Infrastructure

4月29日，到访的俄罗斯总统普京与巴勒斯坦民族权力机构主席阿巴斯在约旦河西岸城市拉姆安拉出席联合记者招待会。普京表示，俄罗斯将尽力支持巴勒斯坦重建工作，尤其是阿巴斯进行的安全机构改革。俄将帮助巴在加沙地带重建基础设施，并向巴安全部队提供武器和帮助进行人员训练。外电报道如下：

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday he would give equipment and training to Palestinian security forces and he offered to help rebuild the Palestinians' crumbling infrastructure in Gaza, which Israel is withdrawing from this summer.

Putin met for about two hours with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on the third day of his historic visit to the region. The two leaders focused on the Middle East peace process and aid from the Russians to the Palestinians.

Infrastructure意为“基础设施，（建筑）下部构造，永久性防御设施”，多指一个社会或社区正常运作所需要的基本设施、服务和安装设备等，如交通与通信系统，水与电力供给线，以及学校、邮局和监狱等公共机构。例如：transportation infrastructure（运输基础设施）；infrastructure of city（城市内部结构）。

据悉，这是历史上俄罗斯总统首次访问巴勒斯坦。拉姆安拉是普京此次中东之行的最后一站，此前他访问了埃及和以色列。

Shut-down

美国日前向国际原子能机构发出警告，称朝鲜从3月份起就开始做各种准备，计划在6月份进行地下核试验。外电报道如下：

The United States has warned the International Atomic Energy Agency that North Korea has been preparing to carry out an underground nuclear test since March and could go ahead as early as June, Kyodo news agency said on Saturday.

The report, which quoted diplomatic sources in Vienna, came a day after the chief U.S. negotiator to stalled talks on Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions said Washington believed North Korea might be trying to harvest material for a nuclear bomb from a shut-down reactor.

According to the sources, who said the information was obtained by satellite photos and from within North Korea, Pyongyang was preparing to test a small-scale plutonium device.

Shut-down在此表示核术语“停堆”，例如：chemical shut-down（化学停堆）；emergency shut-down（紧急停堆）；period shut-down（周期保护停堆）等。此外shut-down还有“停工，临时关闭，停车”等含义，在电子游戏中可指“决赛，最后一幕”，例如：a shut-down inspection（停工检查）；automatic shut-down（自动停止，自动断开）；orderly shut-down（正常停工）。

Jog

美国明星茱莉娅·罗伯茨曾上演过一出“逃跑新娘”的浪漫故事，现实中却真的有一名美国新娘在婚礼前夕神秘失踪，目前已经有100多名志愿者协助警察四处寻觅她的下落，外电报道如下：

A 32-year-old bride-to-be vanished just days before her wedding, and more than 100 volunteers joined police Thursday in an all-out search of her wooded suburban neighborhood. Authorities said they were considering the case of Jennifer Wilbanks a criminal investigation.

Wilbanks was reported missing by her fiance, John Mason, who said she disappeared Tuesday on her nightly jog in this Atlanta suburb. Her keys, cash, credit cards and identification also were found in her home. Her fiance said she left with only her radio and the clothes she had on.

About 100 police officers took part in the search and brought out bloodhounds to help. They also searched a river nearby.

Jog在文中表示“慢跑，散步”，据失踪女子的未婚夫称，她是晚间在住宅附近的林中锻炼时失踪的。Jog还有“轻摇，轻撞，急转弯”等含义。

Break new ground

4月18日，一名美国高级情报官员透露，朝鲜现在已经有能力制造用核弹头武装的导弹，威胁包括夏威夷和阿拉斯加州在内的美国领土及领海。但美国政府谨慎地表示这不是确定性的权威结论。外电报道如下：

North Korea has the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear warhead and strike U.S. territory including Hawaii, Alaska and the U.S. Pacific Northwest, a top intelligence official said on Thursday.

But the Defense Intelligence Agency sought to play down the remarks by its director, Vice Admiral Lowell Jacoby, which appeared to break new ground. It said that was speaking in theoretical terms.

And Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice indicated it was not the definitive conclusion of the Bush administration that the reclusive communist state had the ability to arm a missile with a nuclear warhead.

Break new ground表示“开垦处女地，开辟新天地，取得新发现”，例如：The scheme says nothing new; it doesn't break new ground.（这个方案没什么新意，它没有提出新的见解。）此外，词组break ground表示“破土，创办，犁田，起锚”。

Rapprochement

4月27日晚，俄罗斯总统普京抵达特拉维夫的本古里安机场，开始对以色列进行为期2天的访问。这是俄罗斯总统对以色列进行的首次访问。外电报道如下：

Greeted by beaming Israeli officials, Vladimir Putin on Wednesday became the first Kremlin leader to visit the Jewish state, capping a historic rapprochement between two nations that once faced each other as bitter enemies across the Cold War divide.

Putin, on his first Middle East trip, was also hoping to restore his country's profile as a major player in the region and the world, bringing with him a fresh proposal for a conference to be held in Moscow in the autumn.

"Considering the history of relations and the fact that there were times that we were on one side and Russia was entirely on the other side … (the visit) indicates the significant change that took place between the two countries," Israeli Vice Premier Ehud Olmert said as he stood on the airport tarmac waiting to greet Putin.

Rapprochement表示“和解；和睦；（恢复或建立）友好关系；恢复邦交”。

据悉，27日当天子夜，普京不顾安全人员的反对，参观了以色列的耶路撒冷西墙（哭墙）。

Divulge

五角大楼官员4月26日透露，驻伊美军在两个月前的一次搜捕行动中险些擒获反美武装领导人阿布·穆萨卜·扎卡维，虽然扎卡维最终成功逃跑，但美军士兵找到了他的一台便携式电脑和8万欧元（约合10.4万美元）现金，并逮捕了他的一名司机和护卫。外电报道如下：

American troops nearly captured wanted terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi earlier this year in Iraq, Pentagon officials said Tuesday.

"We were close," Gen. Richard Myers, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters at the Pentagon.

Myers said he couldn't elaborate because it would be "unhelpful" to divulge operation details. He did say the intelligence in Iraq is "getting better."

Divulge表示“泄露（秘密）；走漏（消息）；暴露（隐私）”，例如：divulge the source of one's information（泄露情报来源）。

据悉，从去年6月份起，“基地”组织三号人物阿布·穆萨布·扎卡维就被美国列为与本·拉登同等危险的人物，捉拿扎卡维的赏金金额也从1000万美元增加到2500万美元。

Unconstitutional

尼泊尔前首相谢尔·巴哈杜尔·德乌帕2005年的经历可谓一波三折。2月份他被尼国王解职并惨遭囚禁，3月11日和其他17名前政府官员一起获释，可4月27日，他又因拒绝出席“皇室腐败控制委员会”的传讯被抓进了监狱。外电报道如下：

Former Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has been arrested at his home in Kathmandu, a spokesman for his party, the Nepali Congress-Democratic, has told CNN.

Deuba was arrested early Wednesday after refusing to appear before the Royal Corruption Control Commission, formed by the government, declaring it to be unconstitutional, said the spokesman, Minendra Rijal.

The commission had charged Deuba with distributing unauthorized funds to party workers and irregularities in awarding a multimillion-dollar water-supply contract.

"The Royal Corruption Control Commission is unconstitutional," Rijal said. "And this arrest is inhuman."

Unconstitutional表示“违反宪法的”。Constitutional表示“（拥护、符合）宪法的，法治的，生来的，体质的”，例如：a constitutional amendment（宪法修正案）；constitutional government（立宪政府）；a constitutional weakness（秉性虚弱）；a constitutional inability to tell the truth（生来爱撒谎的毛病）。此外，constitutional还有“保健散步，养生运动，体操”等含义。

据悉，谢尔已经不是第一次遭遇解职了。早在2002年10月，他就因“未能保证如期举行议会选举”而被尼国王贾南德拉罢免首相职务，同时解散其领导的政府。今年2月，贾南德宣布国家进入紧急状态，解散谢尔领导的联合政府，亲自执政组建新政府。

Parade ground

4月26日，最后一批驻黎巴嫩的约250名叙利亚士兵从贝卡谷地的里亚克空军基地撤回叙利亚，这标志着叙利亚结束了在黎巴嫩长达29年的驻军。外电报道如下：

The last Syrian soldiers have left Lebanon, surrendering to international and Lebanese popular demands and ending its 29-year military presence in its smaller neighbor.

