1 | China, Tainted Baby-Food Shock

In a widening scandal, at least three babies have died and more than 6,200 have become sick after consuming milk contaminated with the nonfood substance melamine. Beijing is investigating at least 22 companies that packaged tainted milk and yogurt sold in mainland China and Hong Kong. Melamine, a plastic compound that shows up as protein in some food tests, has been used by certain manufacturers in China to make their products appear more nutritious. In 2007, thousands of pets in the U.S. died after eating pet food contaminated with Chinese melamine.

 

taint .n. 污点；v. 感染，affect; 污染，contaminate

a widening scandal：人尽皆知的丑闻

consume:消费

contaminate：污染，弄脏

melamine：[化]三聚氰胺，白色结晶状化合物；A white crystalline compound, C3H 6N 6

 

2 | Texas, Coastal Fury

Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston, and ensuing winds and rainfall drifted up through Texas and north into the Midwest, killing at least 51 people in 10 states and leaving millions without power. Heavy rains caused flooding along the banks of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. In Texas, thousands crowded into shelters and hotels paid for by the Federal Government, many expecting to stay for weeks. Throughout the regions, evacuees waited in long lines for food, water and gas.

 

slam into: 侵入

ensue: 导致，接踵而至

leaving millions without power: 使得数百万人失去电力供应

evacuee: 被疏散者，词根vacuum，真空，又：vacation, vacancy

 

3 | Paris, Eco-taxing in France 

Jean-Louis Borloo, Minister for the Environment, said France will begin taxing nonrecyclable cutlery and plates to entice consumers to buy more eco-friendly products. The so-called picnic tax of $1.29 per kg, part of an effort to curtail waste, may be extended to cover other household items like washing machines, refrigerators and televisions. The nation has a similar system in place for cars, whereby heavily polluting vehicles pay steeper taxes.

 

nonrecyclable: 一次性的，不可回收的

cutlery：刀具，刀叉匙等餐具

entice: 诱惑

eco-friendly: 对生态友好的，环保的

picnic tax:野餐税；源于法国巴黎的老百姓假日喜欢到公园等公共休闲场所野餐，使用大量一次性的餐具；野餐结束后，对公园环境产生很大影响，因此，法国政府决定对一次性餐具征收消费税，形象取名为野餐税。

curtail: 缩减to cut short

household item: 家用设备

steeper tax: 汽车附加税

 

Hunting and habitat loss threaten more than 20% of the world's mammals with extinction, according to a new report issued by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The survey, which culled data gathered by more than 1,700 scientists over five years, also warned that further study could reveal the proportion of imperiled mammals to be as high as 36%. Of the 1,141 mammal species at risk, nearly 200 are listed as critically endangered.

 

species on the brink: 边缘物种；濒危物种

extinction: 灭种

cull：优选，挑选

proportion: 比例

imperiled: endangered濒危的

critically endangered: 垂危，极度濒临灭绝的

 

Confrontations between police and anti-government protesters turned violent on Oct. 7, leaving at least two people dead and hundreds injured. The riots started when police used tear gas to clear a path through a crowd of about 5,000 people blockading the Thai parliament, where new Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat was attempting to give his first policy address.

 

escalate: (危机、冲突)升级、加剧

confrontation: conflict冲突

anti-government protester：反政府抗议者

riot：暴乱

tear gas: 催泪瓦斯弹

blockade：拥堵，阻塞

parliament：国会

attempt：试图

 

Russian troops dismantled their checkpoints and camps in Georgia, preparing to withdraw from buffer zones near the breakaway regions of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. A deal brokered by French President Nicolas Sarkozy and monitored by E.U. peacekeepers set an Oct. 10 deadline for Russia to return the zones to Georgia. Despite a bomb in South Ossetia's capital that threatened to disrupt the withdrawal, Russian forces continued as planned.

 

dismantle：拆除、终止、废除

checkpoint：关卡、检查站

buffer zone：缓冲区，缓冲地带，如面对敌对势力用来减轻冲突危险的地带。

broker：斡旋，做中间人安排

peacekeeper：和事老；（交战国间的）停火执行者；维和部队成员。

disrupt:破坏

 

An attack by Iraq-based Kurdish rebels killed 17 Turkish soldiers and reignited the long-simmering feud between the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) and the Turkish government. The nation retaliated with air strikes against PKK targets, and on Oct. 8 Turkey's parliament voted for a one-year extension of its mandate to launch cross-border military operations against Kurdish rebels in Iraq.

