【下载】
【正文】
Chilean President Sebastián Pinera has promised a review of the country's mine safety standards. Mr Pinera met the 33 rescued miners at the hospital where they are recovering. Speaking outside Copiapo Hospital, the president promised that never again in Chile would people be allowed to work in such unsafe and inhumane conditions.
An Australian man has been arrested in India after allegedly accepting a bribe to award a building contract in Afghanistan. Australian construction manager Neil P. Campbell has been indicted by a US federal grand jury for allegedly seeking a bribe of 190,000 dollars. The US Department of Justice says he sought the bribe from an undercover agent.
The Australian dollar just keeps getting stronger. Overnight, the dollar reached a high of 99.93 US cents. The dollar is at the highest level against the US currency since the dollar was floated in 1983. The latest rise in the Aussie dollar has been a result of growing expectations that the US Federal Reserve will flood the economy with dollars, which will weaken their currency.
Thousands of Australian Catholics are flocking to Rome as the Vatican prepares for the canonization of Mary MacKillop. Eight thousand pilgrims are expected to attend the mass at St Peter's Basilica in Rome, where Pope Benedict will name her Saint Mary of the Cross.
And Delhi's Commonwealth Games have drawn to a close without any of the major catastrophes that were predicted. After a chaotic start, Games organizers have given themselves a pat on the back for delivering a functional, if somewhat bumpy, ride to the finish line.
【单词】
alleged [əˈledʒd] adj. 被说成的, 声称的 ;有嫌疑的 ;作为理由[辩解等]的
indict [inˈdait]vt. 控告, 起诉
grand jury n 大陪审团
(esp in the US and, now rarely, in Canada) a jury of between 12 and 23 persons summoned to inquire into accusations of crime and ascertain whether the evidence is adequate to found an indictment. Abolished in Britain in 1948
flock
n.
畜群, 鸟群 A flock of birds comes over, and the hunting starts. 一群鸟飞过来, 打猎开始了。
人群, 群众 A flock of customers were waiting for the store to open. 一群顾客在等候着商店开门。
同一教会团体的教徒 The priest warned his flock against breaking God's law. 牧师警告他的教友不要违背上帝的训诫。
vi.
群集, 成群结队而行
canonization n. 追封为圣者,承认为圣典
pilgrim [ˈpilɡrim] n. 香客, 朝圣者
catastrophe [kəˈtæstrəfi] n. 灾祸, 灾难
bumpy adj. (路等)崎岖不平的; (车等)颠簸的, 反跳的 ; 扰动的, 气流变换不定的 ; 波纹的
【下载】
【正文】
The former Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough says the Northern Territory isn't doing enough to protect children. The Territory government will today release a scathing report about the child protection system. The report's expected to show high staff burnout rates and poor resourcing are putting children at risk. The Territory government says it'll take five years to fix fundamental flaws in the system.
The New South Wales State Emergency Service is warning residents in the state’s south to remain on alert with floodwaters still on the move. Sandbagging has held floodwaters in place, but residents downstream on the Murrumbidgee are urged to move livestock to higher ground. Parts of the Riverina and southwestern New South Wales have been declared natural disaster zones.
After scrapping a citizens' assembly on climate change, the Federal Government has now announced a business round table to debate putting a price on carbon. The heads of Qantas and Woolworths will be part of a group chosen to advise the Federal Government on that issue. The group will meet once a month until the end of next year.
Thirteen of Chile's rescued miners have returned to the San Jose mine for a special service. The men were swamped by reporters as they arrived for the service of Thanks-giving. Doctors say all the miners are now in good health, only one remains in hospital.
And in China, rescuers are trying to find 11 miners there trapped underground after a gas explosion. The blast killed 26 workers at the Henan province mine on Saturday. Rescuers say there's little chance that other miners survive.
【下载】
【正文】
A typhoon has ripped through the northern Philippines, killing one person and cutting power and communications. A state of calamity has been declared in Isabela province after the area was hit with winds of 200 kilometers an hour. The Red Cross says Megi is the biggest typhoon to hit the Philippines in two decades.
A new report has found Australia is lagging behind the world's biggest polluters China and the United States in addressing its dependence on carbon. The Climate Institute's report compares the incentives for clean energy in Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States. Now the UK was ranked first, but Australia came second last - just ahead of South Korea.
New South Wales residents could receive up to one million dollars for information about potential terrorist attack. Premier Kristina Keneally announced the reward scheme today, saying it will help keep one step ahead of a possible attack. The money will come from recovered assets of criminals and organized crime.
