NPR 2010-08-01

Government officials in Pakistan say at least 800 people died in the past week in the worst flooding the region has seen since 1929. The United Nations estimates that about a million people have been affected¹ by the disaster. The BBC's Lyse Doucet is in one of the hardest-hit areas in the northwestern part of the country.

We went as far as we could along one of the main roads running south, and then literally² ran up into a sea of water, and what a tale of misery³ when far unfolding all around us. We saw the desperate traders with their lorries that are filled still with goods trying to move as far as they could through the sea of water. They've been stranded⁴ for days, and this is a main lifeline in Pakistan, and the entire province is cut off from the rest of Pakistan. We saw so many people walking barefoot in the water, grandparents with children on their heads, exhausted⁵. They've made many, many complaints to people that they’d received no relief at all, although we could’ve kept seeing military helicopters flying overhead.

The BBC's Lyse Doucet reporting from northwestern Pakistan.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy says that anyone of foreign origin who attacks the police will be deported⁶ and deprived of French nationality. Eleanor Beardsley reports.

Critics say Sarkozy is stepping on civic⁷ and human rights, and his moves won't reduce crime. His latest declaration comes on the heels of riots and violence earlier this month in the city of Grenoble. There, a multi-recidivist youth of Arab origin was shot dead by police after being involved in an armed holdup. Many immigrants from North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa burned cars after the young man's death. They also threatened to kill police officers and opened fire when confronted by them. Sarkozy said such juvenile⁸ delinquents⁹ of foreign origin would lose the privilege of automatic French citizenship¹⁰ upon turning 18. The opposition¹¹ Socialist¹² Party has accused Sarkozy of worn-out speech and says immigrants are not the main cause of crime in France. For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

President Obama today called on Senate Republican leaders to stop blocking legislation that would make it easier for small businesses to get credit. The bill would set up a 30-billion-dollar fund for community banks to lend to small businesses. In his weekly address, the president said the GOP is holding the measure hostage.

"Understand, a majority of senators support the plan. It's just that the Republican leaders in the Senate won't even allow it to come up for a vote."

The Republican address also concerned legislation and small business. Senator Mike Johanns of Nebraska says Congress should repeal¹³ a provision from the new health care law that requires businesses to file tax forms for every vendor¹⁴ that used this or provides more than $600 in goods.

Scientists say they may not know for years the full effect of an oil spill on wildlife in the Kalamazoo River. At least 820,000 gallons of oil spilled this week.

This is NPR News.

Fire crews in Southern California say they've partially¹⁵ contained a wildfire that has been burning for two days north of Los Angeles. It's blackened nearly 22 square miles of brush. No structures are currently being threatened. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says this is just the beginning of the wildfire season in his state. He urged residents to clear dry needles and brush near their homes and to obey evacuation orders.

The biggest cultural festival in North America is drawing to a close this weekend in Toronto. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, in recent years, Caribana has drawn¹⁶ a million people to the city and with it a mini economic boom.

Officials estimate that of a million visitors to the summer festival, half of them come from outside Canada, most of those from the US. The highlight of the festival is today, the Caribana Parade with its bright and elaborate costumes, floats, bands and dozens of performers and food. But Caribana, now in its 43rd year, is also big business. Last year, festivalgoers spent more than $300 million in Toronto, mainly at restaurants, bars, hotels and on entertainment. But it's not all party. The Royal Ontario Museum hosted a juried show of African-Canadian art, and the Ontario Science Center held an exhibition on the science and technology behind the Caribana costumes and the steel drum. Much of the festival's economic success is that people attend multiple events. This year, there was also a black-tie gala celebrating Haiti. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

A memorial service was held in Duisburg, Germany today for the 21 people who died at the Love Parade techno music festival last weekend. They were crushed to death in a tunnel. That was the only entrance point to the festival grounds.

I'm Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.
 

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

3 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

4 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

5 exhausted   

adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的

参考例句：

• It was a long haul home and we arrived exhausted.搬运回家的这段路程特别长，到家时我们已筋疲力尽。
• Jenny was exhausted by the hustle of city life.珍妮被城市生活的忙乱弄得筋疲力尽。

6 deported   

v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 )；举止

参考例句：

• They stripped me of my citizenship and deported me. 他们剥夺我的公民资格，将我驱逐出境。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The convicts were deported to a deserted island. 罪犯们被流放到一个荒岛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

8 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

9 delinquents   

n.（尤指青少年）有过失的人，违法的人( delinquent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The robbery was committed by a group of delinquents. 那起抢劫案是一群青少年干的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There is today general agreement that juvenile delinquents are less responsible than older offenders. 目前人们普遍认为青少年罪犯比成人罪犯的责任小些。 来自辞典例句

10 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

13 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

14 vendor   

n.卖主；小贩

参考例句：

• She looked at the vendor who cheated her the other day with distaste.她厌恶地望着那个前几天曾经欺骗过她的小贩。
• He must inform the vendor immediately.他必须立即通知卖方。

15 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。

16 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。