英语听力精选进阶版 7370

President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali of Tunisia has announced that he'll not stand for re-election in 2014. The president, who has enjoyed almost unchallenged power for more than 20 years, was speaking as violent demonstrations 1 against unemployment and falling living standards escalated 2 and reached the centre of the capital Tunis. Here's our Middle East editor Magdi Abdelhadi.

扎因·阿比丁·本·阿里(Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali) 宣布，他不会寻求在2014年竞选连任。过去20多年，这位总统的权利一直是不可挑战的。但是由于反对失业和生活水平下降的示威活动升级，并且蔓延至突尼斯首都，总统宣布了该决定。我们的中东编辑Magdi Abdelhadi报道。

In his third televised speech since the crisis began nearly a month ago, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali offered major political concessions 3 including a promise not to run for office again in three years' time. This is one of the key demands of the thousands of protesters who've taken to the streets across the country. Mr Ben Ali also said he has given orders to the security forces to stop using live ammunition 4 against the demonstrators. He promised to reform the political system and allow the media to operate freely.

在危机接近一个月前开始以来的第三次电视讲话中，本·阿里总统做出重大的政治让步，包括承诺三年之后不再竞选连任。这也是全国各地抗议活动的数千名抗议者的关键要求。本·阿里还表示已下令安全力量停止用实弹射击示威者。他承诺对政治体系进行改革，允许媒体自由运营。

The Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has visited the scenes of the floods and landslides 5 north of Rio de Janeiro, which have claimed well over 400 lives. Mrs Rousseff flew over the region before landing to chat to residents and officials in two of the worst-hit towns, Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo. David Shukman reports.

巴西总统罗塞夫(Dilma Rousseff)视察了里约热内卢北部洪水和山体滑坡现场，事故已经造成400多人死亡。罗塞夫首先乘飞机总体查看了该地区，着陆后与受影响最严重的两个城镇，特勒索波里斯和新富丽堡的居民和官员对话。David Shukman报道。

Rescuers are struggling to reach people trapped as their homes collapsed 6. In 24 hours, this region received as much rain as it normally gets in a month, and the floodwaters tore through buildings and roads. Overcrowding and flimsy construction meant that houses perched on steep slopes were no match for the torrents 7. In one town, firefighters were engulfed 8 by mud as they arrived to help. In another, rescuers saved a baby from the wreckage 9 along with the father, but the mother is feared dead.

搜救人员正在努力解救房屋坍塌时被困的人们。24小时内，该地区的降雨量达到正常情况下一个月的总降雨量，洪水冲垮了建筑和道路。过度拥挤，脆弱的建筑意味着位于陡坡上的房屋禁不起湍流的冲击。在其中一个城镇，消防员希望展开营救时被泥石流围困。在另外一个小镇，救援人员在废墟中救出一个婴儿和它的父亲，但是恐怕母亲已经遇难。

The world's first genetically 12 modified chickens that do not spread bird flu have been created by British scientists. Writing in the journal Science, the researchers say they've developed the birds with an artificial gene 10. The researchers say that in principle, the technique could be used to protect any farm animal from any viral disease. Professor Helen Sang of Edinburgh University says genetic 11 modification 13 is potentially a much better way of protecting against diseases than vaccination 14 because it works even if the virus mutates.

英国科学家研制出世界上首批经过基因改造不传播禽流感的鸡。在《科学》期刊上，研究人员表示，他们使用人造基因研制出了这些鸡。研究人员表示，原则上来说，该技术可以用于保护任何农田动物不受疾病伤害。爱丁堡大学的Helen Sang教授表示，基因改造是比注射疫苗更好的预防疾病的方法，因为即使病毒突变，这种方法仍然有效。

"It will protect a whole flock from infection from bird flu. This is really exciting because bird flu is a real challenge to production of poultry 15, and if this was introduced into poultry breeding, then it would protect our large scale poultry production flocks."

“基因改造将保护整个种群不感染禽流感。这确实令人非常激动，因为禽流感是禽类行业很大的挑战，如果能够将这种方法引进到禽类育种中，可以帮助大规模的禽类生产行业。”

But the poultry industry says more research and consumer acceptance is needed.