A coronial inquest will begin today into the death of a teenager fatally shot by police in Melbourne. Fifteen-year-old Tyler Cassidy was armed with two knives when he was shot dead by police at a skate park in 2008. Four police officers were involved in that incident, and Cassidy's family has accused/ authorities of failing to protect their son.
And Tasmanian Liberal Senator Guy Barnett has questioned whether David Hicks' memoir will breach the Proceeds of Crime Act. David Hicks has released a book about his time at Guantanamo Bay.
【单词】
rip up 把…撕成碎片;撕毁;取消
rip through 整坏,炸坏
calamity [kəˈlæmiti] n.灾祸, 灾难
incentive [inˈsentiv] n. 激励某人做某事的事物; 刺激; 诱因, 动机
coronial inquest 介个字典上木有!google说Relating to a coroner ... 那就翻译为死因查询?
【下载】
【正文】
The Government has played down speculation that Australia could be involved in the war in Afghanistan until 2020. Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott have both expressed their support for Australia's commitment beyond 2014. But the Greens want Australia to withdraw from the conflict.
The Federal Government will spend more than $170 million creating two new detention centres. Immigration Department officials told an estimates hearing the new centre at Northam in Western Australia will cost over $164 million. South Australia's Inverbrackie facility will use existing buildings and cost just under $10 million.
There are reports that James Packer has launched a $250 million share market raid on Channel Ten. That would give him a 15 per cent stake in the company. Stockbrokers say after the market closed yesterday, 163 million Network Ten shares were traded. The Ten Network has declined to comment.
The Forest Industries Association says it could take up to 30 years to end logging in Tasmania's native forests despite a historic peace deal. A deal between the logging industry and conservationists was signed in Hobart yesterday. That agreement outlines a commitment to stop logging of high conservation value forests within months. It also pledges to eventually end all native forest logging.
In France, almost half a million people have taken to the streets for a sixth day of protests about pension reforms. The nationwide strikes have cancelled flights and closed schools, but the government says it will push on with…
【下载】
【正文】
Let's first take a check of the markets. And stocks have been modestly higher this morning. There was a good rise when the markets open but now the All Ords and the ASX 200 are on the up around one-fifth of a per cent.
Tabcorp is leading the way after returning to trade after completing part of its $430 million capital raising. Ten is adding to yesterday's surge, ahead of its full year results today, while IIuka is up after a rise in third quarter production.
In the US, stocks rallied from yesterday's biggest losses in two months.
And to commodities, gold has been higher and oil is also up.
And the Australian dollar has risen. It's buying about 98.5 US cents.
And Wesfarmers' latest figures show its supermarket chain Coles beat its rival Woolworths in the first quarter. Coles' quarterly food and liquor sales jump 6.2 per cent from a year ago, far outstripping Woolworths, 2 per cent increase. After buying Coles in 2007, Wesfarmers has been trying to turn the business around and it says the hard work is starting to pay dividends.
The big miners have called an urgent meeting today to consider abandoning support for the Government’s resources tax. The Australian newspaper reports BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata will attend the meeting over fears the Government is backing away from a key part of the deal. The dispute centres on whether miners will be exposed to increases in state mining royalties.
【单词】
be on the up: 稳步上升,上涨 Eg: Business confidence is on the up.
rival
n. 竞争对手,敌手
vt. 与…竞争, 与…匹敌,比得上
adj.竞争的
liquor n.
1.酒, 烈性酒
2.含酒精饮料
outstripping vt. 1.做得比…更好;(在赛跑等中)超过 Eg: Demand for new aircraft production is outstripping supply.
back away from: to stop supporting a plan or idea, or stop being involved in something 避开 Eg: The government has backed away from its nuclear weapons strategy
centre on/upon something [phrasal verb]: if your attention centres on something or someone, or is centred on them, you pay more attention to them than anything else:
Eg: The debate centred on funding for health services.
Much of their work is centred on local development projects.
=============== ================================================
argue 着重“说理”、“论证”和“企图说服”, 如:
I argued with her for a long time, but she refused to listen to reason. 我和她辩论了好久, 但她还是不听。
debate 着重“双方各述己见”, 内含“交锋”的意思, 如:
We have been debating about the issue. 我们一直在就这个问题进行辩论。
dispute 指“激烈争辩”, 含有“相持不下”或“未得解决”之意, 如:
Whether he will be elected as chairman is still disputed. 他是否当选为主席, 仍然有争论。
controversy 是说一件事情有争议,或者引起的争议,争论
Well, I think Zeng Yike is more poplular. She is top 10 of happy girls this year but always arouse bitter controversy
我认为曾轶可更红。她是今年快乐女生十强之一,但是一直引起激烈的争议。
=============== ================================================
【下载】
【正文】
A report has found that the Federal Government's role in handing down the water cuts for the Murray-Darling Basin is not clearly defined and lacks accountability. It's the first progress report by the COAG Reform Council and it looks at the 2008 water deal done with the states and the Federal Government. The council found only five of 17 priority projects had made substantial progress by the end of last year.
