NPR 2008-12-06

The news the economy lost more than half a million jobs last month, the worst one-month drop in 34 years from many economists¹, confirms the current recession could be longer and deeper than first thought. The government also revised downwards² to the previous two months' job losses and said the unemployment rate has risen to 6. 7%, its highest level in 15 years. Over the financial market, it seems to largely shrug³ that off today. Alan Skrainka is chief market strategist at Edward Jones. He says the market was already prepared for a big number. "Many investors⁴ had fairly been bracing⁵ for a bad jobs report. There were sort of guesses that the number could be very very bad, as high as 500, 000, and then when we got the report, I think, you know, much of these bad news had already been reflected in the market.”  Government says since the start of the recession roughly a year ago, the US economy has now lost nearly two million jobs. Around a third of those job losses have taken place in the past three months.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 259 points. So for the week, the Dow fell 193 points. The S&P 500 gained 30 points.

For a second consecutive⁶ day, the chief executives of Detroit's Big Three were on Capitol Hill pleading for a financial bailout. At the White House today, President Bush, however, suggested that the Big Three's days may be numbered. More from NPR's David Welna.

President Bush declared in the White House Rose Garden that while he's concerned about the viability⁷ of the auto⁸ companies, he also sees them as a risky⁹ bet for taxpayers¹⁰. "I'm concerned about those who work for the automobile¹¹ companies and their families. And likewise, I am concerned about taxpayers’ money for being provided to those companies that may not survive. " The president's suggestion of US automakers’ disappearing did not set well with Gary Barbera, a Philadelphia Chrysler-Chevy dealer¹², who is at the Capitol to push for a bailout for the auto industry. "I mean no disrespect. But he's, just I mean, I find it offensive. " Others accused the Bush administration of having a double standard that favors financial firms over industry. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

India's government is facing growing anger about last week's attacks in Mumbai. NPR's Philip Reeves reports.

This deep anger in India with the country's political leaders. They are widely accused of failing to prevent the attacks. India's equivalent of the interior minister has resigned. Today his replacement¹³ P. Chidambaram admitted that there were security lapses¹⁴. He said these will be looked into and their causes will be addressed soon. Allegations are flying thick and fast in India that Pakistan's intelligence agency, the ISI, was involved in plotting the assault. Pakistan denies it. Asked about this, Chidambaram refused to give details, though he said there’s evidence that those who carried out the assaults in Mumbai were linked to organizations or entities¹⁵ behind previous terrorist attacks. Philip Reeves, NPR News, New Delhi.

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The nation's highest court has agreed to take up the case of whether the president can order the people picked up in the US can be detained indefinitely and held without criminal charges. The court, in an order released today said it will review the Bush administration's aggressive use of preventative detention¹⁶ for suspected terrorists. The administration says the president has the authority to order the military to detain anyone suspected of being a member of al-Qaeda, although that policy has been challenged by Ali al-Marri, a native of Qatar, who’s the only enemy combatant seized and held on US soil.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says it is well past time for President Robert Mugabe to leave office. Her comments added to the growing international pressure on the Zimbabwean leaders, some of them coming from Africa. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

The Nobel Peace Laureate, Emeritus¹⁷ Archbishop Desmond Tutu blamed President Robert Mugabe for the crisis in Zimbabwe and said if need be, African countries should use military force against the veteran leader. "If they say to him: step down and he refuses, they must (be) going (to) do so militarily.” Kenya's Prime Minister made a similar suggestion Thursday. Tutu also said Mugabe should be threatened with prosecution¹⁸. "The world must say: Look, you have been responsible with your cohorts for gross violations¹⁹ and you are going to face indictment²⁰ in the Hague unless you step down.” Ofeibea Quist-Arcton NPR News, Johannesburg.

It's been described as among the biggest jewelry²¹ heists in history. French police say a gang of armed robbers, at least two of whom were dressed in drag, grabbed 100 million dollars worth of diamond rings, necklaces and luxury watches from a Harry²² Winston boutique in Paris. Officials say the robbery took place as the store was closing yesterday.

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

3 shrug   

v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)

参考例句：

• With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。
• I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

4 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

5 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

6 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

7 viability   

n.存活(能力)

参考例句：

• What is required to achieve or maintain such viability? 要达到或维持这种生存能力需要什么？
• Scientists are experimenting to find ways to ensure the viability of seeds for even longer periods of time. 正如我们所说，科学家正在试验努力寻找让种子的生命力更加延长的方法。

8 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

9 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

10 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

11 automobile   

n.汽车，机动车

参考例句：

• He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
• The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。

12 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

13 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

14 lapses   

n.失误，过失( lapse的名词复数 )；小毛病；行为失检；偏离正道v.退步( lapse的第三人称单数 )；陷入；倒退；丧失

参考例句：

• He sometimes lapses from good behavior. 他有时行为失检。 来自辞典例句
• He could forgive attacks of nerves, panic, bad unexplainable actions, all sorts of lapses. 他可以宽恕突然发作的歇斯底里，惊慌失措，恶劣的莫名其妙的动作，各种各样的失误。 来自辞典例句

15 entities   

实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Our newspaper and our printing business form separate corporate entities. 我们的报纸和印刷业形成相对独立的企业实体。
• The North American continent is made up of three great structural entities. 北美大陆是由三个构造单元组成的。

16 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

17 emeritus   

adj.名誉退休的

参考例句：

• "Perhaps I can introduce Mr.Lake Kirby,an emeritus professor from Washington University?"请允许我介绍华盛顿大学名誉教授莱克柯尔比先生。
• He will continue as chairman emeritus.他将会继续担任荣誉主席。

18 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

19 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

20 indictment   

n.起诉；诉状

参考例句：

• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。
• They issued an indictment against them.他们起诉了他们。

21 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

22 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。