arlily - 2008-7-20 22:40:00
有误之处请论坛中各位老师和DX执教.另外红字部分劳烦代为解释.
Politics this week
Jul 17th 2008
From The Economist print edition
In an apparent change of policy, the United States said it would send a senior envoy (使节、公使) to Geneva to join international discussions with Iran about a possible freeze and later suspension of its enrichment of uranium. The Americans had previously said they would not be prepared to negotiate (兑现，谈判) formally and directly with Iran unless it first halted (halt v./ n. 停止) enrichment.
美国对伊朗的政策明显改变。美国政府宣称，已派出使节赴日内瓦就暂时冰冻铀浓缩并在稍后搁置次行为的议题与伊朗展开会谈。此前，美国称如果伊朗不首先停止铀浓缩，他们不准备同伊朗进行正式的、直接的谈判。
The Lebanese Shia movement, Hezbollah, (黎巴嫩什叶派组织，真主党) handed the bodies of two Israeli soldiers to Israel in exchange for five Lebanese prisoners, one of whom had been serving a life sentence for killing three Israelis, including a four-year-old girl. Hezbollah refused till the day of the exchange to say whether the two soldiers, who were captured at the start of the war between Israel and Hezbollah two years ago, were alive or dead.
黎巴嫩什叶派组织真主党将两名以色列士兵的尸体移交以色列已换去五名黎巴嫩囚犯。其中一人因被指控杀死三名以色列人--其中包括一名四岁的女孩--被判无期徒刑。真主党在交换之前一直拒绝告知这两名两年前在战争中被俘的以色列士兵的死活。
Lawyers acting for (代表某人) Israel’s embattled prime minister (首相), Ehud Olmert, cross-examined (反复审问、盘诘) an American businessman who has admitted giving Mr Olmert perks (外快，额外津贴) and payments when he was the mayor of Jerusalem (耶路撒冷). The opposition again called for him to resign.
一色六首相 Ehud Olmert 的代表法官反复审问了一名美国商人。该商人已经供认，在Olmert首相担任耶路撒冷市长期间，曾经收受他的贿赂。在野党再次要求首相辞职。
The former British prime minister, Tony Blair, now an international peace envoy to the Middle East, cancelled a trip to the Gaza Strip (加沙地带) after the Israelis told him he risked being attacked. He would have been the most senior foreign visitor to Gaza since the Islamist group, Hamas, seized control there a year ago. A ceasefire (cease v. 停止；ceasefire 停火，常指永久性的停火) agreed to a month ago between Hamas and Israel has been more or less holding.
英国前首相 Tony Blair现在成了中东和平使节，目前，他取消了他的加沙之行，因为以色列告知他可能会被袭击。自一年前伊斯兰组织哈马斯控制了该地区以来，Blair先生差一点成为是前往该地区的身份最显赫的人了。一月前哈马斯和以色列达成的停火协议或许可以维持下去。
The International Criminal Court indicted Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir, accusing him of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region, where up to 300,000 people are said to have been killed during the suppression (镇压，抑制) of a rebellion (反抗，造反). The Sudanese government reacted with outrage and denial.
国际刑事法庭起诉苏丹总统 Omaral-Bashir，指控他在苏丹的Darfur地区犯有战争罪。据说在政府镇压叛乱期间，该地区有超过300,000的人被杀。苏丹政府反应强烈，拒绝承认这一指控。
Russia and China vetoed a proposal by America and Britain in the UN Security Council (联合国安理会) that would have imposed an arms embargo (n./v. 禁运) on Zimbabwe and put travel and financial curbs (n./v.限制)on President Robert Mugabe and his closest colleagues. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s government said that inflation was running at 2.2m per cent a year; independent economists said the real figure was at least four times higher.
美英两国在安理会提议对津巴布韦施行武器禁运并对津巴布韦总统及其同僚施行旅行和金融限制，俄中两国否决了这一提议。与此同时，津巴布韦政府宣称该国通货膨胀上涨至为2.2m%。自由经济学家认为真实数据至少高出官方数据的四倍
Med rep
AFP
President Nicolas Sarkozy staged (v.上演、举行) a huge summit (山的最高点、峰会、高层会议) in Paris to mark the establishment of a new Union for the Mediterranean. Some 42 European and Mediterranean leaders attended, a diplomatic (政治上的，有手腕的、圆滑的) triumph (胜利，巨大的成就；vi.获胜，克服) for the French leader.
法国总统Nicolas Sarkozy 在巴黎举行召开的高层会议标志着一个新的地中海联盟的诞生。来自欧洲和环地中海国家的42位领导人出席了会议。该会议的召开是法国在政治上的以此巨大成功。
Mr Sarkozy’s diplomatic skill was less in evidence when he said that Ireland would have to hold a second vote on the European Union’s Lisbon treaty （条约，协商协议）, just days before going to Dublin to “listen” to the voters who rejected it.
事实上，Sarkozy 先生的政治手腕一项不佳，他曾宣布爱尔兰应就欧盟的里斯本条约举行第二次选举，就在此后的第二天他即飞赴都柏林，以“倾听”反对者的声音。
Belgium’s political crisis re-erupted (erupt vi. 爆发、突然出现burst forth) when the prime minister tendered (1. v.提出、投标tender for sth.；2. V.便温柔；adj.温柔的) his resignation after failing to push through devolution reforms. Yves Leterme had formed a government only in March, nine months after an election.
比利时政治危机再次爆发。首相在他推动的分权改革失败后递交辞呈。Yves Leterme 组织的政府于三月份刚刚成立，距离大选不过九个月。
Turkish troops said they had killed 22 guerrillas (游击队员) of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in clashes in south-eastern Turkey. The news came a day after a Turkish prosecutor （检察官、公诉人） charged 86 people for their alleged involvement in a coup plot against（密谋反对） Turkey’s government.
