依我所见，问题的症候在于美国和其它国家在地区和国际间的冲突。” 世界大国在日内瓦同意，应该建立一个全国联合政府来解决总统阿萨德和试图驱逐其下台的反对派间的冲突。
注：本节目每天选取各大外文网站最新热门视频，原滋原味。因视频来源于外文网，所以链接或缓冲时间有时可能会偏长，请耐心等待。如果对选材难易程度或安排方面有任何意见，欢迎留言讨论。
《VOA新闻》选自VOA NEWS
1.VOA常速
【Downtown Art Walk Provides New View of Los Angeles】
TEXT:It is both a party - and an artistic pilgrimage. One evening each month, nearly 50 downtown galleries open their doors to thousands of visitors who sample the local art scene on a self-guided tour.
Artist and gallery owner Noboru Mishima shows art by Californians inspired by Asian themes.
“Most of the people are very interested in Japanese culture…,” Mishima said.
At a gallery around the corner, an artist who comes from Thailand displays her abstract sculptures, and artist Gonzalo Algarate, who comes from Uruguay, shows one of his works.
“For an artist, it's really rewarding because you have the chance to show what you do, and a big amount of people see it," Algarate said.
The monthly art walk brings thousands of people into the street. It is part of the revitalization of this city center. Once vacant buildings are now home to young professionals. Many artists live and work in downtown lofts. Mexican-born artist Miguel Osuna says he’s inspired by scenes he sees on the L.A. freeways.
“These are images that sometimes you see with the corner of your eye when you're driving,” Osuna said.
A gallery and shop called SubUrban features textiles from around the world, says curator Ellen Schinderman.
“Mostly Western Europe and the U.S., but it's so lovely to have pieces from as far afield as Finland,” Schinderman said.
Photographer Jaimee Itagaki says the art walk has brought new life to the city center.
“It's very exciting. It's revitalizing downtown,” Itagaki said.
And month by month, visitors are surprised to see how lively and international downtown L.A. is becoming.
VOA慢速
2【Golden Gate Bridge Still Shines After 75 Years】
TEXT:This is the VOA Special English Technology Report.The Golden Gate Bridge is celebrating its seventy-fifth anniversary. The bridge opened to vehicle traffic on May twenty-eighth, nineteen thirty-seven. Since then, more than two billion vehicles have crossed the world famous structure between San Francisco and Marin County, California. As many as one hundred twelve thousand cars make the trip each day.
The Golden Gate Bridge had the longest suspension span in the world, at the time it was built. The suspended roadway stretches one thousand two hundred eighty meters between the bridge’s two tall towers. Today it still rates among the top ten longest bridge spans in existence.
Mary Currie works for the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. She says the bridge is one of the most extraordinary engineering projects of all time.
MARY CURRIE: “The Golden Gate Bridge is an engineering marvel certainly, and it gets award after award after award for what it means in civil engineering and structural engineering. It’s also a place where things happen first. For example, we were the first suspension bridge to have to change the roadway deck.”
The Golden Gate Bridge is named after the Golden Gate Strait. That narrow passage of water connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer of the Golden Gate Bridge project. Work began in nineteen thirty-three. The project took four years to complete.
The bridge is two thousand seven hundred eighty-eight meters long from one end to the other. It is twenty-seven meters wide. Two large cables pass over the top of the bridge’s towers. These structures stand two hundred twenty seven meters above water and one hundred fifty two meters above the road. Each cable holds more than twenty-seven thousand five hundred strands of wire.
Two hundred fifty pairs of vertical suspender ropes connect the support cables to the suspension bridge. This is part of what enables the bridge to move up and down by nearly five meters.
The Golden Gate Bridge weighed eight hundred eleven million five hundred thousand kilograms when it was completed in nineteen thirty-seven. The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper called the finished project, “a thirty-five million dollar steel harp!”
Architect Irving Morrow gets credit for the bridge’s bright orange color. The Navy wanted the bridge painted in yellow and black. The Air Force had suggested red and white.
MARY CURRIE: “But we were fortunate that Irving Morrow knew that that color would blend with the environment, it would contrast with the ocean and the air above, and it would also allow the art deco styling to really stand out.”
And that's the VOA Special English Technology Report, written by June Simms. Transcripts, MP3s and podcasts of our reports are at voaspecialenglish.com. We're also on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I'm Steve Ember.
《词汇解析》今日词汇学习
1.landmark
n.界标
a conspicuous landmark
显著的地标
目标,明显的标志
The tower was once a landmark for ships.
这座塔曾是船只的陆标。
里程碑
The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.
俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
2.penalty
n.惩罚, 处罚
If you knock the ball with your hand in football, you will suffer a penalty.
如果在踢足球时你用手碰到球, 你将受到处罚。
不利后果, 损失
One of the penalties of fame is that people point at you in the street.
当了名人的麻烦之一是人们在街上对你指指点点。
3.strike down
打倒, 撞倒
He struck the hooligan down with his fist.
他挥拳把那个流氓打倒。
Jim was struck down by a bus in the middle of the main street.
吉姆在大街当中被一辆公共汽车撞倒了。
4.cement
n.水泥；接合剂, 黏合物
vt.在…上抹水泥
The workmen were cementing the sidewalk.
工人们在人行道上浇筑水泥。
粘牢
Let's cement the parts together.
咱们来把这些部件粘接在一起吧。
巩固, 加强
Our holiday together cemented our friendship.
共度假日使我们的友谊更加牢固。
5.countdown
(发射宇宙飞船等的)倒数读秒,倒计时；大事临近的时期
countdown in
在 ... 问题上行将摊牌
The countdown to the local election
地方选举日益临近的时候。
Sentinel shutdown and support countdown shutdown.
支持定点关机和倒计时关机。
Countdown to a back-to-back title?
卫冕倒计时?
6.symptomatic
adj.征兆的,症候的;有症状的
Do you think violence is symptomatic of our times?
你认为暴力是我们这个时代的特征吗?
根据症状的
symptomatically
adv.有症状地;有代表性地
