Top Stories of 2003

 

By Jerilyn Watson

This is Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

American news experts at the Associated Press have chosen the top stories of two-thousand-three. Almost all the news directors named the war in Iraq as the most important event of the year.

The United States led a military coalition against Iraq beginning March nineteenth. The military action began after President Bush repeatedly warned Iraq to report about its weapons of mass destruction. By April seventh, much of Baghdad was under control of the coalition. Mister Bush declared major combat operations over on May first.

Many Iraqis said they were happy that Saddam Hussein's rule was over. But Iraqi resisters have continued to attack and kill coalition fighters and Iraqi civilians.

American troops captured Saddam Hussein on December thirteenth. But so far the coalition has found no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

The news experts named the loss of the American space shuttle Columbia as the second most important story of the year. Columbia broke apart on February first as it returned to Earth after a sixteen-day research flight. Seven astronauts died in the explosion.

The Associated Press experts said a special recall vote by citizens in the state of California was the third most important story of the year. On October seventh, California voters removed Democrat Gray Davis as governor. They chose actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, to replace him. Under Governor Davis, California had suffered severe financial problems.

The news experts said the disease SARS was another top story. In February, health experts in Asia reported the first cases of a new disease later named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Over time, about eight-thousand people around the world became sick with the disease. Almost eight-hundred people reportedly died.

The news agency experts identified a power loss in North America as the next most important event. On August fourteenth, a power company computer failed in the American state of Ohio. This caused a loss of electricity in eight American states and part of Canada.

Next, the experts noted America's improving economy. The nation's growth rate from July through September was the best in nineteen years. But estimates said the federal debt increased to five-hundred-thousand-million dollars.

Another top story was the deadly wildfires in California in October and November. The news experts said the tax （以下声音缺失）cut of three-hundred-thirty-thousand-million dollars for American taxpayers was also an important story.

The safe return of a kidnapped fifteen-year-old girl was voted the ninth biggest story. Finally, the news experts chose the campaign for the Democratic Party's nomination for president in the two-thousand-four election. Former Vermont governor Howard Dean now appears to lead eight other competitors.

In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. This is Steve Ember.

 

Associated Press 美国联合通讯社，简称美联社。

military [5militEri] adj. 军事的

coalition [7kEuE5liFEn] n. 联盟

weapons of mass destruction 大规模杀伤性武器

Iraqi [i5rB:ki] n. 伊拉克人

Saddam Hussein 伊拉克前总统萨达姆·侯赛因

resister [ri5zistE] n. 抵抗者，反抗者

Iraq [i5rB:k] n. 伊拉克共和国，亚洲西南部国家。

space shuttle Columbia 哥伦比亚号，美国历史上资格最老的航天飞机。

break apart 爆炸

astronaut [5AstrEnC:t] n. 航天员

recall vote 罢免选举

Democrat [5demEkrAt] n. 美国民主党人

Gray Davis 格雷·戴维斯

Arnold Schwarzenegger 阿诺·施瓦辛格

Republican [ri5pQblikEn] n. 美国共和党人

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 严重急性呼吸系统综合症，缩写为SARS

over time 随着时间过去

Ohio [Eu5haiEu] n. 俄亥俄州

estimate [5estimeit] n. 预测

wildfire [5waildfaiE] n. 野火，蔓延得很快的烈火

kidnap [5kidnAp] vt. 诱拐，绑架

Vermont [vE:5mCnt] n. 佛蒙特州，美国东北部的一个州

Howard Dean 霍华德·迪安，佛蒙特州前州长