241.sabotage v. （以间接的手段）破坏
Meanwhile, the U.S. and Israel regard Iran as a rogue state that seeks to export terror, build nuclear weapons and sabotage the Middle East peace process.
在这同时，美国与以色列视伊朗为流氓国家，认为它致力于输出恐怖活动，建立核力量，破坏中东和平进程。
注： rogue n. 恶棍，流氓
242.scatter v. 散播，散布
Epstein … notes that in recent years variants of the class of viruses that includes measles have killed seals in the North sea, lions in the Serengeti and horses in Australia --- three very different animals widely scattered around the globe.
爱泼斯坦指出，最近几年，几种与麻疹同类型的滤过性病毒之变体已经害死了北海的海豹、塞伦加提的狮子及澳大利亚的马——分散于世界不同地区、截然不同的3种动物。
243.shed v. 使泻出，散发
Today the yellow arches of McDonald’s shed their plastic gleam on Red Square, and gangsterism tules instead of socialist virtue.
如今红场上流泻着麦当劳黄色的拱形标志所散发出的虚幻光芒，统领一切的不再是社会主义美德，而是逞凶斗狠的帮派行径。
244.shrink v. 减少，变小(pt shrank, pp shrunk)
【反】grow
Samsung Electronic, for example, which has seen its stock price shrink by half since the beginning of the year, has cut back 16-megabitchip production nearly 15%.
举例来说，韩国的三星电子公司眼见其股票价格自年初开始下跌到原来的一半，已经将其16GB芯片的生产量减少近15%。
245.slash v. 大幅削减（经费）
【同】cut
Time and again, as La Mama’s grants from government have been slashed, her theater has been on the verge of closing.
随着政府给拉玛玛的经费被削减，他的剧场多次濒临倒闭。
注： grant n. （机构给予的）补助金
246.soar v. 升高，（价格）暴涨
【同】rocket
Relations with Japan could soar. Economic friction has eased. The trade deficit has dropped 30% in the past year.
与日本的关系可能大幅加强，经济摩擦已经缓和下来，贸易赤字在去年一年就减少了30%。
247.spark v. 刺激，鼓舞
【同】promote? trigger
Chirac’s task now is to heal the wounds of a bruising campaign, restore public confidence and spark a job-creating burst of economic growth.
希拉克眼下的重任，就是抚平激烈的竞选活动造成的创伤，重建人民的信心，以及带动一阵足以创造就业机会的经济增长。
注： bruising adj. 激烈的；a burst of 一阵
248.split v. 分裂
Relations between the countries hit a high after World War II when they coalesced to lead the world communist movement. But they split in the 1960s over ideological difference.
第二次世界大战结束后，两国联手领导世界的共产主义运动，当时两国的关系达到最高点，但在60年代因意识形态相左而分道扬镳。
bit v. 达到；high adj. 高水准；coalesce v. 联合
249.stage v. 推出，举办
【同】hold
But then he felt compelled to stage an impromptu press conference, at which he “revealed” that Russia’s military possesses something called an “Elipton, ”a weapon of mass destruction more powerful than a nuclear weapon.
但他后来觉得应该开一场临时记者招待会，会上他透露俄国军方拥有一种叫做“埃利普顿”的大规模毁灭武器，其威力比核武器还强。
注： to feel compelled to… 觉得应该……，觉得……是应有所为
250.stall v. 使停止，阻挡
About 40000 refugees were stalled Saturday just outside Tanzania after the country closed its borders.
坦桑尼亚关闭过境后，星期六约有4万名难民被挡在该国国境外边。