NPR 2012-03-03

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

 

Syrian shelling as heard through amateur recording¹ continues in parts of Homs. This as the Red Cross tries to gain access to the city's hardest-hit district Baba Amr. The organization says troops are blocking a convoy² of relief. Activists³ accused Syrian troops of trying to conceal⁴ evidence of execution-style killings⁵ today. Meanwhile, the International Committee of the Red Cross says it now has the bodies of journalists Marie Colvin and Remi Ochlik who were killed in Homs last week. Their remains⁶ reportedly are being transported to Damascus.

 

President Obama is reminding Iran all options including military action are on the table if it should develop a nuclear weapon. NPR's Scott Hosrley reports the president is also reminding Israel to hold its fire.

 

President Obama told a reporter for the Atlantic Magazine that the US would use military force if necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, adding “as the president of the United States, I don't bluff⁷.” The interview is meant to reassure⁸ Israel that the US has its back and prevent that country from launching its own strike on Iran. Mr. Obama warns an Israeli attack on Iran could be a distraction⁹, allowing Iran to portrait itself as a victim at a time when the Iranian government is increasingly isolated¹⁰. Mr. Obama will try to make this case in person to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday. He’s also said to address the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC over the weekend. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

 

Spain was forced to admit today that it is not on track to cut government spending as much as it had pledged to the European Union. As Lauren Frayer tells us from Madrid, Spain keeps breaking its promises to Brussels and is risking EU sanctions.

 

Spain promised the EU it would cut its deficit¹¹ to 4.4% of GDP. Now it says that goal was unrealistic and it’ll try for 5.8%. EU rules say the figure should be below 3%. Conservatives now in charge here blame the error on overspending by socialists¹² ousted¹³ from power late last year. But Spain is getting little sympathy in Brussels. European leaders are signing a new fiscal¹⁴ pact¹⁵, and they don't want to undermine that by giving Spain an exception right away. This is a key test of how Europe deals with repeat offenders¹⁶, members that keep failing to rein¹⁷ in spending. For NPR News, I'm Lauren Frayer in Madrid.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 36 points at 12,948. That's in trading of about two billion shares. NASDAQ also off 12 points at last glance at 2,976. S&P 500 down five at 1,368.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The storm system blamed on at least 13 tornado-related deaths in the Midwest and South this week is still a major threat from Georgia to southern Ohio. Just a few hours ago, northern Alabama was struck. Several homes were leveled. A maximum security prison near Huntsville also sustained damage. But authorities say no inmates¹⁸ escaped. In Kentucky, Emergency Management Director John Heltzel is warning residents to be prepared.

 

“Everybody in their house at this time should have flashlights with battery. Everybody should have a number of days of water. Mostly, we say three days. They ought to have three days of food. They ought to have three days of medicine.”

 

In Harrisburg, Illinois, where six people died this week, the National Weather Service says it's appearing less likely that tornadoes¹⁹ will hit today.

 

Political scientist James Q. Wilson has died in Boston. NPR's Paul Brown reports Wilson was co-author of an article that helped spark the community policing movement nationwide. Wilson had taught at Harvard, UCLA and Boston College.

 

Wilson was a liberal-turned prominent conservative thinker whose writings include books on morals and public administration. But a 1982 Atlantic Monthly piece on policing he co-wrote may be the work for which he’s most remembered. It was titled “Broken Windows” and contains this now famous phrase. “One unrepaired broken window is a signal that no one cares, and so breaking more windows costs nothing.” The article caught the attention of police chiefs and politicians and the drive to cough to put police on foot patrol rather than in cars getting to know people enforcing small rules to maintain public order. James Q. Wilson was 80 years old and had been under treatment for leukemia. Paul Brown, NPR News.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 conceal   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽

参考例句：

• He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方，他只好隐瞒身份。
• He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。

5 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

6 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。

7 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

8 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

9 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

10 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

11 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

12 socialists   

社会主义者( socialist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The socialists saw themselves as true heirs of the Enlightenment. 社会主义者认为自己是启蒙运动的真正继承者。
• The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. 社会党人1982年上台执政后，就把其政治信条弃之不顾。

13 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。

14 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。

15 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

16 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

17 rein   

n.疆绳，统治，支配；vt.以僵绳控制，统治

参考例句：

• The horse answered to the slightest pull on the rein.只要缰绳轻轻一拉,马就作出反应。
• He never drew rein for a moment till he reached the river.他一刻不停地一直跑到河边。

18 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网