NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2013-12-26

 Pope Francis celebrated¹ his first Christmas Eve Mass as Pope at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, preaching a message of love and forgiveness.

 

He also called on thousands of faithful gather to cast aside hatred². Tomorrow Francis delivers his Christmas message from the balcony of the Basilica overlooking St. Peter’s square. 

 

Christians³ in Bethlehem greeted the Christmas with prayers, music and family entertainment. Thousands of visitors beat the turnout of recent years supporting the efforts to develop the local tourism industry. NPR’s Amelia Harris reports.

 

Music greeted Bethlehem visitors almost every evening in the weeks before Christmas except a record snowfall shutdown the city. Christmas is Bethlehem’s biggest tourism rush but local officials want more tourists to stay longer and come year round. The number of visitors to Bethlehem has been rising. 12 new hotels open to this year and the new hotel rating system will soon be in place. But most visitors come into the West Bank town with an Israeli guide and stay just a few hours and an ambitious plan to develop the Palestinian economy including tourism is being developed in parallel with peace negotiations⁴ under the way between Israeli and Palestinian officials. Many development plans will depend on whether peace is achieved. Amelia Harris, NPR News.

 

The State of Utah is heading to the US Supreme⁵ Court after the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals denies their request to stop same sex marriages in the state ending appeals. That means gay marriages cannot continue in Utah. The US Supreme Court is the only option left for this state to temporarily stop the marriages.

 

Orders to US factory are for long-lasting manufacturing goods jump 3.5% last month. NPR’s Dave Mattingly reports it is the last sign of rebound⁶ in the manufacturing sector⁷.

 

Businesses step up demand for durable⁸ goods across the border in November. Commercial aircraft orders were up nearly 22%, new cars and auto⁹ parts up more than 3%, orders for communications equipment up 13%. Demands for electronics, computer and machinery¹⁰ also rose. Economist¹¹ Hugh Johnson says,

 

It is pretty much signals along with a lot of other numbers we see from month of November. There are starting to see a recovery and fairly robust¹² recovering in the manufacturing sector of the economy. 

 

And Johnson says the numbers suggest continue to strengthen in manufacturing over the next three to six months. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

 

Asian markets are opening and trading higher at last the check. The NIKKEI, the main market in Japan, up 0.2%, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong up over 1%. And US markets closed earlier today gaining by the closing bell.

 

This is NPR News.

 

At least 14 people have been killed in a snow and ice storm that is set in central northeast US. Around half million people are without power, making matters worse. Forecasters are predicting more snow moving into the Great Lake and Midwest by Christmas morning. In Maine, power is out for around 100,000 people.

 

The Russian government has dropped the hooliganism charged against one of the activists¹³ arrested for protesting with Green Peace. 29 other activists also facing charges may soon get a similar reprieve¹⁴, one is said charges dropped. Fiona Zublin reports that others are expected to receive the same treatment soon. 

 

All 28 activists and two journalists who are arrested for demonstrations¹⁵ at Russia’s oil rig in the Arctic have been freed on bail¹⁶. Anthony Perrett a Welshman is the first to have the charges against him entirely¹⁷ dropped by the Russian state. The activists maintain that they were peacefully protesting and committed no crime when they were intercepted¹⁸ by the Russian coast guard in September. The government seized the ship and arrested all the activists for piracy¹⁹. Those charges were later downgraded to hooliganism. Russia recently passed amnesty law which could affect thousands of prisoners and which respond some high-profile releases in the last few days, including the freeing of two members of Russian punk band Pussy²⁰ Riot. There has been speculation²¹ that the amnesty law is a public relations move in advance of Sochi Olympics. For NPR News, I am Fiona Zublin in London.

 

The Christmas Eve’s spacewalk is over. Two astronauts are safely back inside the international space station after replacing a pump in a crippled cooling line. So far that pumps seems to be working well. NASA is now hoping to have the full cooling station restore by this weekend with all equipment up and running again. 

 

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

3 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

4 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。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

9 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

10 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

11 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

12 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

13 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》

14 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

15 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

16 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

17 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

18 intercepted   

拦截( intercept的过去式和过去分词 )； 截住； 截击； 拦阻

参考例句：

• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave the hotel. 他正要离开旅馆，记者们把他拦截住了。
• Reporters intercepted him as he tried to leave by the rear entrance. 他想从后门溜走，记者把他截住了。

19 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

20 pussy   

n.(儿语)小猫，猫咪

参考例句：

• Why can't they leave my pussy alone?为什么他们就不能离我小猫咪远一点？
• The baby was playing with his pussy.孩子正和他的猫嬉戏。

21 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。