NPR 2012-06-21

 US stocks are turning lower. Investors¹, moreover, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's more cautious assessment² today of the US's economy growth. 

 

“Unemployment is still too high, but it has come down. It was about 10% at the peak, and it's now closer to 8%. It's going down too slowly, but it is going down. If we don't see continued improvement in the labor³ market. We'll be prepared to take additional steps if appropriate.”

 

Well, the Fed has decided⁴ to extend a program nicknamed “Operation Twist” that is designed to drive down long-term interest rates and encourage more borrowing and spending.

 

At last glance on Wall Street, the Dow was down 60 points, nearly 0.5%, at 12,778, NASDAQ off eight points, and the S&P 500 down seven at 1,351.

 

A House committee is deciding whether to hold Attorney General Eric Holder⁵ in contempt for failing to turn over additional documents on a botched gun-smuggling investigation⁶ known as Operation Fast and Furious. Yesterday, Holder and Republican Congressman⁷ Darrell Issa of California were unable to reach an agreement. Holder says he wants another congressional briefing on the Justice Department documents, in Issa's word that a records transfer would satisfy a subpoena⁸ by [the] House committee that Issa chairs.

 

The jury in a Philadelphia clergy⁹ sex abuse trial has resumed deliberations. NPR's Jeff Brady reports earlier today the jury told the judge they couldn't reach a decision on all but one of the charges.

 

There are no details on which charge the jury has reached a verdict on. The Rev¹⁰. James Brennan faces two counts for allegedly raping¹¹ a 14-year-old boy. Monsignor William Lynn faces child endangerment and conspiracy¹² charges. Judge Teresa Sarmina told jurors that if they didn't reach a verdict, the case may have to be retried. The judge asked jurors of reconsidering an earlier request that she denied to rehear testimony¹³ would help. No word on that yet from the jury, which began deliberations on June 1st. Jeff Brady, NPR News, Philadelphia.

 

A lot of residents of northeastern Minnesota are facing extensive flood cleanup from torrential rains overnight. More from Matt Sepic of Minnesota Public Radio. 

 

Emergency officials say they responded to numerous calls from people trapped in cars and homes. Sinkholes have formed on streets around Duluth, and there are mudslides on the city's many hills. Two seals escaped from the Lake Superior Zoo, but spokeswoman Susan Wolniakowski says they were found quickly nearby.

 

“They were relatively¹⁴ easily corralled, and they’re secure, and they’re safe, and they’re in the holding again.”

 

Wolniakowski says some animals in the barnyard exhibit died in the flood. More rain is in the forecast, and northeastern Minnesota remains¹⁵ under a flash flood warning. today. For NPR News, I'm Matt Sepic in St. Paul.

 

Dow Jones Industrial Average down 63 points.

 

This is NPR.

 

The Afghan and US governments are condemning¹⁶ a suicide bombing in Afghanistan that killed three American service members and at least 17 Afghan civilians¹⁷. NPR's Sean Carberry reports that an Afghan interpreter was also killed in the attack that targeted a NATO convey.

 

Afghan officials say a man drove a motorcycle into the NATO convoy¹⁸ and set off the explosion. The blast ripped through a busy section of Khost City in eastern Afghanistan. The number of reported fatalities¹⁹ has slowly grown since the attack, and dozens of Afghan civilians were also wounded. In Logar province, a vehicle struck a roadside bomb, killing²⁰ eight civilians. The Taliban have launched a number of brazen²¹ attacks this week, including several where the assailants were wearing Afghan police or army uniforms. Afghan and US forces have also conducted a series of operations in the south and east, and have captured or killed a number of Taliban commanders. Sean Carberry, NPR News, Kabul.

 

Reuters news service reporting a Yemeni man working for the International Committee of the Red Cross has been killed by an air strike in Abyan province, while carrying out humanitarian²² work. Yemeni troops last week retook several towns in the southern province of Abyan that Islamist militants²³ allied²⁴ to al-Qaeda reportedly had seized last year. 

 

British police are raiding to arrest Julian Assange, the Wikileaks founder²⁵ responsible for publishing massive amounts of classified information without authorization²⁶. Assange is now holed up in the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He is trying to avoid extradition²⁷ to Sweden, where he faces questioning in sexual assault allegations.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

1 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

2 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

3 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

4 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。

5 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

6 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。

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 subpoena   

n.（法律）传票；v.传讯

参考例句：

• He was brought up to court with a subpoena.他接到传讯，来到法庭上。
• Select committees have the power to subpoena witnesses.特别委员会有权传唤证人。

9 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

10 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

11 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

12 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。

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

15 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。

16 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

18 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。

19 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

21 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

22 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

23 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

24 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

25 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

26 authorization   

n.授权，委任状

参考例句：

• Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
• You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。

27 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。