美联社新闻一分钟 2005-12-25

（单词翻译）

1. In Thailand, low-key ceremonies mark the start of the one-year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami¹ that killed at least 216,000 people.

2. Holiday spirit returns to Bethlehem for the first time in 6 years, as thousands of pilgrims pack the town for Christmas celebrations.

3. Defense² Secretary Rumsfeld serves Christmas Eve dinner to U.S. troops in Iraq, telling them they will persevere³ and win the war there.

4. The U.S criticizes Egypt for the conviction of Ayman Nour, runner-up to Hosni Mubarak in that country's presidential vote this fall.

5. And finally, Russian President Putin shows off his judo⁴ skills, giving a master class to students in his hometown of St. Petersburg.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. low-key
low-key
If you say that something is low-key, you mean that it is on a small scale rather than involving a lot of activity or being made to seem impressive or important.
The wedding will be a very low-key affair.
He wanted to keep the meetings low-key.
ADJ-GRADED
= muted, understated

2. pack
3 pack packs packing packed
If people or things pack into a place or if they pack a place, there are so many of them that the place is full.
Hundreds of thousands of people packed into the mosque⁵.
Seventy thousand people will pack the stadium.
VB
= cram⁶

3. runner-up
runner-up runners-up
A runner-up is someone who has finished in second place in a race or competition.
The ten runners-up will receive a case of wine.
...Paul Azinger, the American who was runner-up to Faldo at Muirfield in 1987.
N-COUNT: oft N to n

4. judo
judo
Judo is a sport in which two people fight and try to throw each other to the ground.
N-UNCOUNT