 

pursue: 追捕、追踪

rebel：叛乱者

reignite: 再燃，重新激起

long-simmering: 长期酝酿的、长期郁积的

feud：不和，（部落或家族间的）世仇

retaliate：报复

extension: 延期

mandate: 委任统治

launch：发起、发动

cross-broader military operations：越境军事行动

 

China's central bank, the People's Bank of China (PBOC), announced on Wednesday it would cut benchmark interest rates by 0.27 percent to spur economic growth as of Oct. 30.

 

The benchmark one-year deposit rate would drop to 3.60 percent from 3.87 percent, while the benchmark one-year lending rate would fall from 6.93 percent to 6.66 percent.

 

This is the second such move in less than one month, highlighting the government's rising concern over the slowing economy and slumping capital market.

 

benchmark interest rates: 基准利率

spur：刺激、激励

highlight: 凸显

rising concern: 对…的关切增加

slump:衰退、下挫

 

Five Chinese workers abducted in southwest Sudan by local militants this month have been killed by the kidnappers, officials of the Chinese embassy in Sudan said on Monday.

 

The Chinese embassy has learnt from the Sudanese authorities on Monday that among the nine Chinese workers abducted on Oct. 19, five had been killed, two had gone missing and the two others had escaped the danger.

 

The Chinese embassy strongly condemned the killing, and was keeping contacts with the Sudanese authorities for more information about the incident, according to the Chinese officials.

 

The embassy also asked Sudan to continue the operation of searching the two missing Chinese workers, urging Sudan government to take all the necessary measures to safeguard the Chinese citizens in Sudan.　

 

abduct: 绑架

militant：武装分子

Chinese embassy：中国大使馆

condemn: 谴责

urge：敦促

safeguard：保护

 

10| UN, Nearly 1 Billion People Hungry Worldwide

Propelled by this year’s global food crisis, nearly one billion people worldwide are now hungry, an independent United Nations expert said today, urging the issue to be viewed through the lens of human rights.

 

Prices have dropped around the world, but “the crisis is still with us,” cautioned Olivier De Schutter, the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, noting that the number of hungry has grown significantly as a result.

 

propel: 推进、驱策

urging the issue to be viewed through the lens of human rights：呼吁人们从人权的角度来审视这一问题。

caution：警告

note：强调

 

11| Mexico, Mexico Roadblock for Cuban Migrants

Cuban refugees have long been allowed asylum in the U.S. only if they reach land--the so-called dry-foot policy. That's made the "dusty foot" route via Mexico far more popular than a risky sail to Florida. But under a new deal, Mexico will deport illegal Cuban migrants, in a policy that may signal warmer Cuba-Mexico ties.

 

Refugees：难民

Asylum ：庇护，政治避难

dry-foot policy：干脚政策（美古两国曾于１９９５年就共同处理古巴非法移民问题达成协议。按照协议，美国对古巴偷渡者执行所谓的“湿脚和干脚”政策，即在海上被截获的偷渡者将被遣返回古巴，而偷渡者一旦踏上美国陆地则成为美国境内的合法移民。）

deport：把…驱逐出境

in a policy that may signal warmer Cuba-Mexico ties：这个政策可能会使古巴和墨西哥的关系升温

 

12| Washington, Bank-Rescue Side Effects

U.S. mortgage rates saw their steepest climb in more than 20 years in mid-October. Analysts say the spike may be an unintended result of the government's bank bailout, which may make bank debt more attractive to investors than that of beleaguered Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Rates have fallen, but experts predict further volatility. Federal Housing Finance Agency director James Lockhart has tried to calm markets, saying Fannie and Freddie debt is "effectively" guaranteed.

 

mortgage rates： 抵押贷款利率

spike：顶峰

an unintended result： 始料未及的结果

bailout： 紧急援助金

beleaguer（beleaguered）： 围攻

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac： 房利美和房地美（美国两大房屋贷款公司）

Volatility：波动

 

13| Chicago, Former Top Cop Arrested

Ex--Chicago police commander Jon Burge was arrested Oct. 21 at his home in Florida on charges of obstruction of justice and perjury stemming from a 2003 civil rights lawsuit alleging police torture. Madison Hobley, a convicted felon, claimed that Burge and other officers participated in beatings, electric shocks and death threats against dozens of criminal suspects. Burge could face up to 25 years in prison.