One of Australia's leading ethical chicken brands is facing allegations of underpaying and intimidating its migrant workers. The producer of Lilydale chicken, Baiada, is under investigation about claims of unethical treatment of its mainly migrant workforce. Workers are complaining that they're being bullied into accepting below-award wages and are being forced to work excessive hours, but the company says that it pays award or above wages to all of its employees.
The chairman of BHP Billiton has used the company's annual general meeting to attack the Federal Government's proposed mining tax. At the London meeting, Jac Nasser warned that the Government the tax could tarnish the nation's international appeal. BHP has threatened to back away from a deal on the Mineral Resources Rent Tax because of concerns that the Commonwealth will not offset any future increases in royalties.
A Bulgarian court has begun hearing the appeal of a 23-year-old Australian man who was convicted of murder. Jock Palfreeman was sentenced to 20 years' jail for stabbing a man to death during a street brawl in Bulgaria in 2007. Palfreeman says he was trying to help a Roman man who was being assaulted.
【下载】
【正文】
In business. The Australian Security Exchange went into an unexpected trading halt yesterday afternoon, as rumors swirled about a possible takeover bid. The trading halts have renewed market speculation of a possible merger with the Singapore Stock Exchange. Shares in the eight billion Singapore Stock Exchange have also been halted. An ASX spokesman said the trading halt would remain in place until next Tuesday or when an announcement is made.
Lexus and Toyota drivers are being told to book their car in for an inspection after the Japanese manufacturer ordered a recall of more than 25,000 vehicles across the country. The announcement is a part of a global recall of more than 1.5 million vehicles, involving faulty brake parts. The recall involves four specific vehicles produced under the Toyota and Lexus brands between 2003 and 2005.
And taking a look at the market numbers now. In the US, the Dow Jones is lower, the NASDAQ is up slightly. Australian shares ended the session yesterday higher. The All Ords was up 23 points and the ASX 200 gained 25. On the commodities' market, gold and oil are both higher. And let's check the currencies, the Australian dollar is buying around 98 US cents and almost 80 yen.
【单词】
swirl [swɜ:l]
vi.1.旋转, 打旋
n. 1.旋转, 打旋 ; 2.卷状物;漩涡;尘旋
speculation
n.
1.思考,思索
2.推断,推测;猜测
3.投机活动
4.投机买卖,投机生意
Haiti's cholera outbreak has now spread to the nation's capital with five cases confirmed in Port-au-Prince. Health officials have been trying to contain that outbreak in areas north of the capital. More than 3,000 people have been infected, 253 people have died.
Western Australian police are searching for a gunman after a fatal shooting in suburban Perth. Mario Perrin was shot in the head while standing in the doorway of his home. Police want to speak to Kaine Phillip McNamara who was at the scene. One man is already in custody over the attack.
A limited number of freight rail services will begin running between Sydney and Melbourne this morning after Saturday's derailment. More than 600 metres of new track was ripped up at Wodonga when 15 wagons derailed. Rail authorities denied that mud holes created by concrete sleepers caused the accident.
And as you've just been hearing a moment ago with Michael, a 13-year-old girl is the face of a new campaign to bridge the gap between Australia's Indigenous and non-Indigenous population. Madeleine Madden’s televised appeal aired on all stations last night. The four million dollars of airtime was donated to the Generation One campaign.
And hundreds of protesters have clashed with Italian police over a plan to open a rubbish dump near Naples. Protesters in Terzigno threw fireworks and set rubbish trucks alight as a week of violent opposition to the dump increased. Locals fear the tip will contaminate the area.
【单词】
Haiti [ˈheiti] n. 海地
cholera [ˈkɔlərə] n. 霍乱
freight [freit] n. (=freight train)[美]货运列车
[英](船运的)货物; [美](水上、陆上、空中运输的)货物 ; 货运 ; 运费
derailment n. 出轨
sleeper n. 轨枕; 枕木; 道木
televise vt. 由电视播送
airtime n.
电影或电视节目开始的时间 ; 播放时间(尤指电台广告播放时间) ; 发射时间
The former Prime Minister John Howard's return to the public eye has brought him a confrontation with David Hicks and saw him come under fire from footwear. On the ABC's Q & A program, a man threw a shoe at Mr Howard in protest at Australia's involvement in Iraq. The former PM also faced questions via video from former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard has compared the Coalition's economic policy to that of Pauline Hanson's. Ms Gillard used a speech to business leaders to question the Opposition's commitment to long-term economic reform. She singled out Shadow Treasurer Joe Hockey's call to control interest rates, saying that'd put Australia's prosperity at risk.
