英语新闻详解二.docx

1、英语新闻详解二11Gathering of the FaithfulFeb. 11 - At sundown on Monday, they began their descent from the rocky slopes of Mount Arafat in the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia - a vast sea of humanity in pristine white robes collectively cleansed of its sins after completing a central ritual of the annual

2、hajj pilgrimage.Its just one in a detailed list of prescribed rituals that make up the hajj, an awesome display of faith that sees millions of Muslims of different racial, linguistic and cultural backgrounds from more than 70 countries gather together in an essentially egalitarian community, where a

3、ll Muslims are brothers and sisters.For the Saudi authorities, guardians of Islams holiest sites, the hajj is at once a gala public relations event and a massive logistical headache.In a conservative country, where at normal times a potential influx of outsiders is kept firmly in check by a strict e

4、ntry visa policy, the hajj sees an estimated 1.3 million non-Saudi citizens make their way into the oil-rich kingdom.A little over a year after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, with the threat of a widely unpopular attack on Iraq looming, the fear this year is that a mammoth gathering of Muslims could s

5、erve as a recruiting ground for al Qaeda sympathizers. In a world where the U.S.-led war on terror has dominated the global agenda, security has been a major concern during the hajj.参考译文信徒的聚会2月11日-在星期一日落时分的沙特阿拉伯圣城麦加，他们开始沿着阿拉法特山布满岩石的山坡徐徐而下。这潮水般身着洁白长袍的人群，在进行完一年一度麦加朝圣活动的核心仪式后，已经集体涤除了他们的罪过。这只是组成麦加朝圣众多规定

6、仪式之一。在令人敬畏的表达信仰的麦加朝圣活动中，来自70多个国家的数百万不同种族，不同语言和不同文化的穆斯林信徒平等的聚集在一起，彼此犹如兄弟姊妹。对于守护伊斯兰世界圣地的沙特官方来说，朝圣活动不啻一次盛大的公关活动，同时给他们带来无尽的后勤保障问题。这样一个传统、保守、盛产石油的王国，在平日里采取严格的签证制度以限制大批外国人涌入进行宗教朝拜，而在麦加朝圣期间则不得不接待约1，300，000入境的非本国公民。此时正值2001年9月11日恐怖袭击一周年多一点时间，以及广受反对的对伊动武日益临近，因此今年人们担心这次盛大的穆斯林教众聚会可能被用作招募“阿尔-伊达”基地组织同情者的集会。如今，随着

7、美国所领导的反恐战争已成为全世界的中心议题，安全问题是今年朝圣集会关注的焦点。精解题目中的 the faithful, 意即“（宗教）信徒，教徒”，注意两个字要连用。如果单用faithful, 则表示“忠实信徒，追随者”，如： old party faithfuls, 忠实的老党员。第一节中，began their descent from 中的descent, 是descend （下来，下降）的名词形式。此外，这个词还可以指“出身，血统”，如： a person of African descent 一个非洲血统的人；以及“袭击”，或“突然访问”，如：a sudden descent by

8、tax officials 税务官员的突然造访。 下面 a vast sea of humanity 中humanity, 是人类的总称。 Pristine, “干净的，清洁的”。最后的the annual hajj pilgrimage， hajj, 是由阿拉伯语而来，意思是“到麦加朝圣”。而到麦加朝圣的信徒就叫做hajji. Pilgrimage, 作为名词是“朝圣，朝觐，到圣地或神殿去的旅行”，作为动词就是“去朝圣，去追寻”。而pilgrim就是“朝圣者，朝觐者”的意思。第二节中，prescribed rituals 中的prescribe, “规定，指定”。如： The law pre

9、scribes that all children must go to school. 法律规定所有儿童必须接受教育。 an essentially egalitarian community中，egalitarian “平等主义的”.第三节，a massive logistical headache， logistical, “后勤的”，headache,“引起麻烦或烦恼的事情”，可以理解为worry, vexation, pest, trouble等。第四节中，请注意the hajj sees an estimated 英语中常用这种无生命的地点或时期做主语，表示在某地方或某一时期发生，

10、或经历了某事件。又如： Her long reign saw the heyday of verbal humor.她长时间统治期间为口语幽默的全盛期。 The fifth century saw the end of the Roman Empire in the West. 五世纪时罗马帝国在西方崩溃了。最后再说说最末一节的loom, 这个词用来形容某个事物阴森地、有威胁性地逼近，或隐约出现，如： The threat of war loomed over the country. 战争的阴影在向这个国家逼近。12Bush, Greenspan Square Off over Stimul