 

obstruction of justice： 妨碍司法公正

perjury: 伪证

allege（ alleging）：断言，声称

 

14| Mexico, Fewer Dollars Equal Fewer Pesos

For the first time since the Mexican central bank started keeping track, remittances to the country fell in 2008, from $26.1 billion to $25.1 billion. After oil exports, money sent home from workers abroad--mostly from the U.S.--is the largest source of foreign income in Mexico. The central bank expects remittances to keep falling in 2009, thanks in part to layoffs in the U.S. construction sector; Mexico's overall GDP is also expected to shrink. A January report from the Pew Hispanic Center showed that while the same percentage of Latino immigrants is sending money home as in previous years, the amount per person is dropping. An estimated 70% sent less money in 2008 than in 2007.

 

Remittances：汇款

Shrink： 收缩，减少

 

Amid talk of a merger with Chrysler, General Motors is lobbying federal officials for sizable financial assistance. In addition to the $25 billion in government loans promised to the industry in an energy bill for production of fuel-efficient vehicles, GM's lending arm, GMAC, is exploring ways to access funds in the $700 billion federal-bailout package, while the company reportedly is also seeking cash injections to cover potential merger costs. GM and Chrysler employ more than 200,000 U.S. workers and support many more jobs in the auto-parts and sales industries; GM's stock has fallen more than 80% since January. White House press secretary Dana Perino confirmed talks between federal officials and the struggling company but added that ailing U.S. carmakers "are dealing with some decisions that they've made in the past and we are in a global environment, and they're competing globally."

 

Merger ：(两个或以上公司的)合并,并吞

Ailing： 不景气的

 

China's State Council on Wednesday approved several projects with a combined investment of more than 200 billion yuan (about 29 billion U.S. dollars) amid efforts to spur the country's economy.

 

The projects included a gas pipeline linking the country's western region with the southern economic hubs of Guangzhou and Hong Kong, with an investment of 93 billion yuan.

 

The country's cabinet also approved the 95.5-billion-yuan nuclear power plants in the eastern province of Zhejiang and the southern province of Guangdong.

 

It also said another 17.4 billion yuan would go to water conservancy projects in regions of Xinjiang, Guizhou and Jiangxi and civil airports in Inner Mongolia and Anhui.

 

Spur：激励

State Council：国务院

economic hubs ：经济中心

cabinet：内阁

water conservancy projects： 水利工程

civil airports：民用机场

 

Wall Street extended early losses Wednesday, as investors digested an update of TARP program and after Best Buy Co. predicted worrisome lower profit.

 

Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson gave an update of Troubled Assets Relief Program, saying the second half of the 700 billion financial rescue program will not be used to purchase troubled assets as originally planned. Instead, the program will be used to help relieve pressures on consumer credit in such areas as credit card debt, auto loans and student loans.

 

U.S. stocks tumbled for straight three sessions amid concerns that a severe pullback in consumer spending will prolong a global economic downturn. Best Buy, the world's largest electronics retailer, cut 2009 guidance Wednesday on fears that consumer spending will further slowdown.

 

The Dow Jones fell 282.27 to 8,411.69. Broader indexes also tumbled. The Standard & Poor's 500 index slipped 29.43 to 869.52; and the Nasdaq fell 41.28 to 1,539.62.

 

Treasury Secretary：财政部长

Update： 最新资料

Troubled Assets Relief Program：不良资产救助计划

Straight： 连续的

on fears that：担心

 

While Barack Obama may have broken the color barrier by becoming the nation's first African-American President, the gay and lesbian community in California has erupted in protests following the approval of Proposition 8, which overturns a state supreme court decision upholding gay marriage. On Nov. 8, some 10,000 people, far more than authorities had expected, marched through Hillcrest, the hub of San Diego's gay community. Many opponents of the measure blamed religious groups for the passage, particularly the Mormon church, which one source estimated had donated some $15 million to promote Prop. 8; campaign records, however, showed far less. Meanwhile, in Connecticut, where a gay-marriage ban was lifted in October, same-sex couples began obtaining marriage licenses.

 

Barack Obama may have broken the color barrier：巴拉克·奥巴马可能已经打破种族隔离政策

Overturn：颠覆，推翻

uphold（upholding）：支持，维护

lift（lifted）： 解除（禁令）

 

19 | Boston, Finally, Gulf War Illness Recognized

A congressionally mandated panel of scientists and veterans has validated in a Nov. 17 report the mysterious condition known as Gulf War illness (GWI). According to the study, the symptoms--which include memory loss, chronic muscle pain, fatigue, digestive problems and skin lesions--were likely caused by pills given to troops to protect against nerve gas and by the overuse of pesticides to ward off sand flies. Other factors include exposure to depleted uranium munitions, oil-well fires, nerve agents and vaccines. Nearly 25% of the 700,000 soldiers who fought in Operation Desert Storm are affected by GWI, and many of them have reported that their symptoms have worsened over time. The panel also noted unusually high rates of Lou Gehrig's disease and brain cancer among Gulf War veterans, arguing that more funding is needed to study GWI, for which there is no known cure.