A new poll shows the Government has dropped behind the Coalition in the two-party vote. Today's Newspoll gives the Opposition 52 per cent of the vote compared to Labor's 48 per cent.
A 16-hour standoff between an armed man and police ended in Brisbane overnight. The 54-year-old New Zealander set himself and his boat alight and then jumped into the Brisbane River. He was quickly rescued and taken to hospital.
And a leading economic forecaster is predicting that Australia is on the cusp of a second resources boom. The Access Economics' quarterly outlook says the boom would also drive up interest rates. But it's also warned that a lack of migration will lead to a skills shortage.
【单词】
confrontation [ˌkɔnfrʌnˈteiʃən] n. 面对; 对峙[抗]; 对质
single out 挑选
standoff
adj. 冷淡的,有支架的
n. 离岸,避开,冷淡,抵销,和局,平衡
cusp n. 尖头,尖端
Nine Australians missing after a tsunami off Indonesia's west coast have been found alive. At least 108 people have been killed and more than 500 are still missing after that earthquake triggered a tsunami, which hit Sumatra's remote Mentawai Islands. The Australians were on a surfing charter boat and headed to deeper waters where they felt the earthquake.
Peter Costello has launched the second blistering attack on John Howard. In a piece written for Fairfax newspapers, Mr Costello accuses the former prime minister of failing the country and the Liberal Party by refusing to step down. The two men have traded blows about the publication of Mr Howard's new book Lazarus Rising.
Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano has erupted in central Java, killing 13 people. Rescuers say 12 people died from burns associated with that eruption. Earlier a three-month-old baby died after inhaling ash. Up to 20,000 residents living near the volcano have been ordered to evacuate the area.
One of Saddam Hussein's most senior officials Tariq Aziz has been sentenced to death. Iraqi supreme criminal court found the former deputy prime minister guilty of the persecution of Islamic parties. The charges relate to a crackdown on Iraq’s Shia majority after a 1991 uprising against Saddam Hussein.
And Paul the octopus, who shot to fame by correctly predicting the outcome of this year's World Cup, has died. Officials at a German aquarium discovered the octopus dead in his tank, and they believe he died of natural causes.
【单词】
blistering a. 1. 极热的;极快的 2. 愤怒的;猛烈的
traded blows: hitting one another with their fists 交过手
inhaling 吸气
persecution [ˌpə:siˈkju:ʃən] n. 迫害或受迫害
aquarium [əˈkwɛəriəm] n. 养鱼缸, 水族馆
Indonesian officials say an early warning system failed to alert locals before a tsunami wiped out about ten villages on the tiny Mentawai Islands. More than 270 people have been killed in the three-metre tsunami with another 400 still missing. Technicians responsible for the early warning system say crucial offshore buoys had been vandalized.
And still in Indonesia, and villagers are trying to return to their homes on the slopes of Mount Merapi after the erupting volcano killed 28 people. A further 90 people are being treated for burns. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the area.
Jewish extremists and Israeli Arabs have clashed during a political march in Israel’s north. Hundreds of riot police used tear gas and stun grenades to break up the groups in the region of Haifa. A small group of far right Jews had tried to hold a rally in the Arab-dominated city before groups of young Arabs hurled stones and abuse at the demonstrators.
Britain’s transport secretary says security checks at British airports may be eased. Philip Hammond was responding to comments from the British Airways chair Martin Broughton, who said many measures were completely redundant. Mr Broughton said the UK had kowtowed to US demands.
And Argentina’s former president Nestor Kirchner has died. Mr Kirchner, who was also the husband of the current President Cristina Fernandez, had remained a major power broker since he stepped down in 2007. The 60-year-old died suddenly from heart problems.
【单词】
buoy 英[ˈbu:i:, bɔɪ] n. 1.浮标, 航标 2.救生圈,救生衣
vandalize 英[ˈvændlˌaɪz] vt. 1.肆意破坏(尤指公共财产)
extremist 英[ɪkˈstri:mɪst] n. 1.极端主义者;偏激的人
hurl vt. 1.猛投, 用力掷 2.大声叫骂
kowtow 英[kaʊˈtaʊ, ˈkaʊˌtaʊ] 美[kaʊˈtaʊ, ˈkaʊˌtaʊ] vi. 1.叩头, 磕头;顺从;惟命是从 2.(对…)卑躬屈膝,俯首帖耳