VOA慢速英语:中国政府正抓紧营救客船幸存者

Chinese authorities are working quickly to reach survivors still trapped under a passenger ship that capsized -- or turned over -- in the Yangtze River late Monday. More than 450 passengers and crew were on board the ship when it went down. Most of the passengers were elderly Chinese tourists.

中国当局正在对周一晚些时候在长江流域倾覆的客船展开快速搜寻被困船舱幸存者行动。翻船时该客船搭载450多名乘客和船组人员，大多数乘客是年老的中国旅游者。

Only 15 people are known to have gotten out alive. More than 400 passengers are still missing. The People's Daily website reported late Tuesday three bodies were found 50 kilometers from the wreckage site.

现在只知道有15人被救出幸存，还有400多人至今下落不明。人民日报网站在周二晚些时候报道称在距离出事地点50千米距离的地方发现了3具尸体。

Boko Haram attacks Maiduguri

Boko Haram militants have again attacked the Nigerian city of Maiduguri. The city is set to be the new base of government operations aimed at defeating the group.

博科圣地组织对尼日利亚迈杜古里城市再次发起袭击。该城市将被计划用做政府进行反击恐怖组织的新基地。

Reports from the city said fighters used grenades in Tuesday's attack but were unable to advance beyond the city limits.

来自迈杜古里的报道称在周二的袭击中武装分子使用了手榴弹但是并没有能力跨越城市的限制。

Later, a suicide bomber attacked a cattle market in Maiduguri. Early reports said up to 20 people died in the explosion.

随后，一起自杀式爆炸袭击了迈杜古里的牲畜市场。早期报道称有高达20人在爆炸中死亡。

Nine NGO employees shot dead in Afghanistan

Police in northern Afghanistan said Tuesday unknown gunmen have shot dead at least nine employees of an aid agency. The attack took place in Balkh province. The victims were from the non-governmental organization, People in Need.

阿富汗北部警方周二的时候称不明身份的持枪男子对一援助机构的工作人员开枪，至少9名员工死亡。袭击发生在巴尔赫省。受害者都是非政府组织People in Need成员。

The United Nations warned last month that the Afghan conflict has caused a record rise in civilian deaths in the first few months of 2015, compared to the same period in 2014.

联合国上个月警告称阿富汗冲突在2015年前几个月与2014年期间所造成的居民死亡人数相比已经创下新高。

No one has claimed responsibility for Monday's killings of aid workers in Balkh.

目前没有组织宣称对周一袭击巴尔赫省援助工作人员事件负责。

US Senate votes on spy programs

The US Congress completed action Tuesday to end the government's huge program of collecting telephone call data designed to help stop terrorist attacks. American telephone companies will take over the task in six months.

美国国会周二的时候彻底结束政府大规模收集电话记录防止恐怖袭击行为。美国电话通信公司将在接下来六个月里接手这个工作。

The Senate voted 67-32 in favor of legislation already approved by the House of Representatives. It was then sent to President Barack Obama for his signature. Mr. Obama says he will quickly sign the legislation. He says the new rules protect both civil liberties and national security.

参议院以67:32的票数支持众议院已经批准的立法。随后这个立法将会交到总统奥巴马手中等待签署。奥巴马说他很快就会签署这一立法。他说，新立法既保护了公民自由也保护了国家安全。

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Words in the News

trap – v. to cause (a person or animal) to be unable to move or escape from a dangerous place

base –n. the main place in which a person works or lives or a business operates

grenade – n. a small bomb that is designed to be thrown by someone or shot from a rifle

surveillance – n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime