NPR 2008-04-20

Pope Benedict celebrated¹ Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City today where he again referred to the clergy² sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in the US. NPR's Margot Adler reports from New York.

 Pope Benedict blessed the cathedral with holy water before entering. About 3, 000 people, mostly clergy, attended the Mass. He used the cathedral's Gothic structure to make many of his points. He said many people see only the outside of the church, dark and heavy, not the stained glass windows inside, flooded with mystic light. Benedict has addressed the sexual abuse scandal several times on this trip and he did so again. As to the abuse that has caused so much pain and suffering, he said, "I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian³ hope to the continuing challenges that this situation presents. " He also urged priests and religious leaders to cooperate with bishops⁴ who were dealing⁵ with these issues. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

 New Yorkers greeted the pontiff as he rode in his Popemobile up Fifth Avenue. The Pope also spoke⁶ to a crowd of thousands of young people at a youth rally in Yonkers, New York.

 President Bush says he's still hopeful that North Korea will provide a full declaration of its nuclear weapons programs even though the deadline for doing so is four months past. He spoke after talks at Camp David today with South Korea's new president. NPR's Jennifer Ludden has that story.

Both leaders urged patience. It's difficult, says South Korea's president, but not impossible to convince Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons program. The delay in reporting has stalled talks among North Korea and five other nations over its nuclear technology. The Bush administration has been criticized for scaling back demands on what information should be reported. But Mr. Bush says new ways to verify Pyongyang's declarations will make up for that. The visit is the first ever by a Korean leader to Camp David. This week, the two countries signed a program to exempt⁷ South Koreans from needing a visa to visit the US. Seoul also lifted its ban on US beef imports. President Bush then said he would urge Congress to approve a free trade deal with South Korea. If ratified⁸, it would be the largest such agreement since NAFTA. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

 The Democratic presidential candidates are campaigning in Pennsylvania in advance of Tuesday's primary. Hillary Clinton said President Bush has been no friend of the middle class. "The wealthy and the well-connected have had a president. George Bush has been fighting for more tax breaks for the oil companies. " Clinton speaking at a rally in West Lawn, Pennsylvania. Her rival Barack Obama criticized Clinton for switching positions on issues and waging a negative campaign. "She's taken different positions at different times on issues as fundamental as trade, even the war, to suit the politics of the moment. And when she gets caught at it, the notion is, well, you know what, that's just politics." Obama is on a whistle-stop tour across Pennsylvania.

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 The week-long Jewish holiday of Passover begins at sundown with the ritual Seder Meal. In Israel, security forces are on high alert amid concern about possible attacks by Palestinian militants⁹. Earlier today, Hamas suicide bombers¹⁰ detonated explosives packed into two jeeps at a border crossing into the Gaza Strip. Thirteen(数字位于句首请用英语写啦^^) Israeli soldiers were wounded. Hamas has threatened more attacks in an effort to break the economic blockade of Gaza imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas took control of the territory last year.

 Some aboriginal¹¹ leaders in Canada are threatening to disrupt the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010 in the same way that pro-Tibet demonstrators have targeted this summer's Olympic Games in China. Dan Karpenchuk reports.

 The native leaders warn that Canada could see bridge blockades, airport disruptions and Internet campaigns unless there's some action on aboriginal land claims and poverty. Some in British Columbia are already beginning to draft plans that include an escalating¹² series of options as the Winter Olympics draws closer. Canada's top native leader, Phil Fontaine, the national chief of the Assembly of First Nations, says the Vancouver Olympics could provide an opportunity to raise awareness¹³ about native issues in Canada. He draws similarities between China's treatment of Tibet to Canada's treatment of its aboriginals¹⁴, and adds that Canadians should be just as outraged¹⁵ about the situation at home. Some chiefs say while there will be protests, they will be peaceful and focused on avoiding violence or creating ill will among the country's non-natives. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

 American astronaut Peggy Whitson and two other crew members who were returning from the International Space Station are safe after a harrowing landing in a Russian Soyuz space capsule today. The capsule came down 260 miles away from its intended landing site.

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

3 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

4 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

8 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

9 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。

10 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

12 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

13 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

14 aboriginals   

（某国的）公民( aboriginal的名词复数 )； 土著人特征； 土生动物（或植物）

参考例句：

• He remained fascinated by the Aboriginals' tales. 他一直对澳大利亚土著居民的传说极感兴趣。
• They drove the aboriginals out of their lands at sword point. 他们以武力将土著人赶出他们的家园。

15 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。