NPR 2009-04-12

The US cargo¹ ship that was attacked by Somali pirates is back in port in Kenya and 19 crew members have been debriefed² by FBI agents. But the ship's captain is still being held hostage by four heavily armed pirates in a lifeboat in the Indian Ocean. Negotiations³ aimed at securing the release of the captain have reportedly broken down over the issue of whether the pirates should face arrest. John Reinhart, chief executive of the company that owns the cargo ship, told reporters in Virginia that the vessel⁴ is now under the control of the FBI.

“The FBI has informed us that this ship is a crime scene, therefore the crew members will have to stay on board the vessel. We will make sure they are safe. We know what food they want. We’ll get the food to them. But you will not be able to have access to the crew during investigation⁵.”

Reinhart says authorities are building a case against the Somali pirates. US navy ships have turned away several vessels⁶ hijacked⁷ by pirates who were trying to reach the area to help the four who are holding the American captain.

A suicide bomber⁸ in Iraq detonated a belt packed with the explosives today at an Iraqi army outpost southeast of Baghdad. Nine Sunni militiamen were killed and thirty-one others were wounded. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports from Baghdad.

A bomber wearing a suicide vest infiltrated⁹ an army base and blew himself up next to a line of Sunni paramilitaries who were waiting to collect their monthly salaries. The attack happened in the town of Iskandariyah, part of the mixed Shiite-Sunni territory, once called the Triangle of Death. The area has been quiet in recent months, thanks in part to the Sunni militiamen who helped US troops fight insurgence¹⁰. Recent troubles between the Sunnis and the Shiite-dominated government in Baghdad have raised fears of return to sectarian strife¹¹. The past week has been Iraq's bloodiest¹² in many months, including a massive truck bomb that killed five US soldiers in the northern city of Mosul, the heaviest US death toll¹³ in a year. American commanders have suggested they may not withdraw from Mosul this summer as a US-Iraqi agreement stipulates¹⁴. Quil Lawrence NPR News, Baghdad.

Oklahoma's governor Brad Henri has declared a state of emergency in 30 counties where wildfires destroyed more than 200 homes and injured at least 62 people this week. For member station KOSU, Michael Cross reports.

Residents in the Oklahoma City, suburbs of Choctaw, a Midwest City, are trying to recover after more than 100 homes burned to the ground. William Walken says he didn't have time to think about his home or possessions as the smoke gathered in his neighborhood. "It was choking types, big smoke. So get out and worry about other things at a later day. Your life can not be replaced." Officials are investigating the fire in Oklahoma County, saying it might have been intentionally¹⁵ set. The national weather service said high fire danger continues until Easter Sunday when much needed rain is expect to arrive. Michael Cross reporting.

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The sound of violent demonstrators in Thailand storming the site of today's scheduled summit meeting of Asian leaders. That session was cancelled and the leaders had to be airlifted to safety. The red shirt protesters were calling for the resignation of Thailand's prime minister. He has refused to step down and went on national television and declared a state of emergency. But he revoked¹⁶ that declaration about six hours later.

Pope Benedict opened the Easter Vigil service at St. Peter's Basilica by carrying a lighted candle into the darken church, a candle from which thousands of people gathered there lit smaller tapers¹⁷. The BBC's David Willey sent this report.

There is a packed Basilica, some many thousands of people, and 30 cardinals¹⁸ concelebrating the Easter Ritual Mass with the Pope. And the ceremony began, the service began with the, um, all the lights turned off. And after the Pope lit the flame, everybody was carrying candles and they transmitted the flame from one candle to another. And now, the flood lights have been switched on and the vast Basilica 400 years, built 400 years ago is bathed in light. So this is a highly symbolic¹⁹ occasion, the beginning of the Easter celebrations of the Roman Catholic Church. The BBC's David Willey reporting from the Vatican.

In L'Aquila, Italy, the community hardest hit by this week's powerful earthquake, Catholics lined up at makeshift confessional tents to prepare for Easter mass. About 40,000 people lost their homes in the disaster and are living in tent camps.

1 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

2 debriefed   

v.向（外交人员等）询问执行任务的情况( debrief的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was taken to a US airbase to be debriefed on the mission. 他被带到美国空军基地汇报执行使命情况。
• We debriefed our pilot after he had flown over the enemy's land. 我方飞行员飞越敌境之后，我们向他询问情况。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

8 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

9 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 insurgence   

n.起义；造反；暴动；叛乱

参考例句：

• US troops moved into the Afghan mountains in an offensive to stop Taliban insurgence. 美军日前进军阿富汗山区阻止塔利班组织的一次暴动。 来自互联网

11 strife   

n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争

参考例句：

• We do not intend to be drawn into the internal strife.我们不想卷入内乱之中。
• Money is a major cause of strife in many marriages.金钱是造成很多婚姻不和的一个主要原因。

12 bloodiest   

adj.血污的( bloody的最高级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

• The Russians were going to suffer their bloodiest defeat of all before Berlin. 俄国人在柏林城下要遭到他们的最惨重的失败。 来自辞典例句
• It was perhaps the bloodiest hour in the history of warfare. 这也许是战争史上血腥味最浓的1个小时。 来自互联网

13 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

14 stipulates   

n.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的名词复数 )；规定，明确要求v.（尤指在协议或建议中）规定，约定，讲明（条件等）( stipulate的第三人称单数 )；规定，明确要求

参考例句：

• The trade contract stipulates for the settlement of balances in RMB. 贸易合同规定余额以人民币结算。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The contract stipulates for the use of seasoned timber. 合同上订明用干透的木料。 来自辞典例句

15 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

16 revoked   

adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付，结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
• A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句

17 tapers   

（长形物体的）逐渐变窄( taper的名词复数 )； 微弱的光； 极细的蜡烛

参考例句：

• The pencil tapers to a sharp point. 铅笔的一段细成笔尖。
• She put five tapers on the cake. 她在蛋糕上放了五只小蜡烛。

18 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

19 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。