BBC news 2011-03-31 加文本

短语讲解：

1. The main city Abidjan remains largely in the hands of Laurent Gbagbo, who has refused to step down as head of state since elections last November.

in the hands of 由…掌握, 控制, 负责
例句：A chase might be in the hands of the crown. 
 狩猎地可能掌握在王室手中。 
step down 下台，辞职
例句：I'm not ready to step down yet. 
 我还不准备辞职。 

2. Rebels in Libya are continuing to retreat rapidly in the face of an advance by government forces.

in the face of 面对
例句：He was standing in proud array in the face of difficulties. 
 他面对困难，心里充满自信。

3. The pro-Gaddafi army is starting to make much more use of ordinary flat bed trucks with heavy machine guns or anti-aircraft guns mounted on them, exactly the weapons the rebels have been using.

make use of 利用，使用
例句：We train them to make use of reference books. 
 我们训练他们使用参考书。 
mount on 安装在…上
例句：The guns are mounted on the truck.
大炮被安装在卡车上。

4. The Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has failed to announce any clear concessions in his first public address since anti-government demonstrations broke out two weeks ago.

break out 爆发
例句：He predicted that war would break out in the next few years. 
 他预言战争将在下几年中爆发。

5. President Assad is facing the biggest internal challenge to his rule since he took over from his father in 2000.

take over 接管，接替
例句：You are to take over one of the subdivisions. 
 你将接管其中一个分部。 

6. Hundreds of thousands of Yemenis turned out to demand the departure of President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

hundreds of thousands of 成百上千的
例句：The city subways carry hundreds of thousands of passengers a day. 
 市内的地下铁每天运载数十万乘客。

7. Mr Medvedev wants government ministers to give up their seats on company boards of directors.

give up  交出，放弃
例句：I shall give up my claim, in submission to your wishes. 
 我将服从你的意愿,放弃我的要求。