BBC news 2010-05-23 加文本

1.British cabinet ministers who are visiting Kabul have played down differences that had appeared to be growing between the Foreign Secretary William Hague and the Defense Secretary Liam Fox over the future British's role in Afghanistan.

play down轻描淡写, 故意缩小…的重要性

例句：She tried to play down his part in the affair.
      她极力贬低他在这一事件中的作用。

      Somehow Harriet always tried to play herself down to her friends.
      不知为什么, 哈丽特总是竭力使自己在朋友们中间显得无足轻重似的。

2. It skidded off the runway and crashed into a heavily wooded gorge below.

skid off滑离

3.Although it was raining at the time, aviation officials say it was not enough to make things difficult for the pilot, and there was no indication from the cockpit of something going wrong.

make things difficult for使人难应付，刁难某人

例句：We should not make things difficult for each other, as the problem can only be solved when we unite.
      我们不应该互相剥难，齐心协力才能解决问题。

      He wanted to make things difficult for me.
      他有意和我过不去。

4.The crowd of several hundred well-wishers waving large Palestinian flags braved the wet weather to send off the largest of the ships from a wharf on the Bosphorous.

send off为…送行

例句：There was a large crowd to send him off.
      一大群人为他送行。

      Mary complained about getting up early in the morning to send her husband off to work.
      玛丽抱怨早晨得早起送丈夫去上班。