NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-01-24

　　From NPR news in Washington, I am Lakshimi Singh.

 

　　Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is staunchly defending the administration’s handling of the Benghazi terror attack, in what may be her final congressional testimony² on the matter before she steps down. A few hours after addressing the Senate, she is now filled in questions in the US House.

 

　　"As I have said many times since September 11, I take responsibility and nobody is more committed to getting this right. I am determined³ to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger, and more secure. But republicans in both chambers⁴ accuse State Department of ignoring consular⁵ requests for additional security ahead of last September’s attack that killed 4 Americans including the US ambassador."

 

　　The House of Representatives has overwhelmingly passed a measure permitting the government to borrow enough funds to avoid a first-time default for at least 4 months. The measure passed by a vote of 285 to 144 as majority Republicans backed away from previous demands at any increase in the government’s borrowing cap be combined with an equivalent amount of spending cuts.

 

　　It has been nearly 3 months since super storm Sandy devastated⁶ the northeast. Most people assume that Manhattan is completely back to normal. But NPR’s Margot Adler says not so.

 

　　"Last week Con¹ Edison which supplies the city’s electricity said 22 large buildings are still without power or have only partial power. Nine small buildings also have issues. Verizon is still working on phone lines. Some businesses in Lower Manhattan particularly near the South Street Seaport⁷ still have spotty service. Most of the copper⁸ wires were destroyed in the storm. Verizon is upgrading to fiber⁹ optics but that may take until spring. The Downtown Alliance which manages the business improvement district for lower Manhattan says 87% of businesses are back. But there are still a few blocks where all shops are boarded up. And for the few stores are open on those streets, there is no foot traffic. Margot Adler, NPR news, New York."

 

　　Scientists say they are ending a voluntary moratorium¹⁰ among controversial bird flu experiments. Details from NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce.

 

　　"The research has been on hold for just over a year. Scientists had genetically¹¹ altered the bird flu virus H5N1. And critics said the man-made viruses were dangerous. Flu experts argued that their work was essential to understand how viruses in nature may mutate and started a pandemic. Now in the journal Science and Nature, researchers say it’s time to continue. Ron Fouchier is at Erasmus medical center in the Netherland."

 

　　"It is our opinion that in those countries where the research can be done safely. The research should restart because the research is clearly of importance to public out."

 

　　"He plans to resume his experiment soon. But scientists working with funds from the US government still need to wait for officials here to decide what experiments can go forward and under what lab conditions. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR news."

 

　　Dow was up 77 points. This is NPR news.

 

　　The White House says it’s going ahead with General John Allen's nomination¹² to NATO commander. Now that he has been cleared of professional misconduct charges, or rather allegations. Allen came under Pentagon scrutiny¹³ as he became swept up in a sex scandal that forced retired¹⁴ General David Petraeus to resign as CIA director.

 

　　A suicide bomber¹⁵ has struck in northern Iraq and an Iraqi military commander tells reporters a man detonated his explosive belt as mourners were gathered for a funeral at a mosque¹⁶ in the disputed city of Tuz Khormato. He says dozens of people were wounded.

 

　　In New Jersey¹⁷, voters overwhelmingly approve a Republican governor Christopher J. Christie’s criticism of House GOP leaders holding up federal aid for victims of hurricane Sandy. That is according to new Quinnipiac University poll. NPR’s S.V. Date has details.

 

　　"79% of voters support Christie’s fierce attacks on his own party’s congressional leadership, including 70% of New Jersey Republicans. Christie was urged by many Republicans to run for president last year but ultimately did not get in the race. He is seeking re-election to a second term as governor this November. The Quinnipiac poll finds that 68% of voters believe he deserves another term and that he leads potential Democratic challengers by 2 to 1 margins¹⁹. The survey sampled more than 1,600 voters with a 2.4% margin¹⁸ of error. S.V. Date, NPR news."

 

　　US stock is trading high with the Dow gaining 80 at 13,792; NADAQ up 15 points at 3158; S&P 500 up 3 at 1496.

 

　　I am Lakshimi Singh news.

1 con   

n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的

参考例句：

• We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
• The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票，协议被通过。

2 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。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

5 consular   

a.领事的

参考例句：

• He has rounded out twenty years in the consular service. 他在领事馆工作已整整20年了。
• Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。

6 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

7 seaport   

n.海港，港口，港市

参考例句：

• Ostend is the most important seaport in Belgium.奥斯坦德是比利时最重要的海港。
• A seaport where ships can take on supplies of coal.轮船能够补充煤炭的海港。

8 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

9 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

10 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

11 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

12 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

13 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

14 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

15 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

16 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

17 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

18 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

19 margins   

边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数

参考例句：

• They have always had to make do with relatively small profit margins. 他们不得不经常设法应付较少的利润额。
• To create more space between the navigation items, add left and right margins to the links. 在每个项目间留更多的空隙，加左或者右的margins来定义链接。