美国国家电台 NPR 2012-11-17

 Israeli media are reporting that the Israeli cabinet may be considering mobilising as many as 75,000 reservists in an escalating¹ conflict with Palestinians in Gaza. This as reports emerged from the region today of rocket fire aimed at Jerusalem. The BBC's Richard Galpin has details from Jerusalem.

 

We have seen and heard the air raid sirens here, and it came as a shock to everyone. This is the first time that there has been this kind of attack on Jerusalem in many many decades. The police are confirming and in fact there were two rockets fired towards the city from the Gaza Strip. We understand that one landed near the city in open land and one also landed near the city, but actually also close to an Israeli settlement. So this is a pretty significant moment in this escalating crisis.

 

That's the BBC's Richard Galpin reporting from Jerusalem. 

 

Lawmakers investigating what the CIA knew before, during and after the attack on the US consulate³ in Benghazi, Libya in September heard today from the agency's former director David Petraeus. He addressed questions from the House and Senate Intelligence Committees behind closed doors. Republicans accused the administration of knowing much sooner than it initially⁴ indicated that the attack was the result of terrorism and failed to provide better security to the consulate ahead of the attack. 

 

President Obama and congressional leaders have embarked⁵ on negotiations⁶ to avoid the so-called "fiscal⁷ cliff." During his first meetings with the Republican leadership since reelection, the president urged all sides today to cooperate. 

 

"What folks are looking for -- and I think all of us agree on this -- is action. They want to see that we are focused on them, not focused on our politics in Washington." 

 

House Speaker John Boehner was also pledging compromise today. 

 

"While we are going to continue to have revenue on the table, it's going to be incumbent⁸ for my colleagues to show the American people that we're serious about cutting spending and solving our fiscal dilemma⁹."

 

Americans face spending cuts and the expiration¹⁰ of Bush-era tax cuts at year's end if there is no deal with Congress. In a rare departure from that heated rhetoric¹¹ that often comes with these budget battles, President Obama wished Republican House Speaker Boehner a happy birthday as the men shook hands.

 

Stocks opened slightly lower on Wall Street, Dell and Smucker falling after their earnings¹² reports disappointed investors¹³. Dell dropped 5% after the company reported late Thursday that its financial performance continued to deteriorate¹⁴ in the third quarter. But stocks have since picked up after the announcements from the congressional leaders. At last check, Dow was up 30 points.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The maker² of Hostess CupCakes, Twinkies and Wonder Bread is going out of business. NPR's Jeanine Herbst reports Hostess Brands blames a strike by its second largest union.

 

Workers walked out after rejecting a contract in September that cut wages and benefits. The company was trying to emerge from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy¹⁵ filing and told union workers if employees didn't return to work by yesterday, the company would be closed. But union leader Frank Hurt says the company's problems are the result of  a decade of financial and operational mismanagement. The 82-year-old company will sell its iconic brands and close 33 bakeries and more than 500 bakery outlet¹⁶ stores around the country along with the distribution centers. Jeanine Herbst, NPR News, Washington.  

 

The Yugoslav war crimes tribunal has overturned the convictions of two Croatian generals serving time for war crimes in the 1990s Balkan War. Teri Schultz has more from Brussels. 

 

General Ante Gotovina was the most senior Croatian military officer to be accused of war crimes in the breakup of the former Yugoslavia. He and fellow General Mladen Markac received 24 and 18-year sentences for crimes against humanity and trying to drive ethnic¹⁷ Serbs out of Croatia. It's one of comparatively few cases alleging¹⁸ war crimes against Serbs. But appeals judges have invalidated by 3-2 the previous ruling that there had been a Croatian conspiracy¹⁹ against Serbs. Presiding Judge Theodor Meron further ordered "the immediate²⁰ release of Ante Gotovina and Mladen Markac." Cheers from the observation area could be heard in court, and in Zagreb crowds erupted in elation²¹. But in Belgrade Serbian leaders are calling decision "scandalous" and a total loss of credibility for the court. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz. 

1 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

4 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

5 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 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。

8 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

9 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

10 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

11 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

12 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

13 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

14 deteriorate   

v.变坏；恶化；退化

参考例句：

• Do you think relations between China and Japan will continue to deteriorate?你认为中日关系会继续恶化吗？
• He held that this would only cause the situation to deteriorate further.他认为，这只会使局势更加恶化。

15 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

16 outlet   

n.出口/路；销路；批发商店；通风口；发泄

参考例句：

• The outlet of a water pipe was blocked.水管的出水口堵住了。
• Running is a good outlet for his energy.跑步是他发泄过剩精力的好方法。

17 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

18 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

19 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。

20 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。

21 elation   

n.兴高采烈，洋洋得意

参考例句：

• She showed her elation at having finally achieved her ambition.最终实现了抱负，她显得十分高兴。
• His supporters have reacted to the news with elation.他的支持者听到那条消息后兴高采烈。