11、us布什和格林斯潘在是否需要刺激经济问题上意见相左题目中，square off, 意思是“to take a fight stance; prepare to fight，摆出战斗的姿势，准备搏斗”，还可以写作square up. 例如： The two boxers squared off when the bell rang. 铃声响过之后，两位拳击手摆好架势准备比赛。 stimulus, “刺激物”，近义词有incentive, stimulant等，这里是指刺激经济的措施。Feb. 12, WASHINGTON （Reuters） - The White House and Feder

12、al Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan diverged further in their views over growing budget deficits on Wednesday as the two sides aired their differences over the potential economic risks.2月12日，华盛顿（路透社）- 当本周三白宫和联邦储备委员会主席阿兰.格林斯潘发表各自对潜在经济风险的看法时，双方在对待不断增长的预算赤字问题上分歧日益加深。在第一节， diverge是说在观点上“分歧，相异”。对于类似的情况，我们

13、还可以用be at odds with （each other）, be at loggerheads with （one another）, 请看例句： Those two have been at odds with one another for ages. 那两个人合不来已经很久了。 The question of car privileges put Sam and his parents at loggerheads. 关于使用汽车的权利的问题使山姆和他父母发生争执。In a second day of Capitol Hill testimony that Democrats s

14、eized upon as evidence of opposition to President Bushs tax-cut program, Greenspan told the House of Representatives Financial Services Committee a surge in government red ink could bring higher interest rates on consumer loans, particularly on mortgages.在国会山听证会的第二天，民主党人视之为格氏反对布什总统减税计划的证据，格林斯潘告诉众议院财

15、政委员会，剧烈增长的政府赤字将给消费贷款带来更高的利率，特别是抵押贷款。第二节中的seize on/upon，抓住，利用， 可以理解为exploit, take advantage of eagerly, 例如： She had always wanted to go to London, so she seized on the offer of a free trip. 她一直想去伦敦，因此她紧紧把握住了这个免费旅行的机会。 surge, “急剧上升”，如： a sudden surge in sales 销售量的陡增。 red ink, 是比喻的说法，就是fiscal deficit,

16、财政赤字。Bush said the economy needs a boost now to lift it on to a more vigorous growth path and urged quick action.布什总统则称需要改善经济以使之步入更有活力的发展道路，他催促国会尽快拿出行动来。最后一节，boost, 常见的意思是“提高，增加”，如： plan to boost production by 30% next year 来年增产30%的计划 还有“促进，改善”之意，如：We need a holiday to boost our spirits. 我们需要休假以激励士气

17、。 此外，美语中还可表示“吹捧，大肆宣扬”： a special promotion to boost their new product 为推销他们的新产品而展开的宣传活动。13Underground InfernoMore Than 130 Dead in S. Korea Subway Fire地狱烈火130多人在韩国地铁火灾中丧生题目underground inferno, 直译是“地下的烈火”，笔者为突出事故的惨烈，改译为“地狱烈火”， 因为inferno就有“地狱或与地狱相似的地方”的意思。有关地铁，美国称subway, 英国伦敦的地铁叫做tube（这个词为口语用法）或underg

18、round, 而法国巴黎或其他国家的地铁则多称为Metro.D A E G U, South Korea, Feb. 18 More than 130 people were killed and 99 were missing in South Korea today after flames and smoke engulfed two crowded subway trains following an arson attack, officials said.大邱，韩国，2月18日 韩国政府官员说，今天在被人故意纵火袭击引发的烈焰和浓烟吞噬两列地铁列车后，共有130多人在火灾中丧生，9

19、9人失踪。本节中，engulf,“吞没，吞噬”，如：The war is threatening to engulf the entire region. 战火将要蔓延整个地区。 Arson, 纵火（罪）， 例如：A cinema was burnt out in north London last night. Police suspect arson. 昨晚伦敦北部的一家电影院被烧毁。警方怀疑有人纵火。 Arsonist即为“纵火者，纵火犯”。The mayor of the southeastern city of Daegu said a 56-year-old male with a

20、 history of mental illness was suspected of starting the blaze at the end of the morning rush hour.A witness said the man had set fire to flammable liquid in a milk carton and tossed it into a carriage.东南部城市大邱市市长表示，一名有精神病史的56岁男子被怀疑制造了这起清晨交通高峰即将结束时候的大火。一位目击者说，这名男子将装在牛奶纸盒内的可燃液体点着，然后把纸盒投向一节车厢。Blaze, 大火

21、，这里还可以使用诸如 flame, flare, conflagration（大火灾）, inferno（火海）, holocaust（大面积的毁灭）等。 Flammable, “可燃的，易燃的”，同义词有inflammable, ignitable. Carton, 纸盒，纸箱， 注意不要和cartoon“卡通画，漫画”相混淆。Officials said a second train pulled into the station as the blaze took hold. The two trains, each with six carriages, had a total of