土耳其军方宣布他们在东南部的冲突中杀死了22名PKK（库尔德斯坦工党）的游击队员。此新闻发布前一天土耳其检察官指控86人涉嫌参与了一个所谓密谋反对土耳其运动的秘密组织
Russia reduced its oil supplies to the Czech Republic by half for “technical reasons”. The cut came just after the Czechs agreed to host an American missile-defence radar. Strangely, the technical reasons did not affect oil supplies to any of the Czechs’ neighbours.
在捷克统一美国在其国内建设反导弹雷达后，俄罗斯因为“技术原因”减少了对其石油供应的一半。奇怪的是，捷克的邻国并没有因为技术原因而受到影响。
A failed harvest of votes
Argentina’s Senate narrowly rejected a presidential proposal to raise taxes on agricultural exports, a blow (一击、打击) to the beleaguered (饱受批评的，处于困境的) president, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. The lower house had approved the measure (措施、办法), which is vehemently （激烈的、暴烈的）opposed by farmers.
阿根廷上议院勉强否决了总统关于增加农产品出口税的议案，给了饱受批评的总统Cristina Fernández de Kirchner迎头一击。该法案已经在下议院通过，却得到了来自农民的强烈反对。
A former American soldier, Robin Long, was deported from Canada, long a haven (港口、避难所) for American deserters （逃亡者）, after his application for refugee （难民） status was turned down（减少；拒绝）. He fled (flee v.逃亡) there in 2005 as his unit was about to (将要，正打算) be sent to Iraq, claiming he would suffer irreparable (reparable adj. 可挽回的；ir-reparable adj.不可修理的、不可弥补的) harm if forced to participate in an “illegal war of aggression（侵略、侵犯）”. He is believed to be the first American army deserter ever to be deported from Canada.
加拿大长期以来都是美国逃亡这得避难所，本周一名叫Robin Long 的前美国士兵被加拿大驱逐出境，此前他的难民申请被拒绝。2005年该士兵所在的小组将被派往伊拉克，他声称如果被迫参加这场不合法的侵略战争可能会遭遇不可弥补的伤害，从而逃亡加拿大。他也是历史上第一个被从加拿大遣返的美国逃兵。
AP
In their first meeting since their relations turned sour （adj.酸的、坏脾气的、别扭的；v.变酸、使某人阴郁） last autumn, the presidents of Colombia and Venezuela agreed to make up （和解）. No one is taking any bets （打赌） on how long their reconciliation （和解） will last.
自去年秋天关系恶化后，哥伦比亚和委内瑞拉总统首次见面并表示同意和解。但是没有人能确信这种和解可以持续多久。
Trying to dig out of a hole
George Bush lifted a presidential moratorium on offshore oil drilling, arguing that opening up exploration would help ease high oil prices. The decision was mostly symbolic as Congress has its own ban.
乔治布什取消了深海石油钻探暂停案，他主张开启钻探将有助于改善石油价格的上涨。这一决定多半是象征性的因为国会也有它的禁令。
John McCain and Barack Obama focused on foreign policy(外交政策). Both presidential candidates pledged more troops and aid to win the war in Afghanistan, but they clashed over (就某事持不同意见)Iraq. Mr McCain criticised Mr Obama for laying out proposals before he had even embarked on his much touted fact-finding mission.
John McCain 和Barack Obama聚焦外交政策。两位总统候选人均许诺增兵以赢得阿富汗战争，但是就伊拉克问题持不同意见。
The new front-line
AP
Nine American soldiers were killed in Afghanistan when insurgents (起义的、叛乱的) attacked a small, recently built outpost near the Pakistan border. It was the most deadly single battle for Americans there since 2005.
叛乱者袭击了一个位于巴基斯坦边界的新建的小型居民点，九名美国士兵在战斗中死亡。这是美国自2005年以来在单词战斗中的最大伤亡。
Anwar Ibrahim, leader of the opposition in Malaysia, was arrested over allegations （陈述、宣称） of sodomy made by a former aide. Mr Anwar says the charges are politically motivated. His conviction （确信、判罪） for sodomy in 1998 was later overturned （推翻、垮台）.
马来西亚在野党领导人 Anwar Ibrahim因其前副官指控鸡奸而被捕。Anwar先生说这一指控有政治意图。1998年对于他的定罪后来被推翻了。
缪金华 - 2008-7-21 8:06:00
The former British prime minister, Tony Blair, now an internationalpeace envoy to the Middle East, cancelled a trip to the Gaza Strip(加沙地带) after the Israelis told him he risked being attacked. He would have been the most senior foreign visitor to Gaza since the Islamist group, Hamas, seized controlthere a year ago. A ceasefire (cease v. 停止；ceasefire 停火，常指永久性的停火)agreed to a month ago between Hamas and Israel has been more or lessholding.
英国前首相 TonyBlair现在成了中东和平使节，目前，他取消了他的加沙之行，因为以色列告知他可能会被袭击。(无因果关系) 自一年前伊斯兰组织哈马斯控制了该地区以来，Blair先生差一点成为是前往该地区的身份最显赫的（the most senior 可以译为最高级别的）人了。一月前哈马斯和以色列达成的停火协议或许可以维持下去。
He would have been ...为虚拟语气，前面说取消了加沙之行。
seize control over...获得对...的控制
先看这么多...
arlily - 2008-7-22 16:29:00
cancelled a trip to the Gaza Strip after the Israelis told him he risked being attacked
在以色列告知他可能会受到袭击后取消了他的加沙之行