 

congressionally mandated panel ：委任立法小组

validate（ validated）：证实

symptoms ：症状；征候，征兆

ward off ：避开，防止

exposure to ： 暴露于

 

20 | Washington, Running on Empty Stomachs

Even before 2008's economic turmoil, more American children had been going hungry in 2007 than at any other time in the past 10 years. A new Department of Agriculture report says money woes caused 323,000 households to cut back on food for children in 2007, up from 221,000 in 2006. Federal officials expect this year's data to paint an even worse picture.

 

economic turmoil ： 经济动荡

money woes ： 金钱灾难

paint an even worse picture ：情况更加恶化

 

21 | California, Into the Inferno

Wildfires burned at least 42,000 acres (17,000 hectares) of land in Southern California before gentler winds allowed firefighters to gain control of the blazes. A total of 800 homes were destroyed in the counties surrounding Los Angeles, and thousands of residents were forced to evacuate. This year the drought-plagued region has faced an almost relentless fire season, with 9,603 fires so far, up from 5,961 in 2007. Just over a year ago, the state endured a rash of immense wildfires that destroyed 2,000 homes and displaced 640,000 people.

 

inferno ：火海，地狱般的场所

wildfires ：磷火,鬼火

blaze ：火焰；光辉

evacuate ：撤离，疏散

drought-plagued region ：干旱多发区域

relentless  ：无情的,冷酷的,残酷的

displace（displaced）： 使……无家可归

 

22 | Germany, Lagging on Kyoto Goals

A U.N. report has given industrialized nations mixed reviews on reducing greenhouse-gas emissions. While overall emissions have dropped 5% below 1990 levels, they have grown 2.3% since 2000. Authors attribute much of the upswing to the recovery of post-Soviet economies in Eastern and central Europe. Among the nations studied, 19 are falling behind on their emissions goals for 2012 under the Kyoto Protocol. The findings were released ahead of next month's climate conference in Poznan, Poland.

 

lag（lagging） ：落后

mixed reviews ：毁誉参半，评价不一

upswing ：上升，增长

Kyoto Protocol ：京都议定书（旨在限制发达国家温室气体排放量以抑制全球变暖的协议书）

 

Thousands of protesters swarmed Thailand's parliament Nov. 24, disrupting a legislative session and calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat. The demonstrators, who call themselves the People's Alliance for Democracy, surrounded government buildings, cut electrical lines and declared the rally to be the "final push" of their six-month campaign to oust the ruling party. The protests came at the same time as an announcement that Thailand's economy, which has been badly hit by the global financial crisis, is in even worse shape than had previously been predicted.

 

Parliament ：议会，国会

legislative session ：立法会议

rally ：集会

oust ：罢黜，罢免

 

Bailout relief may soon reach the average consumer: the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve have unveiled plans to spend up to $800 billion in an effort to revive lending for housing, cars, students and small businesses.

 

Bailout ： 紧急援助金

U.S. Treasury ：美国财政部

Federal Reserve ：（美国）联邦储备系统

 

In addition to a political stalemate, hyperinflation and food shortages, Zimbabwe faces a cholera outbreak that killed more than 50 people on Nov. 24. While talks between the country's two main political parties are back on, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter--who, along with former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, was denied an entry visa--called the crisis "much worse than we had ever imagined."

 

political stalemate ：政治僵局

hyperinflation ：恶性通货膨胀

cholera outbreak ：霍乱突然蔓延

deny an entry visa ： 入境签证被拒

 

26 | Geneva, Safety First

Accidental injury kills more than 2,000 children worldwide each day, according to the World Report on Child Injury Prevention, released by the World Health Organization and UNICEF on Dec. 9. While around 95% of these fatal accidents occur in developing countries, unintentional injuries account for 40% of child deaths in the developed world as well. The report suggests that the number of deaths could be cut in half if proven prevention methods such as helmet and seat-belt laws were more widely adopted.

