BBC news 2011-03-19 加文本

1.President Obama has set out specific conditions that Libya must fulfil if it's to avoid Western military intervention in its fight against anti-government forces.

set out安排, 组织

例句：They set out the chairs for the meeting in rows of ten.
      他们摆好会议的坐椅, 每排十把椅子。

      My plans for the firm have been set out in this document.
      我为公司制定的各项计划都写在这份文件中了。

2.Gaddafi must stop his troops from advancing on Benghazi, pull them back from Ajdabiya, Misurata and Zawiya.

pull back(使)(某人, 尤指一组士兵)撤出阵地

例句：The platoon pulled back to safety.
      这一排士兵撤回到了安全地带。

3.The Chilean government said the deal focused on training nuclear engineers rather than building a reactor.

rather than(要)…而不…, 与其…倒不如…

例句：We'll have the meeting in the classroom rather than in the auditorium.
      我们与其在礼堂里开会, 不如在教室开会。

      They thus increased their annual grain production rather than diminished it.
      他们这样增加了而不是减少了粮食年产量。

相关短语：would rather宁愿, 宁可

例句：I would rather have the small one than the big one.
      我宁愿要小的, 不要大的。

      I would rather go out tonight, if you don't mind.
      如果你不介意的话, 我宁愿今晚出去。

4.They are, as I'm looking, storming over the walls of the house and over the gate, despite the fact there's razor wire all over the place.

Despite用作介词时，与 in spite of同义，都表示“尽管”、“虽然”、“不顾”之意，但程度有所不同。

一般说来，in spite of的语气较强，使用范围也较广； despite的语气较弱，多用于诗歌或正式的文体中。Despite可以写作despite of，也

可以写作 in despite of；in spite of则可以写作 spite of，但这些写法已少用了。例：

Despite his advanced years，he is learning to drive．

虽然年事已高，他现在在学驾驶汽车。

Despite the drought，we expect a good crop．

尽管天旱，丰收依然在望。