美国国家电台 NPR 2012-11-08

 President Obama heads back to Washington D.C. later this hour to embark¹ on a new effort with a lame-duck session of Congress to avoid the fiscal² cliff, spending cuts and tax breaks due to expire at the end of the year. The White House says the President has called congressional leaders to see he is committed to putting partisan⁴ interest aside. Republicans say they are also committed to compromise. 

 

The Democrats⁶ effectively gain two additional seats in the Senate where they will have a 55:45 majority over Republicans. GOP still leads the House, includes a likely support of two independents in the Senate. And North Dakota Republican Rick Berg has conceded defeat to Democrat⁵ Heidi Heitkamp. She succeeds retiring Senator Kent Conrad. Montana U.S. Senator John Tester is reelected to another term after he edged out Republican rival Denny Rehberg.

 

President Obama won reelection without Florida where the election is still too close to call. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports the state's prized 29 electoral votes, won't matter this year.

 

Florida is one of the nation's most story battleground states when it comes to presidential politics. But as election officials are still tabulating⁷ votes, the eventual⁸ results here won't change the outcome of the presidential race. President Obama has a slight edge in Florida, less than a percentage point advantage over Republican Mitt³ Romney. In some counties, including Miami-Dade, voters waited in lines past midnight to cast ballots⁹. The state is awaiting absentee tallies¹⁰ from nine counties, and then will consider provisional ballots and absentees that come in from overseas. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Tampa.

 

The Mid-Atlantic region is bracing¹¹ for a nor'easter. NPR's Allison Keyes says New York Mayor Bloomberg is urging some residents to take shelter as the storm approaches. 

 

Bloomberg says areas that suffered severe flooding or worst during Sandy, should consider running out today storm with friends and family who don't live in low line areas or they should head to one of the city run shelters. That includes parts of Queens that were obliterated¹² by last week's storm. Though not much rain is forecast. The Mayor says high winds will cause a storm surge as high as five feet. And there is a risk of more down to trees and other debris¹³. He is asking New Yorkers to stay inside until tomorrow morning. Allison Keyes, NPR News. 

 

Meanwhile, major airlines are scrapping¹⁴ flights in and out of the New York area because of the storm. 

 

Tens of thousands of Greek workers are staging more protests in Athens hours before parliamentarians decide whether to impose more spending cuts and tax increases on the public. Prime Minister  Antonis Samaras says it has to be done, so that Greece can secure an international bailout. 

 

At last check, the Dow was down 271 points.

 

This is NPR.

 

Former Penn State President Graham Spanier has been arraigned¹⁵ on charges stemming from the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. From member station WITF in Harrisburg, Mary Wilson has details. 

 

Spanier's attorneys say he will fight charges that he allegedly tried to stymie¹⁶ the investigation¹⁷ into convicted child molester¹⁸ Jerry Sandusky. Prosecutors¹⁹ brought charges against Spanier, just last week, among them, conspiracy²⁰, perjury²¹ and failure to report suspected child abuse. His attorneys say the charges are politically motivated and that he was never given a chance to tell his side of the story to the investigating grand jury. Spanier was ousted²² from his post as Penn State President last year when Sandusky and two other university administrators²³ were arrested in connection to the child sex abuse scandal. He remains²⁴ on paid-leave from Penn State as a ten-year faculty²⁵ member. For NPR News, I'm Mary Wilson, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

 

A frantic²⁶ search is underway for survivors²⁷ of a building collapse²⁸ near the Ghananian capital. Local authorities say a new five-story shopping center caved in, trapping several dozen people. At least one death has been reported. 

 

Same sex marriage is said to be a step closer to be legalized in France. President Francois Hollande's Cabinet approved a bill today, advocating for gays and lesbians, and has sent to the legislature for debate. Hollande praised in making marriage and adoption²⁹ for same sex couples a big issue in his campaign, but it has since become a more politically divisive matter in France with many conservatives arguing same sex marriage would be the end of the family as France knew it according to conservative figures.

1 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

2 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

3 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

4 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。

5 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。

6 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》

7 tabulating   

把（数字、事实）列成表( tabulate的现在分词 )； 制表

参考例句：

• The Census Office did not finish tabulating the results until 1888. 直到1888年，人口普查办公室才完成统计数字表格。
• By 1890 a revolutionary electrical tabulating system was available. 到了1890年，一种具有革命意义的电动制表装置投入使用。

8 eventual   

adj.最后的，结局的，最终的

参考例句：

• Several schools face eventual closure.几所学校面临最终关闭。
• Both parties expressed optimism about an eventual solution.双方对问题的最终解决都表示乐观。

9 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 tallies   

n.账( tally的名词复数 )；符合；（计数的）签；标签v.计算，清点( tally的第三人称单数 )；加标签（或标记）于；（使）符合；（使）吻合

参考例句：

• Cash on hand tallies with the figure in the accounts. 现款跟账上的数目没有出入。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He tallies his own marks. 他把自己的得分记了下来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

12 obliterated   

v.除去( obliterate的过去式和过去分词 )；涂去；擦掉；彻底破坏或毁灭

参考例句：

• The building was completely obliterated by the bomb. 炸弹把那座建筑物彻底摧毁了。
• He began to drink, drank himself to intoxication, till he slept obliterated. 他一直喝，喝到他快要迷糊地睡着了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

14 scrapping   

刮，切除坯体余泥

参考例句：

• He was always scrapping at school. 他在学校总打架。
• These two dogs are always scrapping. 这两条狗总是打架。

15 arraigned   

v.告发( arraign的过去式和过去分词 )；控告；传讯；指责

参考例句：

• He was arraigned for murder. 他因谋杀罪而被提讯。
• She was arraigned for high treason. 她被控叛国罪。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

16 stymie   

v.妨碍，阻挠

参考例句：

• Companies have been stymied by the length of time it takes to reach an agreement.由于耗时过长，各公司一直未能达成协议。
• Relief efforts have been stymied in recent weeks by armed gunmen.最近几周的救援工作一直受到武装分子的阻挠。

17 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

18 molester   

参考例句：

• A nationwide manhunt for an alleged child molester is over. 一个全国搜捕骚扰儿童的行动告一段落。 来自互联网
• Did the molester penetrate the child? 这名性骚扰者插进小孩的身体了吗？ 来自互联网

19 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。

20 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

21 perjury   

n.伪证；伪证罪

参考例句：

• You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
• She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。

22 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

23 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

24 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。

25 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

26 frantic   

adj.狂乱的，错乱的，激昂的

参考例句：

• I've had a frantic rush to get my work done.我急急忙忙地赶完工作。
• He made frantic dash for the departing train.他发疯似地冲向正开出的火车。

27 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

28 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

29 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。