新闻导读
油价飞涨至3美元布什拒征税 十年陈案不作今日证据
使馆门前抗议5国会议员被捕 悉尼受伤企鹅回归家园
参考文本
- The price at the pumps is soaring in prices of more than 3 dollars a gallon. But President Bush says there is no (1)evidence of gasoline price gouging against consumers. Bush also rejects calls by some lawmakers’ protest a windfall profits by oil companies.
- The accuser in the Duke Lacrosse party case also claimed she had been raped ten years ago but jury won't hear about the (2)allegations. That's because North Carolina issue laws strictly limits the use of the accusers past sexual historic evidence. The exotic dancer said she was assaulted last month by three members of the Duke Lacrosse team.
- Five congress members were arrested during this protest at Sudan’s embassy in Washington. The house democrats were calling on the Sudanese government to stop (3)genocide in the Darfur region. They were charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful assembling.
- It's a different kind of March for these (4)penguins. They were released back into the wild at this beach near Sydney Australia. The wild birds went on rehabilitation after they were attack by a dog.
重点分析
- windfall n. 天降横财，随风而落的水果。
1. A sudden, unexpected piece of good fortune or personal gain.
2. Something, such as a ripened fruit, that has been blown down by the wind.
又是一个够形象的词，天上掉什么？馅饼？没意思，还是直接掉钱来得幸运！ - exotic adj./n. 异国的，奇异的，表演脱衣舞的（跳脱衣舞的人确实够奇异～）
adj.
1. From another part of the world; foreign: exotic tropical plants in a greenhouse. See synonyms at foreign.
2. Intriguingly unusual or different; excitingly strange: “If something can be explained simply, in a familiar way, then it is best to avoid more exotic explanations” (Chet Raymo). See synonyms at fantastic.
3. Of or involving striptease: an exotic dancer.
n.
1. One that is exotic.
2. A striptease performer. - genocide n. 有计划的灭种或屠杀
The systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group.
这篇新闻里讲的这个genocide应该是有争议的词。主要指的是从2003年2月开始，发生在苏丹西部城市达尔福尔的阿拉伯部落与非阿拉伯部落的冲突。按照西方媒体的说法，由政府支持的阿拉伯游击队对非阿拉伯的部落实行“种族清洗”或叫做genocide。但实际上的情况，首先是政府并不承认支持过当地的阿拉伯游击队。其次，这一冲突中受害的并不只是非阿拉伯人，同样有很多阿拉伯人成为非阿部落破坏活动的受害者。wiki上采取了中立的叫法，叫做 conflict。
和一般意义上的种族清洗或者屠杀不同。这一冲突的双方均是黑人，没有肤色上的差异，同时也都是穆斯林，甚至没有象中东很多国家一样与逊尼派和什叶派穆斯林的宗教分歧有关。实质上主要是阿拉伯游牧部落与非阿农业部落在争夺土地及水资源上的利益冲突。从这一点上来说，倒真的算不上是genocide，西方媒体过于小题大做，也许只是因为只有genocide的事件才能真正的出动国际干预。不过，在苏丹冲突中因疾病和饥饿死亡的人数已高达几十万（各国调查的数据都不同），从人道主义角度看，是该国际社会插手了。但目前的情况来看，无论是英美法俄似乎都不愿卷入这件事情来，虽说各自有“苦衷”，但也被很多“愤青”的美国人指为“对没石油的地区不感兴趣”。难怪如此多的热情分子要齐齐抗议了。
注：查了下阿拉伯人和非阿拉伯人的区别－主要在于是否讲阿拉伯语。
Arab n.
1. A member of a Semitic people inhabiting Arabia, whose language and Islamic religion spread widely throughout the Middle East and northern Africa from the seventh century.
2. A member of an Arabic-speaking people. - penguin n.企鹅
Today In History, April 28th, Mike Gracia, the Associated Press.