NPR 2008-02-28

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder.

 

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is to begin testifying before Congress this hour. He is to give his take on how the economy is doing. Analysts¹ expect to hear hints about whether there will be another interest rate cut. A final decision is expected to come at the next Fed meeting March 18th. Meanwhile the EURO has reached a record high against the dollar in European trading today. And the Commerce Department is reporting that orders to American factories for big-ticket items have plunged². The Commerce Department says new orders dropped 5.3% in January, the largest amount in five months.

 

Democratic Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama clashed for 90 minutes on MSNBC last night during their last debate before next week's primaries. From Member Station WUKSU in Cleveland Kevin Kednedmire reports.

 

Differences over their stances on trade, the Iraq war and health care sparked some pointed³ but mostly polite exchanges between Senators Clinton and Obama. Clinton who trails Obama in the delegate count continued touting⁴ what she says is her superior experience over Obama's ability to stir voter enthusiasm. She pointed to both candidates' plans for universal health care. “It’s not gonna come about just because we hope it will, or we tell everybody it’s the right thing to do. You know, 15 years ago I tangled⁵ with the health insurance industry and the drug companies, and I know it takes a fighter”. Obama said he believed he would be better Democratic nominee⁶ because he would bring Americans together. Wins in next week's contests in Ohio and Texas are considered crucial to Clinton’s campaign. For NPR News, I am Kevin Nedmire in Cleveland.

 

A new study indicates that numerous airborne contaminants, including pesticides⁷, have been detected at significant levels in eco-systems at national parks in the western US. Bob Hensly of member station KXJZ reports from Modesto California.

 

The results of the 6-year study by the Western Airborne Contaminants Assessment⁸ Project didn’t come as a surprise to administrators⁹ of the parks that stretch from Alaska to the Mexican border. Evidence suggest that contaminants found in the parks are generated from domestic sources and are also carried in air masses from as far away as Europe and Asia. Ron Sonagle is an official with the National Parks Conservation Association, “We can work for continued legislation that strengthens laws that would impact the release of these chemicals and pollutants¹⁰ in the environment”. Researchers are concerned about the contaminant levels found in fish in a number of lakes. The Report says concentrations of mercury make some fish unhealthy for consumption by humans and wildlife. For NPR News, I am Bob Hensly in Modesto, California.

 

Israeli medics say a Palestinian rocket attack from the Gaza Strip has killed one person in Southern Israel. The attack comes after the Hamas movement said an Israeli air strike in Gaza today/ killed five militants¹¹.

 

Wall Street stocks are down this hour, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 24 points at 12,661.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The former leader of the nation’s largest polygamous group has been moved from the Utah state prison to a county jail in Arizona. Warren Jeffs who was convicted of facilitating sex crimes in Utah now faces similar charges in Arizona. NPR's Howard Berkes has details.

 

Warren Jeffs is the biggest target yet in a two-state crackdown on polygamous groups which marry underage girls to older men. A Utah jury convicted Jeffs last fall of being an accomplice¹² to rape¹³, and he was sent to prison for from 5 years to life. Now an Arizona court will consider allegations that Jeffs is an accomplice to incest and sexual conduct with a minor¹⁴. The case involves the same girl, the center of the Utah trial who was 14 when she says she was forced to marry her 19-year-old first cousin and submit to sex. The Arizona case also involves a 16-year-old girl, and her so called spiritual marriage to an older relative. Jeffs’s Arizona attorney said his client will plead not guilty yet at an arraignment¹⁵ Wednesday. Howard Berkes, NPR News.

 

Two Venezuelan helicopters have flown into Colombia on a mission to pick up 4 hostages held by the leftist rebel group known as the FARC. The hostages are former Colombian politicians, two are said to have medical problems. Winning their release will be a victory for Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who brokered¹⁶ a deal last month for the release of two other hostages.

 

Kenya's opposition¹⁷ leader has called off street protests. Raila Odinga said today, that rallies planned for tomorrow have been postponed¹⁸ until further notice. Odinga says he is responding to a request from former UN Chief Kofi Annan, who has been mediating¹⁹ talks between Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki over disputed elections last December.

 

I am Giles Snyder, NPR News from Washington.

 

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somebody's take (on something): someone's opinion about a situation or idea
e.g. What's your take on this issue?

 

tout: 夸耀、吹嘘、兜售

 

airborne: 通过空气传播的

 

contaminant: 污染物

 

polygamous: 一夫多妻的，一妻多夫的

 

accomplice: 同谋

 

incest: 乱伦

 

arraignment: (律)传讯，审问

 

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

5 tangled   

adj. 纠缠的，紊乱的 动词tangle的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• Your hair's so tangled that I can't comb it. 你的头发太乱了，我梳不动。
• A movement caught his eye in the tangled undergrowth. 乱灌木丛里的晃动引起了他的注意。

6 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

7 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

9 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

10 pollutants   

污染物质（尤指工业废物）( pollutant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Pollutants are constantly being released into the atmosphere. 污染物质正在不断地被排放到大气中去。
• The 1987 Amendments limit 301(g) discharges to a few well-studied nonconventional pollutants. 1987年的修正案把第301条（g）的普通排放限制施加在一些认真研究过的几种非常规污染物上。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

11 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

12 accomplice   

n.从犯，帮凶，同谋

参考例句：

• She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
• He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

13 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

14 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

15 arraignment   

n.提问，传讯，责难

参考例句：

• She was remanded to juvenile detention at her arraignment yesterday. 她昨天被送回了对少年拘留在她的传讯。 来自互联网
• Wyatt asks the desk clerk which courthouse he is being transferred to for arraignment. 他向接待警员询问了马宏将在哪个法庭接受传讯。 来自互联网

16 brokered   

adj.由权力经纪人安排（或控制）的v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的过去式和过去分词 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• a peace plan brokered by the UN 由联合国出面协商的和平计划
• Your husband brokered the deal to go in, transfrer the assets and get our man out. 你丈夫后来插了一脚，把生意都抢了过去，我们的人也被挤了出来。 来自电影对白

17 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

18 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

19 mediating   

调停，调解，斡旋( mediate的现在分词 )； 居间促成； 影响…的发生； 使…可能发生

参考例句：

• So many factors are mediating. 如此众多的因素在起作用。
• The contrast in mediating noted in the sitting room. 客厅中注重了调和中的对比。