 

Accidental : 意外的，偶然(发生)的

Fatal :致命的

unintentional : 非故意的,无心的

proven : 被证实的

 

27 | Washington, Blackwater Guards Charged

In the latest blow to Blackwater Worldwide, the largest security contractor in Iraq, five employees were indicted on voluntary-manslaughter and other charges in the deaths of 17 Iraqi civilians at a busy Baghdad intersection. The Justice Department unsealed a statement given by a sixth guard recounting the 2007 incident in which dozens of people were shot. In the account, Jeremy Ridgeway describes how he and five other men opened fire on cars and even a girls' school, claiming it was done without provocation.

 

security contractor : 安全承包商

indict（indicted）: 起诉,控告,指控 （单词中c不发音）

voluntary-manslaughter : 蓄意谋杀

without provocation : 平白无故地

 

28 | Amsterdam, Less Sleaze, More Culture

Citing its brothels and marijuana cafés as havens for crime, city officials in the Dutch capital have unveiled a $50 million plan to replace half of them with restaurants, galleries and hotels. Officials hope to broaden the city's appeal and make tourists feel less embarrassed about visiting.

 

Brothels : 妓院

Marijuana : 大麻

Haven : 安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

 

29 | Athens, Running Amok

After police shot and killed a 15-year-old Athens boy during a Dec. 6 confrontation, protesters rioted in the Greek capital for nearly a week, battling law enforcement, setting cars ablaze and torching the city's Christmas tree. Fueled by frustration over unemployment and official corruption, thousands of Greeks smashed storefront windows and cars as union and transit workers staged a national strike. "It's very simple: we want the government to fall," a member of the Socialist Workers Party said on Dec. 9 as 10,000 people marched on Parliament.

 

Confrontation : 对抗

Riot（rioted）: 暴乱，暴动

Battle law enforcement（battling law enforcement）: 违抗执法

Ablaze : 着火的

torch（torching ）: 用火炬点燃

fuel （fueled）: 刺激

smash（smashed）: 使粉碎

union : 工会，联盟

transit : 运输

 

30 | Illinois, Cleaning House

The Illinois House of Representatives took its first steps toward removing embattled governor Rod Blagojevich from office, voting 113-0 to create a bipartisan committee to look into whether he should be impeached. Blagojevich has no plans to resign, and the inquiry could take weeks. In the same session, lawmakers also decided against allowing voters to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat through a special election, leaving the appointment to the governor's discretion. Among other misdeeds, Blagojevich is accused of soliciting bribes or political favors in exchange for the Senate nod.

 

House of Representatives : 众议院

a bipartisan committee : 两党委员会

impeach（impeached）: 指摘，弹劾

inquiry  : 调查

discretion : 考虑

 

31 | Washington, Bush's Midnight Regulations

It's not unusual for modern Presidents to institute last-minute laws before leaving the White House, but George W. Bush's final agenda is angering environmentalists. Critics say these "midnight regulations"--Bush is pushing through a record number of them--have consequences that will not be easily reversed. The new laws would allow:

• Federal agencies to develop land without scientific oversight

• Farms to dump waste into nearby waterways

• Weaker standards for safe drinking water

• Uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and oil drilling in Colorado

• Increased emissions for coal-fired stations

• Loaded, concealed firearms in national parks

 

Institute: 下令执行

reverse : 逆转；改变

scientific oversight :  科学认证

uranium : 铀

 

32 | New York, Anatomy of a Scam

Celebrated money manager Bernard Madoff was arrested for allegedly bilking investors out of up to $50 billion in a Ponzi scheme described as one of history's largest swindles. The scam's blueprint hasn't changed much since Charles Ponzi's 1920 fraud:

1 Entice investors by promising an unusually lucrative rate of return.

2 Use a portion of the raised capital to pay out early dividends, thereby giving the appearance of legitimacy--which in turn attracts more investors.

3 Pay off earlier investors with money accrued from later victims.

4 When no further capital can be raised, skip town before the scheme collapses.

 

scam：诈骗

bilk sb. out of (money)：诈骗（钱财）

a Ponzi scheme： 庞兹骗局

swindle: 诈骗行为

fraud: 诈骗

entice: 诱惑，诱使，怂恿

lucrative: 赚钱的，可获利的

dividend: 红利

legitimacy: 合法

accrue: 财务增长，积累

 

33 | Somalia, Yusuf Steps Down

One of the world's most violence-plagued nations became even more unstable Dec. 29 with the resignation of Abdullahi Yusuf Ahmed, who had served as the head of Somalia's U.N.-backed central government since 2004. Two weeks earlier, Yusuf had tried to fire Prime Minister Nur Hassan Hussein, only to have parliament rally behind Hussein, whom it considered more capable of bringing about peace. But with much of the country ruled by extremist Islamic insurgents or harassed by warlords and pirates, the government in Mogadishu has grown increasingly ineffective. An outbreak of violence followed Yusuf's announcement.