但是禽类行业表示，还需要更多的研究和消费者认可。

There have been at least four more attacks on United Nations vehicles in Ivory Coast as the crisis over the disputed presidential election continues. A UN spokesman said the Secretary General Ban Ki-moon was deeply concerned that forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to step down as president, were attacking peacekeepers.

由于科特迪瓦针对有争议的总统选举的危机仍在继续，科特迪瓦至少又有四架联合国车辆遭遇袭击。联合国一名发言人表示，秘书长潘基文深切地担忧，忠于拒绝退位的总统巴博的军队可能会袭击维和人员。

This is Michael Powles with the latest World News from the BBC.

A new report on the economic price of piracy 16 suggests the costs to the world economy is up to $12bn each year with Somali pirates largely responsible. The study examined the cost of insurance, security and ransom 17 payments. The biggest costs are believed to have come from having to reroute ships to avoid risky 18 areas.

关于海盗行为的经济代价的一份新的报告显示，海盗行为对全世界造成的经济损失高达120亿美元，其中索马里海盗要担负最大的责任。这份研究查看了保险，安全和赎金赔偿方面的成本。据信，最大的成本是船只必须避开危险区域绕道而行所产生的成本。

A debate in Britain over the issue of undercover reporters to elicit 19 comments from members of parliament has culminated 20 in the governing Liberal Democrat 21 coalition 22 party lodging 23 a complaint with the Press Complaints Commission. It relates to the Daily Telegraph newspaper secretly recording 24 the views of leading Liberal Democrats 25. The party's president Tim Farron said the Telegraph's tactics needed to be looked at.

英国关于秘密记者引用议会成员的评论的辩论达到高潮，执政党自由民主党联盟向报刊投诉委员会提起了投诉。此事与《每日电讯报》秘密录制主要的自由民主党人的观点有关。该党派主席Tim Farron表示，必须审查每日电讯报的战略。

"The Press Complaints Commission's code sets out that, you know, undercover reporting, and such like in impermissible and extreme circumstances when it's clearly in the public interest where there's evidence that there's something to be uncovered. I am not convinced that sending people into an MP's surgery to come and entrap 26 them, potentially if it can compromise the very important kind of confidential 27 relationship between an MP and their constituents 28, it actually counts."

“报刊投诉委员会准则规定，秘密报道是指在不允许和极端的情况下，明显有利于公众利益，而且有证据表明有一些信息被披露的情况下进行报道。然而，我不信服为了危害议员和他们的选民之间的关系而让人们关心议员的外科手术，对他们进行陷害。这一点非常重要。”

The Daily Telegraph maintains its actions comply with rules on public interest reporting.

每日电讯报坚持称他们的行为遵守了基于公众利益进行报道的规定。

Police in Colombia have arrested a man they say is the main link between a Colombian drug gang and one of the most powerful Mexican drug cartels. Police accused the man known as The Condor 29 of shipping 30 cocaine 31 for the Colombian Comba drug gang to Mexico, from where the powerful Sinaloa cartel would distribute it to the United States.

哥伦比亚警方称他们逮捕了一名男子，他们称，此人是哥伦比亚毒品团伙和墨西哥最有势力的毒品卡特尔之间的联络人。警方指控这个名叫The Condor的男子为哥伦比亚Comba犯罪团伙向墨西哥运输毒品，Sinaloa毒品卡特尔再将毒品转运到美国。

A Norwegian, Christian 32 Eide, has slashed 33 the record for skiing to the South Pole unaided by more than two weeks. He travelled from Hercules Inlet to the pole, a distance of 1,130km, pulling a sleigh with supplies in 24 days. The previous record was set by an American in 2008.

挪威人艾德(Christian Eide)将在无人帮助的情况下滑雪前往南极的时间缩短了两个多星期。他从海格拉斯湾出发前往南极，总距离1,130千米，雪橇上搭载了24天的用品。上一次记录由一名美国人在2008年创立。