NPR 2010-01-12

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Craig Windham.

 

A federal trial is underway in San Francisco to determine whether the US Constitution bars states from outlawing¹ same-sex marriages. The proceedings² began in controversy³ as the US Supreme⁴ Court weighed in on a plan to post video of the proceedings on Youtube. NPR’s Karen Grigsby Bates reports.

 

Chief US District Judge Vaughn Walker made the decision to videotape the trial. Walker said because of the widespread interest in the issue and its importance, the videos would be posted on Youtube later in the day. But early Monday morning, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling that blocked the video transmission, saying the justices needed more time to review concerns from some witnesses who worried that they may be harassed⁵. The ban is expected to remain in place until at least Wednesday. About 100 proponents⁷ of same-sex marriage demonstrated and protested outside the courthouse as about a dozen supporters of Prop⁶ 8 stood silently with placards, supporting the initiative. The trial is expected to last about three weeks. Karen Grigsby Bates, NPR News.

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the administration has concluded the tougher sanctions aimed at Iran's ruling elite⁸. It’s the best way to prevail on that country to halt its uranium enrichment activities. Clinton said the final goal ahead on sanctions has not yet been given, but she added that the administration officials are moving in that direction after consulting widely with allies. Clinton was speaking to reporters en route to Hawaii for meetings with foreign ministers.

 

North Korea is calling for the signing of a peace treaty with the US to replace the truce⁹ that ended the Korean War. The North Korean government added that ending hostilities¹⁰ with the US and lifting sanctions against North Korea could pave the way for the resumption of nuclear disarmament talks. NPR's Anthony Kuhn has the story from Beijing.

 

North Korea’s Foreign Ministry¹¹ said in a statement that a peace treaty between Pyongyang and Washington could end hostile relations between the two sides and quickly lead to a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula. It also said that sanctions imposed on the North after its nuclear tests had created an atmosphere of mistrust, and that lifting the sanctions could bring it back to the negotiating table. In Seoul, South Korea, meanwhile, US human rights envoy¹² Robert King told reporters that North Korea would have to improve its human rights situation which she called appalling¹³ before the two countries could improve bilateral¹⁴ relations. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Beijing.

 

A series of clashes and attacks in Afghanistan has killed six NATO troops including three Americans today. It was the deadliest day for the NATO-led force there in more than two months. The United States troops were killed in a firefight with militants¹⁵ in southern Afghanistan.

 

The cold wave in the South and a resulting spike¹⁶ in energy demand for heating is being blamed for knocking out power to thousands of homes and businesses across the Deep South today. A hard freeze watch is posted in Florida until tomorrow.

 

On Wall Street at this hour, the Dow Industrial Average is up 26 points.

 

This is NPR News from Washington.

 

Federal health officials are pushing all Americans to get vaccinated¹⁷ against the flu, especially the H1N1 swine flu, even though the number of cases of swine flu in the US has been declining in recent weeks. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says there is enough vaccine¹⁸ now for everyone who wants it, not just those in high-risk groups.

 

"This is a serious disease. We have a vaccine that works, that's plentiful¹⁹, and we really would urge all Americans to step up and protect yourselves and your loved ones, save lives and get vaccinated. " Sebelius speaking to kick off National Influenza²⁰ Vaccination²¹ Week.

 

Former National Basketball Association star Jayson Williams has pleaded guilty in a plea bargain deal to the shooting death of his former limousine²² driver. NPR's Mike Pesca has the story.

 

In the early morning of February 14th, 2002, Jayson Williams pointed²³ a loaded shotgun at his limo driver Costas Christofi. The gun went off, killing²⁴ the 55-year-old. A jury in 2004 acquitted²⁵ Williams of aggravated²⁶ manslaughter but convicted him of trying to cover up the incident by wiping the gun clean and telling those present to lie to police. That jury deadlocked²⁷ on a manslaughter charge which has been the subject of six years of legal wrangling²⁸. Today Williams has pleaded guilty to the lesser²⁹ charge of aggravated assault and must serve at least 18 months in prison. The former New Jersey³⁰ Nets star was forced out of the game by injury in 2000 but was still paid the entirety of his 86-million-dollar contract. Mike Pesca, NPR News, New York.

 

Stock prices have been mixed today on the start of a new trading week on Wall Street. The Dow was up 26 points at 10, 644, but the NASDAQ Composite Index is down 11 points.

 

I'm Craig Windham, NPR News in Washington.
 

1 outlawing   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• Regulations are outlawing certain refrigerants, such as chlorofluorocarbons, which contain ozone-depleting chemicals. 随后出台的政策禁用了部分制冷剂，如破坏臭氧层的氟氯碳化合物。
• An amendment outlawing sale of intoxicating liquors(1920)was repealed in 1933. 规定售卖酒类为非法的一个宪法修正案（一九二○年）在一九三三年被废止。

2 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 harassed   

adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He has complained of being harassed by the police. 他投诉受到警方侵扰。
• harassed mothers with their children 带着孩子的疲惫不堪的母亲们

6 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

7 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

8 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

9 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。

10 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

11 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

12 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

13 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

14 bilateral   

adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的

参考例句：

• They have been negotiating a bilateral trade deal.他们一直在商谈一项双边贸易协定。
• There was a wide gap between the views of the two statesmen on the bilateral cooperation.对双方合作的问题，两位政治家各自所持的看法差距甚大。

15 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。

16 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

17 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

18 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

19 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

20 influenza   

n.流行性感冒，流感

参考例句：

• They took steps to prevent the spread of influenza.他们采取措施
• Influenza is an infectious disease.流感是一种传染病。

21 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

22 limousine   

n.豪华轿车

参考例句：

• A chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady.司机为这个高贵的女士打开了豪华轿车的车门。
• We arrived in fine style in a hired limousine.我们很气派地乘坐出租的豪华汽车到达那里。

23 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。

24 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

25 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

26 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

27 deadlocked   

陷入僵局的；僵持不下的

参考例句：

• The plan deadlocked over the funds. 这个计划由于经费问题而搁浅了。
• The meeting deadlocked over the wage issue. 会议因工资问题而停顿下来。

28 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

29 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

30 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。