 

Violence-plagued: 受暴力之苦的

Resignation: 辞职

Insurgent：叛乱士兵

Harass: 不断骚扰

Warlords and pirates：军阀和海盗

 

The future of the Middle-East peace process, the stability of the region and the safety of ordinary people in the Gaza Strip have been seriously jeopardized by the “irresponsibility of Hamas rocket attacks” and the “excessiveness of Israel’s response,” a senior United Nations envoy warned today, as diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict intensify.

 

On the seventh day of Israeli bombing raids on Gaza and with more than 400 Gazans reportedly killed and thousands wounded, Robert Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, called for the international community to step up its attempts to end the growing humanitarian crisis.

 

jeopardize: 使收到伤害，使陷入险境

excessiveness: 过分，过度，极度

diplomatic efforts: 外交努力

intensify: 加强

bombing raids: 炸弹袭击

international community: 国际社会

humanitarian crisis: 人道主义危机

 

Starbucks, once the undisputed leader in premium-price caffeine fixes, has long cultivated a corporate image for social responsibility, environmental awareness, and sensitivity to workers' rights. Now that carefully crafted reputation is under assault, thanks to a messy legal dispute with a group called the Starbucks Workers Union (SWU) (part of the Industrial Workers of the World, or IWW), which started recruiting employees in 2004 and now claims 300 members.

 

The National Labor Relations Board found on Dec. 23 that Starbucks had illegally fired three New York City baristas as it tried to squelch the union organizing effort. The 88-page ruling also says the company broke the law by giving negative job evaluations to other union supporters and prohibiting employees from discussing union issues at work. The judge ordered that the three baristas be reinstated and receive back wages. The judge also called on Starbucks to end discriminatory treatment of other pro-union workers at four Manhattan locations named in the case. The decision marks the end of an 18-month trial in New York City that pitted the ubiquitous multinational corporation against a group of twenty something baristas who are part of the Industrial Workers of the World.

 

wrangle: 争吵，争辩

undisputed： 毋庸置疑的

corporate image: 公司形象

social responsibility: 社会责任

environmental awareness: 环保意识

job evaluation: 职业评估

reinstate: 使恢复原先的职位

discriminatory treatment: 不公平的待遇

pro-union: 支持联盟的

ubiquitous: 普遍存在的

 

36 | Washington, Unemployment Soars

With more than 500,000 cuts in November and December, the U.S. lost 2.6 million jobs in 2008, led by layoffs in manufacturing, construction and retail. It was the highest figure since 1945. Unemployment stood at 7.2%, with 11.1 million Americans out of work. Financial markets around the world tumbled after the news--viewed as another sign that the U.S. recession appeared no closer to ending--while President-elect Barack Obama said he would move quickly after taking office to pass a stimulus plan.

 

soar: 急速上升

layoff: 被解雇的工人

tumble: 急剧下降

stimulus plan: 经济刺激计划

 

37 | California, Oakland Is Burning

Hundreds of residents took to the streets on Jan. 7, smashing storefronts and setting fires to protest the fatal shooting of an unarmed African-American man by a white police officer on New Year's Day. The demonstrations turned to near riots as angry citizens confronted Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums on the steps of city hall. Police used tear gas to break up the crowds. Authorities are still deciding whether to file criminal charges against the officer, who has resigned.

 

take to the streets：逃到街上

smash storefronts: 砸碎店面

riot: 暴动，骚乱

tear gas: 催泪瓦斯

file criminal charges against: 控告某人

 

38 | Gaza, No End In Sight

With the battle in Gaza well into its third week, Israeli troops deepened their incursion into the Palestinian territory, entering the suburbs of densely populated Gaza City and engaging in street fighting with Palestinian militants. The offensive, which has claimed the lives of more than 950 Palestinians and 13 Israelis so far, has hardened attitudes on both sides: numerous civilian deaths have led to an outpouring of support for Hamas among Palestinians in the Fatah-controlled West Bank, while Israelis have united behind their military's efforts.

