NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2013-12-30

 Long-term unemployment benefits are expiring for more than a million Americans today. The government program that helps the unemployed¹ after their state benefit ran out is over. Rhode Island Public Radio’s John Bender reports it has a major impact on the country’s smallest state which has the one of the nation’s highest unemployment rates. 

 

Some 5,000 Rhode Islanders will lose their jobless benefits after congress failed to renew the emergency unemployment compensation program before leaving for the holidays. Head of Rhode Island Department of Labor² and Training Charles Fogarty says the agency is working to inform affected³ individuals of resources they may need. 

 

We had discussions with folks at the United Way, letting them know this is coming down NNN and even alert the individuals. We sent materials about the snap program, some folks may be eligible⁴ for other programs and also some people quite frankly⁵ is going to need touch base with their friend and relatives about getting else to get through.

 

Benefits will run out for about 9,000 more Rhode Island residents in the coming month. The state is tied with Nevada for the highest unemployment rate in the country at 9%. For NPR News, I am John Bender in Providence⁶.

 

It has been weeks since a powerful ice storm swept across the Great Lakes in New England and thousands of residents are still without power. In Maine, 4,000 homes and businesses are in the dark and major snow storm is again bringing down on the region. Bangor Hydro Electric spokeswoman Susan Faloon says that will make restoring power even more difficult.

 

The crew is just reporting that it is a real mass. They are just experiencing extreme challenges. Those customers would not all be back on until Wednesday.

 

In Michigan, at latest count, some 16,000 utility customers are waiting for the power to come back on. That is down from 600,000 a few days ago.

 

The government in South Sudan says it will attack rebel fighters if their leaders do not agree to a ceasefire. More than 1,000 people have been killed in two weeks of clashes. The government proposed the ceasefire after retaking the city of Malakal. It is the country’s richest oil state. But as NPR’s Gregory Warner reports from Malakal the political crisis is now sparking a humanitarian⁷ one. 

 

In the compound for UN peacekeepers on the outskirts⁸ of Malakal, 10,000 to 20,000 South Sudanese who fled the fighting are sleeping wherever they find the space under bushes in fields without water to drink or latrines. The UN humanitarian coordinator⁹ for South Sudan said it was far worse than he could have imaged. Children are getting malaria¹⁰ and diarrhea. Medics warn of impending¹¹ cholera¹² epidemic¹³. But people are afraid to return to their homes for fears the fighting will resume. Humanitarians¹⁴ hope the peaceful hold long enough to bringing supplies. Gregory Warner, NPR News, Malakal.

 

This is NPR.

 

Secretary of State John Kerry heads back to the Middle East next week for more talks with Israeli and Palestinian leaders. He is due to arrive just days after Israel is scheduled to free more Palestinian prisoners. Kerry travels to Jerusalem and Ramallah Wednesday for talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

 

The head of Afghanistan’s Crime Investigation¹⁵ Department says crime has increased dramatically in Kabul in the past months. From Afghan capital, NPR’s Sean Carberry reports the rise is attributed to a growing population and to uncertainty¹⁶ about foreign aid in the future. 

 

Sayed Gul Aqa Hashimi says that over the last month there was a spike¹⁷ in murder, kidnapping, assault, car theft and a number of other categories of crime. He says that 238 people were arrested in connection with 110 cases. Anecdotally many Afghans in capital also say they have noticed increasing crime over the last year. In addition to the uncertainty over whether international troops will remain in the country after next year and whether foreign aid withdraw, Hashimi says the persistent¹⁸ high levels of unemployment poverty and illiteracy¹⁹ are also major drivers of crime in capital. Sean Carberry, NPR News, Kabul.

 

The international mission to get rid of Syria’s chemical weapon says it is unlikely to meet the December 31st deadline to transport the most critical materials out of country. The organization for the prohibition²⁰ of chemical says security concerns caused by Syrian civil war are limiting movement. Still the UN-backed organization says preparations are advancing. 

1 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

2 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。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

7 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。

8 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

9 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

10 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

11 impending   

a.imminent, about to come or happen

参考例句：

• Against a background of impending famine, heavy fighting took place. 即将发生饥荒之时，严重的战乱爆发了。
• The king convoke parliament to cope with the impending danger. 国王召开国会以应付迫近眉睫的危险。

12 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

13 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

14 humanitarians   

n.慈善家( humanitarian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finally, humanitarians saw it as a means of helping to feed the hungry of the world. 人道主义者把这一计划看成是为世界上那些忍饥挨饿的人提供粮食的一项措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• All humanitarians fought against slavery. 所有人道主义者都为反对奴隶制而斗争过。 来自互联网

15 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。

16 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

17 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

18 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

19 illiteracy   

n.文盲

参考例句：

• It is encouraging to read that illiteracy is declining.从读报中了解文盲情况正在好转，这是令人鼓舞的。
• We must do away with illiteracy.我们必须扫除文盲。

20 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。