22、up to 400 people on board.官方透露当火势形成的时候，又有一列客车驶入车站。两列客车各有六节车厢，共载有400名乘客。Pull into, “到站，进站”：As the train pulled in there was a rush to get seats. 列车进站时人们一拥而上抢占座位。 Take hold, “become established, 蔚然成势”,又如：The newly planted vines quickly took hold. 新种下的葡萄藤很快就扎下了根。Many struggled in vain to escape the inf

23、erno that reduced the trains to metal skeletons and sent black, acrid smoke belching into the sky for hours after the fire started.许多乘客徒劳的拼命想要逃脱火海，大火将列车烧的只剩金属骨架，并伴有持续数小时的滚滚刺鼻的浓烟直冲云霄。In vain, 徒劳地，无益地。而 take ones name in vain 的意思一是滥用或亵渎上帝之名，如：took the name of the Lord in vain. 妄称上帝之名；二是背后说人的闲话，如： Just

24、 then she walked in and said Whos taking my name in vain? 就在那时她走进来，问道“谁在背后说我的坏话？”14Complications on U.S. Road to War美国在求战之路上面临纷繁芜杂的局面complication, “使情况更加复杂或困难的事物”： A further complication was Freds refusal to travel by air. 更麻烦的是弗雷德不肯坐飞机。 而复数形式的complications,是“并发症”的意思，如：Complications set in, and the

25、patient died. 病人因出现并发症而死亡。WASHINGTON （Reuters） - On the verge of war in Iraq, the Bush administration finds its goals complicated by its own uncompromising approach as it builds a legacy that could do long-term damage to NATO, the United Nations and U.S. leadership, diplomats and analysts say.华盛顿（路透

26、社）- 外交官和分析人士表示，在对伊开战一触即发之际，布什政府发现这一目标已被自身毫不退让的行事方式弄得错综复杂起来，而此时美国政府的所做所为会对北约、联合国和美国的领导地位造成长期的损害。on the verge of: 在某事即将发生之际。类似的表达还有 on the brink of, on the edge of, on the threshold of, on the point of （doing something）. uncompromising, “不妥协的, 不让步的, 强硬的”： uncompromising stand/beliefs, 坚定的立场/信仰。 legacy

27、, “遗产，遗留物”，这里是着眼于对日后的影响，所以用了这个字眼。Such criticism, made in the heat of rhetorical struggle over Iraq policy and vigorously rejected by administration officials, could well be revised if war against Baghdad is quick and reasonably successful.值此围绕对伊政策各方展开激烈的唇枪舌剑之际，类似这样的批评遭到政府官员的强烈反对，不过倘若战争进展迅速且战果显著，也许就会

28、有另一番迥然不同的评论。heat, “the most intense or active stage，最强烈或最活跃的阶段”： He tried to take the heat out of the situation. 他竭力让局面缓和下来。 rhetorical, “辞藻华丽的，虚夸的”：Dont be so rhetorical - just tell us what you mean in plain English. 不要这么夸张，就用平实的英语告诉我们你的意思。 相应的名词形式是rhetoric,“浮夸之词，华丽辞藻”：The politicians speech was fu

29、ll of empty rhetoric. 这位政治家的演讲满是空洞无物的华丽言辞。But as it works to maximize world support in the countdown to military action against Saddam Hussein and to isolate North Korea, the United States finds itself nearly as much on the defensive as the axis of evil regimes it seeks to curtail.不过，正当美国在针对萨达姆侯赛因的军

30、事行动倒计时中努力争取最大限度的国际支持和孤立朝鲜的时候，美国发觉自己几乎和它所寻求削弱的“邪恶轴心”政权一样处于防守态势。maximize, “使最大化”，其反义词是 minimize,“使最小化”。 countdown, “倒计时”，引申为“准备工作，准备过程”，这里的翻译还是采用了形象的“倒计时”，注意这个词常和介词to连用。 on the defensive ,“expecting to be attacked or criticized 进行防御，采取守势”：Talk about boy-friends always puts her on the defensive. 一谈到男朋友

31、，她总是戒心十足。 curtail, “缩短，削减”，这里用的是比喻义。NATO Secretary-General George Robertson said the dispute over whether to give Turkey equipment to defend itself against Iraq showed alliance disarray but was not a mortal blow.北约秘书长乔治罗伯逊说，有关是否为土耳其提供防御伊拉克打击的武器装备的争论显示了盟国内部的混乱，但并不构成致命的打击。disarray, 杂乱的状态；混乱,与之意义相近的有 d

32、isorder, confusion, chaos, muddle, huddle, snarl等。Kupchan （European expert） was more pessimistic, doubting NATO would survive the crisis and warning that Washingtons failure to win U.N. support for military action would be a historical turning point that would deal a powerful blow to the U.N., （erode） the West as a coherent political entity and risk the United States international political le