 

incursion: 侵犯（通常指非永久性的侵占）

densely populated: 人口密集的

claim the lives: 使某人死亡

harden: 使变坚定

Hamas: 哈马斯，巴勒斯坦伊斯兰原教旨主义运动，目的是为建立巴勒斯坦国家，反对与以色列进行和平谈判

Fatah: 法塔赫，巴勒斯坦民族解放阵线的简称

 

39 | Somalia, Pirate Booty

The Somali pirates who had held a Saudi oil tanker captive for nearly two months released the ship after receiving a reported $3 million ransom on Jan. 9. All did not end well for the pirates, however: reports said several of them drowned when their boat capsized as they returned to shore. The tanker, the Sirius Star, is the largest ship ever hijacked and had been held since Nov. 15. It was carrying about $100 million worth of crude oil.

 

pirate booty: 海盗的掠夺物

captive: 被俘获的物品

ransom: 赎金

capsize: 倾覆

hijack: 劫持

crude oil: 原油

 

40 | Germany, Better Late than Never

After months of denying there was any need for a rescue, Chancellor Angela Merkel unveiled a $66 billion stimulus package and a $132 billion loan fund to help Europe's largest economy through its worst recession since World War II. It includes:

$132 billion credit guarantee for struggling businesses

$3,300 payment for scrapping a car older than nine years and buying a new one

$24 billion for public investment, mostly in education

$660 million to boost innovation in the German auto industry

$12 billion in proposed tax relief

 

Chancellor: 总理

unveil stimulus package: 拉开经济刺激计划的序幕

scrap: 抛弃

tax relief: 减税

 

41 | Germany, The Financial Crisis Claims A Victim

Adolf Merckle, a 74-year-old billionaire whose business empire included some of Germany's best-known cement and pharmaceutical companies, threw himself in front of a train on Jan. 5--driven to suicide, his family said, by the global financial crisis. Merckle had lost hundreds of millions of euros in a bad bet on Volkswagen shares, endangering the future of his companies as a result. A handful of other business leaders have taken their own life amid the recent economic downturn, including Kirk Stephenson, the London-based CEO of Olivant, who died in September.

 

pharmaceutical: 制药的

economic downturn: 经济衰退

 

42 | Islamabad, Making Its Case

India's government has delivered evidence it says proves that 10 terrorists who killed 179 people in Mumbai late last year were from Pakistan, including photos of Pakistani-made weapons carried by the attackers and transcripts of phone conversations between them and Pakistan-based handlers. Islamabad has not officially accepted responsibility; on Jan. 7, a security official was fired for publicly acknowledging a connection.

 

Islamabad: 伊斯兰堡（巴基斯坦首都）

transcript: 文本

 

43 | Ukraine, Running Out of Gas

In a dispute that threatens to leave several European countries short of natural gas in midwinter, Russia stopped gas shipments to Ukraine, claiming the neighboring country owes $2 billion in late payments. A timeline:

* DEC. 24, 2008 Russian President Dmitri Medvedev orders Ukraine to pay up "to the last ruble" or risk sanctions

* DEC. 30 Ukraine agrees to pay its November and December debts

* JAN. 1, 2009 Russia claims it still has not received payment and cuts off Ukraine gas supplies. Both countries confirm that negotiations have halted

* JAN. 4 The Czech Republic reports a drop in Russian gas supply

* JAN. 6 With six European countries reporting a complete shutoff of Russian gas--which is funneled through Ukraine--the E.U. demands that talks resume. Russia and Ukraine blame each other for the lack of gas. The contract details are secret, though, making facts difficult to confirm

 

pay up “to the last ruble”: 付清所有的卢布

risk sanction: 面临制裁的危险

halt: 暂停

funnel: 通过

 

44 | India, What's Sanskrit for Enron?

"It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten," wrote Ramalinga Raju (below), chairman of India's Satyam Computer Services, in a Jan. 7 resignation letter admitting that he had hugely inflated the outsourcing company's profits for years. Also fabricated: the $1.04 billion the company reported as assets in September. Satyam shares dropped 78%. The news raises concerns about India's regulatory agencies and has worrisome repercussions. Satyam (Sanskrit for truth) serves 1 in 3 FORTUNE 500 companies and employs 53,000 people.

 

It was like riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten：奇虎难下

inflate: 膨胀

fabricate: 虚构

regulatory: 管理的

repercussion: 不良影响

 

45 | Detroit, A Bleak Holiday for Carmakers

Sales of cars and light trucks in the final month of 2008 fell 36% from the previous December, capping a disastrous year in which U.S. auto sales tumbled 18%. After soaring oil prices over the summer made driving more expensive, the Big Three automakers, caught in the financial crisis and facing slumping demand, were forced to rely on a Washington handout to avoid bankruptcy. In the chilly December market, Chrysler saw sales drop by more than half, and no brands were immune save for Rolls-Royce and Mini, which witnessed only slight upticks. Experts say the dismal figures portend less production and variety in 2009.