Syrians awaiting them waved flags as the troops crossed the border. Earlier Tuesday, a formal ceremony marked the withdrawal in the Bekaa Valley.

About 400 Syrian and Lebanese forces assembled on the narrow parade grounds and were jointly reviewed by the chiefs of staff for each as dignitaries looked on.

Parade ground表示“阅兵场；校场”，因为parade有“游行，阅兵，炫耀”等含义，例如：The Olympic Games begin with a parade of all the competing nations.（奥运会以参赛各国运动员的列队行进开始。）a dress parade（阅兵典礼）；make a parade of one's virtues（炫耀自己的优点）。此外，parade也可表示“阅兵场，公共散步场所，演奏会”。

当天，为庆祝叙利亚全面完成从黎巴嫩的撤军，黎巴嫩军方在贝卡谷地的利亚格空军基地为叙军举行了隆重的欢送仪式。

Floodlight

4月25日，日本兵库县的一列火车意外出轨，撞向一座建筑并发生爆炸，造成日本几十年来最严重的列车事故，目前死亡人数已经增至71人，另有442人受伤。外电报道如下：

The death toll jumped to 71 Tuesday as crews pulled more victims from the wreckage of Japan's deadliest rail crash in decades. Investigators focused on whether excessive speed or the driver's inexperience caused the train to derail and slam into a building.

The seven-car commuter train carrying 580 passengers left the rails Monday morning near Amagasaki, a suburb of Osaka about 250 miles west of Tokyo. It hit an automobile and then a nine-story apartment complex. More than 440 people were injured.

Rescuers working under floodlights pulled out a conscious but seriously injured 46-year-old woman then reached a 19-year-old man passenger, also in serious condition.

Floodlight表示“泛光灯，照明灯”，是一种产生人工强光束的装置。Floodlight作动词表示“用泛光灯照亮，用探照灯照明”，例如：A spectacular floodlighted waterfall（被泛光灯照亮的壮观瀑布）。

据悉，日本当局初步怀疑是火车超速及司机经验不足导致惨剧发生。据说列车出事前的车速较平时要快，可能是23岁的年轻司机尝试追回行程中落后的时间所致。

Flying ace

4月24日，以色列前总统埃泽尔·魏茨曼因病去世，享年80岁。据悉，魏茨曼1993年当选为以色列第7任总统，1998年取得连任，由于被控接受一法国犹太富翁45万美元的捐款，2000年被迫辞职。他支持中东和平进程，是以色列极具威望的政治家。外电报道如下：

Former Israeli President Ezer Weizman, a flying ace and crack military commander who built up the nation's air force and helped bring about the Jewish state's first peace treaty with an Arab country, has died, Israeli officials said Sunday. He was 80.

Weizman was president between 1993-2000. In three decades in political life, he made a highly public transition from hawk to dove, saying the Jews had to learn to "share this part of the world" with the Arabs.

The Maariv daily newspaper said Weizman died Sunday evening with his family at his bedside.

As defense minister in 1979, he was instrumental in negotiating Israel's peace treaty with Egypt.

Flying ace表示“王牌飞行员”，从第一次世界大战起，美、法均将击落敌机五架以上的飞行员授予“王牌”称号，德国为10架。Ace的本意为“纸牌的A或骰子的幺点”，故产生了“一流的；高手、佼佼者”等含义，后来被应用于军事中，表示王牌飞行员。例如：aerobatic ace（特技飞行能手）；double ace（击落敌机10架以上的双料王牌飞行员）；an ace at cards（玩纸牌的高手）；football ace（足球健将）。此外，ace在体育运动中表示“发球得分；一杆进洞（高尔夫）”。

（外国语学院毛浩然老师整理）