NPR邊聽(tīng)邊練第202:埃及沖突
一、泛聽(tīng)建議：
1、完整聽(tīng)一遍，掌握大意。
2、繼續(xù)聽(tīng)，特別注意關(guān)鍵信息。遇到相似的詞，寫下來(lái)。
3、復(fù)述新聞。
Egyptians filled Cairo's Tahrir square are about tens of thousands, some _1_ fireworks in an atmosphere where pro- and anti-government activists risking at explosive confrontation. The military has given president Mohamed Mursi and his rivals until tomorrow to settle their political disputes, or the military says it will do it for them. Meanwhile the Pentagon _2_ the speculate about what might happen in the Egypt should the country's embattled president fail to offer political concessions to the opposition by the Wednesday deadline that was set by the Egyptian military. NPR's Craig Windham reports some of president Obama's top national security advisors have been meeting to discuss a way forward in Egypt.
數(shù)萬(wàn)名埃及民眾聚集在開羅塔利爾廣場(chǎng)，一些人燃放煙花，支持和反對(duì)政府的活動(dòng)人士很可能會(huì)爆發(fā)沖突。軍方給總統(tǒng)穆罕默德·穆?tīng)栁骱退母?jìng)爭(zhēng)對(duì)手設(shè)定了最后期限，讓他們?cè)诿魈熘敖鉀Q政治爭(zhēng)端，否則軍方將代替他們處理局勢(shì)。同時(shí)，有猜測(cè)稱埃及可能發(fā)生的情況是該國(guó)陷入困境的總統(tǒng)在周三最后期限前未能向反對(duì)派做出政治讓步，而這是由埃及軍方造成的，五角大樓方面拒絕評(píng)價(jià)這種猜測(cè)。據(jù)NPR新聞的克雷格·溫德姆報(bào)道，奧巴馬總統(tǒng)的幾位高級(jí)國(guó)家安全顧問(wèn)正在會(huì)面，商討埃及的發(fā)展方向。
The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff has reportedly _3_ with his Egyptian counterpart. General Martin Dempsey is said to point out that US laws require a cut in assistance in most situations if the country's militaries _4_ a coup. Pentagon spokesman George Little declined to speculate about what would happen if there were to be a coup. He says the US wants to see an easing of tensions in Egypt and a halt to the violence there.
據(jù)悉，參謀長(zhǎng)聯(lián)席會(huì)議主席與埃及武裝部隊(duì)主席舉行了談話。據(jù)說(shuō)馬丁·登普西將軍指出，如果埃及軍方參與政變，依照美國(guó)法律要求，在多數(shù)情況下美國(guó)將會(huì)切斷援助。五角大樓發(fā)言人喬治·利特爾拒絕猜測(cè)發(fā)生政變后可能出現(xiàn)的情況。他表示，美國(guó)希望看到埃及的局勢(shì)得到緩解，停止暴力活動(dòng)。
"The hope from the United States is that, this _5_ a peaceable manner in that democratic transition process from the head."
“美國(guó)所希望的是，領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人能在民主過(guò)渡過(guò)程中采取和平的方式。”
Little did not say whether the US has got many commitment from Egypt's military to provide security for Americans at the US embassy if the showdown in Egypt intensifies. Craig Windham NPR News, Washington.
利特爾并沒(méi)有說(shuō)明美國(guó)是否從埃及軍方那里得到承諾，如果埃及局勢(shì)惡化，會(huì)為美國(guó)大使館的美國(guó)公民提供安全保障。NPR新聞，克雷格·溫德姆華盛頓報(bào)道。
詞匯解析：
1. speculate
vt.思索，猜測(cè)，推測(cè)
vi.投機(jī);推測(cè);思索
eg. It would be unfair to Debby's family to speculate on the reasons for her suicide.
猜測(cè)黛比自殺的原因?qū)λ募胰藖?lái)說(shuō)是不公平的。
eg. The doctors speculate that he died of a cerebral haemorrhage caused by a blow on the head.
醫(yī)生推測(cè)他死于頭部受擊引起的腦溢血。
eg. The banks made too many risky loans which now can't be repaid, and they speculated in property whose value has now dropped.
各銀行貸出去太多高風(fēng)險(xiǎn)貸款，目前無(wú)法收回，他們還進(jìn)行地產(chǎn)投機(jī)，而地產(chǎn)的價(jià)值目前已經(jīng)下跌了。
2. embattled
adj.處于困境的;危機(jī)四伏的;問(wèn)題纏身的;卷入戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)的;(尤指)被敵軍包圍的
eg. The embattled president also denied recent claims that he was being held hostage by his own soldiers.
焦頭爛額的總統(tǒng)還否認(rèn)了最近有關(guān)他被自己的士兵挾持為人質(zhì)的說(shuō)法。
eg. Both sides say they want to try to reach a political settlement in the embattled north and east of the island.
雙方都表示想努力為處于戰(zhàn)亂中的該島北部和東部地區(qū)尋求政治解決方案。
eg. Embattled on all sides, it has really become a city in danger.
由于四面受敵，這里儼然成了一座危城。
參考答案：
1、setting off 2、is declining 3、spoken
4、involved in 5、is resolving