 

bleak: 阴郁的，黯淡的

slump: 大幅下跌

immune: 有免疫的

save: 除了

uptick: 上扬

dismal: 凄凉的，悲惨的

portend: 预兆

 

46 | Washington, Envoy Expectations

President Obama's Middle East envoy, George Mitchell, kicked off a weeklong trip to the Middle East on Jan. 27, intended to bolster peace and stability in the region and extend the fragile cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Mitchell's trip, which has included stops in Egypt and Israel for meetings with senior officials, came as a flare-up of violence in Gaza left two people dead. Mitchell also plans to visit other key regional players in the peace process, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Mitchell is not scheduled to meet with Hamas representatives during his tour.

 

envoy: 使者

kick off: 开始

bolster: 支持

cease-fire: 休战

a flare-up of violence: 暴力事件的爆发

 

47 | Iceland, Banks Fail; Government Follows

After months of protests triggered by the collapse of Iceland's economy amid the global financial crisis, its government finally joined suit on Jan. 26. It has been replaced by a new left-leaning coalition that is expected to tap Johanna Sigurdardottir to take the helm. The 66-year-old Social Affairs Minister would become the world's first openly gay woman to serve as head of state.

1984 At a U.N. conference in Mexico City, Ronald Reagan prohibits U.S. international aid from going to organizations that provide abortion-related services or advice

1993 On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, a few days after taking office, Bill Clinton reverses Reagan's Executive ban

2001 Eight years later on the same day, Bush reinstates Reagan's order

2009 Avoiding the Roe v. Wade anniversary, Barack Obama restores international funding the following day

 

trigger: 引发

take the helm: 掌权

Roe v. Wade：罗伊原名为诺玛.迈卡维。她是一个贫穷，没有受过教育，整天酗酒，吸毒，虽然只有21岁，可她却已经生了两个孩子，并且都已交给别人领养。1970年，诺玛发现自己又怀孕了。她想进行一次人工流产手术。而在当时的得克萨斯等几个州，堕胎是违法的。迈卡维的请求得到了一些权势人物的支持。他们推举她成为第一诉讼人，向政府提交申请，希望能够将堕胎合法化。被告是达拉斯市刑事法官，亨利.威德（Henry Wade）。这时案子已经转到了美国最高法院（the U. S. Supreme Court），迈卡维的名字也被改成了珍妮.罗伊（Jane Roe）。1973年1月22日，法庭宣判罗伊女士获胜，允许在全美实现堕胎合法化。

 

48 | Rome, Papal Problems

Pope Benedict XVI sparked outrage by reinstating an excommunicated bishop, Richard Williamson, who has denied that 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. As Israel's chief rabbinate cut ties with the Vatican, Benedict repudiated anti-Semitism and said the readmission of Williamson and three other bishops--a bid to repair a schism with an ultra-conservative wing of the church--did not mean the Holy See shared his views.

 

reinstate: 使某人恢复原先的职位

excommunicate: 逐出基督教教会

Holocaust: 大规模的毁灭，这里指二战期间纳粹对于欧洲犹太教徒的种族屠杀。

repudiate: 断绝来往

anti-Semitism: 反犹太人

schism: 教会分裂

ultra-conservative wing 极端保守派

 

President Barack Obama restored funding to aid groups that offer abortions or abortion advice, undoing a 1984 ban criticized by pro-choice groups. Obama said denying aid undermined "safe and effective voluntary family-planning in developing countries." It was the third time a President reversed the order.

 

pro-choice groups: 主张妇女有堕胎权的团体

 

50 | U.S., Layoffs Cut Deeper

Bleak job news continued, with all sectors of the economy--from prescription drugs to construction equipment--buckling under the pressure. More than 50,000 U.S. job cuts were announced on Jan. 26 alone, adding to the 2.6 million lost since December 2007. The Labor Department also announced that 21,137 mass layoffs--involving 50 or more job cuts at once--took place in 2008.

Jan. 26 Job Cuts

CATERPILLAR 20,000

PFIZER 19,500

SPRINT NEXTEL 8,000

HOME DEPOT 7,000

 

buckle under the pressure: 屈服于压力