NPR 2010-02-13

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

Parts of the Southern U.S. are getting their first snow in years, and the National Weather Service's Michael Eckert says the storm has a wide reach. “When we get over into Georgia, towards Savannah, and then up the coast of South Carolina, Charles and even Myrtle Beach, we could see snowfall accumulations of two to three inches right along the beaches." Airlines including Delta¹ and American have canceled more than 1,000 flights. The mid-Atlantic is just getting over another massive storm. In the Washington, D.C. area, many morning commuters risk returning to work on partially² plowed³ roads causing delays. Further complicating⁴ matters, a Red Line train derailed in downtown Washington, D.C. No one was seriously hurt.

 

Just hours before the Winter Games officially opens in Vancouver, an Olympic athlete is suffering life-threatening injuries. Witnesses say luge competitor Nodar Kumaritashvili from the former Soviet⁵ republic of Georgia crashed during training at a speed of around 90 miles an hour. And further complicating training on Whistler Mountain is weather. Overnight rain pushed back the first women's downhill training run by three hours, delaying yet again American Lindsey Vonn's attempt to test her injured leg. From Whistler, NPR's Tom Goldman reports.

 

The women's first downhill training session was scrubbed Thursday after only one competitor completed the run. Thick fog and snow made it hard to see in parts of the course. A steady rain forced officials to push back the women's sessions scheduled for Friday. The men's downhill training Friday was canceled. All skiers who compete in an Olympic race have to complete at least one training run beforehand. The men have gotten theirs and already, so the men's downhill can proceed on Saturday, weather permitting. For the women, it's getting dicier with their first scheduled medal event on Sunday. While all this goes on, Lindsey Vonn, a projected star of these games, waits to test out the right shin she badly bruised⁶ practicing last week. Vonn skied a little before training was canceled. She said it hurt, but she and her doctor say the injury's mending. Tom Goldman, NPR News, Whistler.

 

The Commerce Department reports retail⁷ sales edged up 0.5% in January, the best posting since November. Daniel Karson has details.

 

After retail sales took a tumble in December, economists⁸ say January's report is a hopeful beginning to the new year. They're an important measure of consumer spending which makes up almost three quarters of the country's GDP. January's reports suggest shoppers are loosening their vice-grip on their wallets, but Scott Hoyt, a retail analyst⁹ with Moody's Economy. Com, says not enough to light a fire under the economy. "Consumers are gonna be able to lead the economic recovery; on the other hand, they're not pulling back like they were a year ago. So while they might be a slight drag, they're not gonna be one the economy can't overcome." A one and a half percent increase in sales of national chains, such as Wal-Mart, helped bump up January's numbers. For NPR News I'm Daniel Karson in Washington.

 

Dow's down 72.

 

This is NPR.

 

Today, President Obama was expected to sign legislation that increases the government's debt limit to 14.3 trillion dollars that today from the White House. On jobs, spokesman Robert Gibbs said a new bill proposed by Senate Majority leader Harry¹⁰ Reid was likely to win bipartisan support, but Reid's been criticized for scaling back the jobs bill. The Democrat¹¹ faces a tough re-election in Nevada. President Obama is scheduled to campaign on behalf of Reid in Las Vegas next Friday.

 

Officials with the Environmental Protection Agency are meeting in Chicago. They're discussing how best to keep an invasive fish out of Lake Michigan. Chicago Public Radio's Tony Arnold has more.

 

The meeting comes after President Barack Obama's administration set nearly 79 million dollars aside to battle the Asian carp. The fish have been found inching closer to Lake Michigan. Last month, researchers' nightmares came true when they found its genetic¹² material already in the lake. EPA officials will meet with representatives from Chicago and the Army Corps¹³ of Engineers among others. They’ll discuss ways to control the species to prevent any more of the fish from reaching Lake Michigan. Other Great Lakes states, such as Michigan and Ohio, have tried forcing Illinois to close its river locks in canals in and around Chicago. But Illinois and Indiana oppose that move, saying the multi-billion-dollar barge¹⁴ industry would be hurt. For NPR News, I'm Tony Arnold in Chicago.

 

Worldwide investors¹⁵ are still rattled¹⁶ for the second time in a month. China has decided¹⁷ to force banks to increase their reserve levels to tame inflation. It's fueling worries that China's tougher money policy will affect global growth, adding the concerns to the Greece's debt crisis and its potential impact on other vulnerable European nations.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh. NPR News.

 

1 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

2 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

3 plowed   

v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• They plowed nearly 100,000 acres of virgin moorland. 他们犁了将近10万英亩未开垦的高沼地。 来自辞典例句
• He plowed the land and then sowed the seeds. 他先翻土，然后播种。 来自辞典例句

4 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。

5 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

6 bruised   

[医]青肿的，瘀紫的

参考例句：

• his bruised and bloodied nose 他沾满血的青肿的鼻子
• She had slipped and badly bruised her face. 她滑了一跤，摔得鼻青脸肿。

7 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。

8 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

11 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

12 genetic   

adj.遗传的，遗传学的

参考例句：

• It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
• Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。

13 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

14 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

15 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

16 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

17 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。