NPR 2009-08-04

Several reports out today reinforce earlier indications that the economy is stabilizing¹. Construction spending in June beat expectations by climbing 0.3% over May. Manufacturing activity rose in July to the highest level in nearly a year. And US automakers report sales increased from June to July. As Jerome Vaughn of member station WDET reports, Detroit credits the government's "Cash-for-Clunkers" program.

 Ford² posted the only sales increase among Detroit automakers up nearly 2%, compared to July, 2008. George Pipas is Ford US sales analyst³. He says it's clear the federal program to boost consumer demand for fuel-efficient vehicles worked. "They were clearly tilted⁴ towards the fuel-efficient products. I mean that, probably, this is the greatest one-week energy conservation program that may have come out of Washington or any place else." General Motors' sales fell 19%, compared to a year ago, although officials say they saw a significant increase over June figures. Chrysler sales fell 9%, but also showed significant improvement from June. Both Honda and Toyota posted double-digit sales declines in July. For NPR News, I'm Jerome Vaughn in Detroit.

 At a news conference today, California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein hailed the success of the "Cash for Clunkers" program and called on the Senate to continue funding it. "After hearing the figures so far, I believe that the best solution is to continue and extend the program as it is." The initiative, which gives up to $4, 500 to people who trade in gas-guzzlers for new more fuel-efficient models, ran out of money in its first week of operation. Last week, the House approved an additional 2 billion dollars for the program. It awaits Senate action.

 Al-Qaeda's second-in-command says an offer the group made to President Bush for a conditional⁵ truce⁶ is still on the table. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston has details.

 The latest message from Ayman al-Zawahri was posted on Al-Qaeda's media website. It was presented as a 90-minute interview. The group's second-in-command resurrected an offer to end the group's terrorist attacks against the US if some broad conditions were met. Among them, US troop withdrawals⁷ from Muslim lands and an end to US support for corrupt⁸ regimes in the Muslim world and the release of all Muslims now behind bars. The US has maintained that it does not negotiate with terrorists, and the offer has been dismissed in the past. Zawahri used this latest interview to take a swipe at President Obama. He compared the President to a wolf, attacking Muslims with his fangs⁹ and claws. He also warned his followers¹⁰ not to trust President Obama's approach towards the Muslim world. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

 On Wall Street today, the Dow climbed 114 points. The NASDAQ was up 30. The S&P was up 15.

 This is NPR.

 Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is pressing Iran to help determine the whereabouts of three missing Americans and return them as soon as possible. The three were believed to have been arrested in Iran last week, though Clinton said the US does not have official confirmation¹¹ that they are in Iranian custody¹². They were apparently¹³ hiking near Iran's border with Iraqi Kurdistan and were arrested after entering Iran and ignoring warnings by Iranian border guards.

 A wildfire in Oregon has expanded to engulf¹⁴ 4,500 acres. The so-called Williams Fire is located about an hour from Eugene. As Rachel McDonald of member station KLCC reports, the flames have forced officials to close a portion of a state highway and evacuate¹⁵ a guest lodge¹⁶.

 The Steamboat Inn east of Roseburg, Oregon was evacuated¹⁷ Friday and a portion of highway-138 has been closed for nearly a week. The fire is in rugged¹⁸ terrain¹⁹ in the Umpqua National Forest. Oregon state fire spokesman Bernie Pineda says crews are working to build a perimeter²⁰ around the blaze. "We are still working feverishly²¹ to try to put some kind of line around this thing, if I can use the term the bars around the perimeter itself indirectly²², you know was a, you know, quite a number of ridges²³ away from the fire's perimeter." Pineda says weather conditions have improved in the area with cooler temperatures than last week. Fire officials hope to reopen the inn and the highway in a few days. For NPR News, I'm Rachel McDonald in Eugene, Oregon.

A powerful earthquake has rocked Mexico's Baja California Peninsula. The 6.9-magnitude quake was centered more than 300 miles southeast of the border town of Tijuana.

1 stabilizing   

n.稳定化处理[退火]v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The disulfide bridges might then be viewed primarily as stabilizing components. 二硫桥可以被看作是初级的稳定因素。 来自辞典例句
• These stabilizing design changes are usually not desirable for steady-state operation. 这些增加稳定性的设计改变通常不太符合稳态工作的要求。 来自辞典例句

2 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

3 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

4 tilted   

v. 倾斜的

参考例句：

• Suddenly the boat tilted to one side. 小船突然倾向一侧。
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。

5 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

6 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

7 withdrawals   

n.收回，取回，撤回( withdrawal的名词复数 )；撤退，撤走；收回[取回，撤回，撤退，撤走]的实例；推出（组织），提走（存款），戒除毒瘾，对说过的话收回，孤僻

参考例句：

• He has made several withdrawals from his bank account. 他从银行账户上提了几次款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• It is not the bank's policy to deduct interest on withdrawals. 提款需扣除利息这并非是本银行的政策。 来自辞典例句

8 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。

9 fangs   

n.（尤指狗和狼的）长而尖的牙( fang的名词复数 )；（蛇的）毒牙；罐座

参考例句：

• The dog fleshed his fangs in the deer's leg. 狗用尖牙咬住了鹿腿。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Dogs came lunging forward with their fangs bared. 狗龇牙咧嘴地扑过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

11 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

12 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

13 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

14 engulf   

vt.吞没，吞食

参考例句：

• Floodwaters engulf a housing project in the Bajo Yuna community in central Dominican Republic.洪水吞没了多米尼加中部巴杰优那社区的一处在建的住房工程项目。
• If we are not strong enough to cover all the minds up,then they will engulf us,and we are in danger.如果我们不够坚强来抵挡大众的意念，就会有被他们吞没的危险。

15 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

16 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

17 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

18 rugged   

adj.高低不平的，粗糙的，粗壮的，强健的

参考例句：

• Football players must be rugged.足球运动员必须健壮。
• The Rocky Mountains have rugged mountains and roads.落基山脉有崇山峻岭和崎岖不平的道路。

19 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

20 perimeter   

n.周边，周长，周界

参考例句：

• The river marks the eastern perimeter of our land.这条河标示我们的土地东面的边界。
• Drinks in hands,they wandered around the perimeter of the ball field.他们手里拿着饮料在球场周围漫不经心地遛跶。

21 feverishly   

adv. 兴奋地

参考例句：

• Feverishly he collected his data. 他拼命收集资料。
• The company is having to cast around feverishly for ways to cut its costs. 公司迫切须要想出各种降低成本的办法。

22 indirectly   

adv.间接地，不直接了当地

参考例句：

• I heard the news indirectly.这消息我是间接听来的。
• They were approached indirectly through an intermediary.通过一位中间人，他们进行了间接接触。

23 ridges   

n.脊( ridge的名词复数 )；山脊；脊状突起；大气层的)高压脊

参考例句：

• The path winds along mountain ridges. 峰回路转。
• Perhaps that was the deepest truth in Ridges's nature. 在里奇斯的思想上，这大概可以算是天经地义第一条了。