NPR 2009-09-16

Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke said today he thinks the US economy has begun growing again though the Fed Chairman also said the overall economy is likely to still feel weak for some time. Speaking at the Brookings Institution in Washington, Bernanke said that would include little in the wave of jobs growth anytime soon.

Many people will still find that their job security and their employment status is not what they wish it was, so that's a challenge for us and all policy makers¹ going forward.

US economy has lost an estimated 6.9 million jobs since the start of the current recession in December of 2007.

Meanwhile the US economy is showing some other signs of its continuing demand that the Commerce Department today reported retail² sales were stronger than expected. NPR's Chris Arnold reports.

The Cash for Clunkers program gave a big boost to car sales, but Americans were also opening their wallets to buy at least somewhat food and beverages³, books and electronics. That helps the economy. Still are some unwelcome news that gasoline prices jumped up 23% in August. Brian Bethune is an economist⁴ at Global Insight.

This is kind of a situation where these see the glass half full or half empty and really what we’re seeing is the pickup⁵ in the global economy, which is very positive because it's helping⁶ to drive export higher, however, at the same time it is putting up great pressure on crude oil prices.

Gas prices are still down at 30% from a year ago. And Bethune says when you take out volatile⁷ food and energy prices, the prices of most goods in the US are not rising very quickly. So he's not worried about inflation. Chris Arnold, NPR News.

Nine American Airlines employees were among more than 20 people  arrested on drug smuggling⁸ charges in San Juan Puerto Rico today. NPR's Adam Hochberg reports.

Prosecutors⁹ say the nine members of American Airlines ground crew helped smuggle¹⁰ thousands of kilograms of cocaine¹¹ into the United States over the past decade. According to Federal officials, the drugs originated in South America and the Caribbean and ended up in Florida, New Jersey¹² and other places on the US mainland. The alleged¹³ leader of the smuggling ring is an Airline employee. Several of those charged are baggage handlers. The Associated Press reports the drug enforcement agents and Puerto Rican police swarmed¹⁴ the airport making arrests. One  alleged member of the drug ring was apprehended¹⁵ in Miami. A spokesman for American Airlines said the company is working with investigators¹⁶ and condemned¹⁷ the employees’ alleged action. But the company also noted¹⁸ that the nine people arrested make up a tiny fraction of its workforce¹⁹. Adam Hochberg, NPR News.

Discussion is taking place on the House Floor today what is shaving up to be a partisan²⁰ debate over a resolution that would formally criticize South Carolina Republican Congressman²¹ Joe Wilson, whose outburst during President Obama's speech on healthcare last week. Wilson has apologized to the President in a phone call but some Democrats²² have said that's not enough, calling for an apology on the House Floor.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 56 points. The NASDAQ gained ten points today.

This is NPR.

There were reports of mortar²³ firing in Baghdad's Green Zone today. The blast which was said to have included at least four mortar rounds coincides with the visit to the heavily fortified²⁴ region by Vice-President Joe Biden. Officials say the shells were fired from across the Tigris River with no immediate²⁵ word on casualties or damage. Biden arrived in Baghdad early today as the White House seeks to show it remains²⁶ focused on Iraq War despite recent pullbacks and an increasing focus on the war in Afghanistan. Vice-President’s trip comes as the nation's top military officer told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee today more troops will probably need to go to Afghanistan.

UN Refugee Agency is giving this year’s Nansen Refugee Award to late Senator Edward Kennedy in recognition of his achievements as a lifelong advocate on behalf of the world's most vulnerable people. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva.

UN refugee spokeswoman Melissa Fleming says the awards committee made its decision in June and informed Senator Kennedy who welcomed the prize. Even after his death, she says his work on behalf of refugees will be remembered.

Senator Kennedy stood out as a champion for those who suddenly found themselves with no voice and no rights. Year after year, conflict after conflict, he put the plight²⁷ of refugees on the agenda and drove through policies that saved and shaped countless²⁸ lives.

The award carries with it a 100,000-dollar prize to be donated to a refugee cause. Fleming says the prize will be awarded to a member of Kennedy's family on October 28th in Washington. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

Crude oil futures²⁹ rose $2.07 a barrel to end the session at $70.93 a barrel in New York.

1 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

3 beverages   

n.饮料( beverage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• laws governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 控制酒类销售的法规
• regulations governing the sale of alcoholic beverages 含酒精饮料的销售管理条例

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

8 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

9 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

10 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

11 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

12 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

13 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

14 swarmed   

密集( swarm的过去式和过去分词 )； 云集； 成群地移动； 蜜蜂或其他飞行昆虫成群地飞来飞去

参考例句：

• When the bell rang, the children swarmed out of the school. 铃声一响，孩子们蜂拥而出离开了学校。
• When the rain started the crowd swarmed back into the hotel. 雨一开始下，人群就蜂拥回了旅社。

15 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

16 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

20 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

21 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

22 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 mortar   

n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合

参考例句：

• The mason flushed the joint with mortar.泥工用灰浆把接缝处嵌平。
• The sound of mortar fire seemed to be closing in.迫击炮的吼声似乎正在逼近。

24 fortified   

adj. 加强的

参考例句：

• He fortified himself against the cold with a hot drink. 他喝了一杯热饮御寒。
• The enemy drew back into a few fortified points. 敌人收缩到几个据点里。

25 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

26 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

27 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

28 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

29 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。