BBC news 2011-09-26 加文本

短语讲解：

1. The US and Britain have welcomed the announcement by the king of Saudi Arabia that women will for the first time be able to participate in municipal elections.

participate in参加
例句：Everyone can participate in this game.
每个人都能参加这游戏。

2. King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz said that women will now be able to vote as well as stand for election.

stand for为…而奋斗; 拥护
例句：John always stands for what is right.
约翰一贯支持正确的事情。

3. Scrabbling in a patch of wasteland next to the Abu Salim prison walls, a man pulls out a pair of torn trousers and searches inside for a name; another man shows a fragment of skull - apparently human - and some other bones.

pull out拔出
例句：The drawer won't pull out.
这抽屉拉不出来。

4. The President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has said he's committed to handing over power to end months of protests against his rule.

commit to对…作出承诺, 承担义务, 担负责任; 使(自己)致力于…
例句：I must go. I have committed myself to the club tonight and the members are expecting me.
我得走了, 我已经答应今晚去俱乐部, 会员们正等着我呢。
hand over让与, 移交
He has resigned and will hand over charge of his office today.
他已辞职, 将在今日办移交手续。

5. President Saleh said a peaceful transfer of power should come through the ballot box, and he said he was committed to a Gulf Arab peace initiative.

come through穿过; 穿透
例句：The sun came through after days of rain.
下了几天雨之后, 太阳出来了。

6. But his speech offered few concrete concessions to protesters, who want him to step down immediately.

step down辞职，下台
例句：The manager had to step down on account of poor health.
那位经理由于身体不好, 只能辞职不干。

7. The opposition fears the country could slip towards civil war if Mr Saleh continues to cling to power.

cling to紧抓, 紧附, 紧偎
例句：The child clung to his mother.
那个孩子紧紧地偎在母亲身上。

8. A court in Bahrain has jailed six men for 15 years for cutting off the tongue of an Asian muezzin, the caller at a mosque who summons the faithful to prayer.

cut off (疾病等)使(人)死亡; 切〔隔〕断, 阻碍
例句：Disease cut Brooks off in the best part of life.
疾病结束了布鲁克斯盛年的生命。

9. Correspondents say Asian Sunni Muslims perceive hostility from Bahrain's Shia majority, who accuse the country's ruling Sunni dynasty of favouring fellow Sunnis.

accuse of指责, 控告
例句：We accused him of taking bribes.
我们控告他受贿。

10. The meeting comes amid reports that the group of 20 leading economies are considering to allow Greece to partially default on its debts.

default on拖欠…
例句：He defaulted on his payments for support of the child.
他拖欠孩子的抚养费。