NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-06-23

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Raum.

 

　　The Friends of Syria, 11 Western and Arab nations opposed to the Syrian president, agreed today to provide more military support to the rebels seeking the ouster of Bashar al-Assad. British Foreign Secretary William Hague says the countries will help in different ways.

 

　　“We haven't taken any decision about any lethal¹ support ourselves, we are doing a great deal else and that is greatly appreciated by the people of Syria, I think, whether in terms of equipment that saves lives, like body armor, like electricity generators²...”

 

　　Secretary of State John Kerry represented the US at the meeting in Doha. He called for an urgent political resolution to the war in Syria. He warned the violence could spread throughout the region.

 

　　With opening statements in George Zimmerman's murder trial set to begin Monday, a judge in Sanford, Florida has dealt prosecutors³ a setback⁴. NPR's Greg Allen reports the judge says audio experts who indicate a voice calling for help in a 911 call was Trayvon Martin will not be allowed to testify.

 

　　It's a chilling piece of audio captured in a 911 call--the night neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin had their confrontation⁵. In the background, the voice is heard repeatedly calling for help, cries at end when there's a gunshot. Audio experts retained by Zimmberman's defense⁶ say the best science can't determine whose voice is heard calling for help. The defense challenged the testimony⁷ of two audio experts working for the prosecution⁸. One prosecution expert Thomas Owen says he determined⁹ the person yelling was not George Zimmerman. Another expert Dr. Alan Reich went further, saying Trayvon Martin was the person yelling, and he heard [“hear” is a slip] other audio in the background that seems to back up that contention¹⁰. Judge Debra Nelson says neither Owen nor Reich will be allowed to testify. She says she found no evidence that scientific techniques had been tested and found reliable. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

 

　　Thousands have gathered in Detroit to commemorate¹¹ the 50th anniversary of one of the nation's largest civil rights demonstrations¹². NPR's Allison Keyes reports it was headlined by Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream of equality.

 

　　They gathered early this morning, carrying signs of banners marching down the same street where King led more than 125,000 demonstrators on June 23rd, 1963. On that day he gave a speech that included many of the themes of his iconic “I Have a Dream” speech.

 

　　“One day men will no longer burn down houses and the Church of God simply because people want to be free. I have the dream this afternoon.”

 

　　Ninety-eight-year-old civil rights activist¹³ Grates Lee Boggs helped organize the 1963 event.

 

　　“[inaudible]”

 

　　Organizers of today's events say they need to confront many of the same problems as King including job creation and racism¹⁴. Allison Keyes, NPR News.

 

　　A plane crashed during an air show in Dayton, Ohio this afternoon. Officials say the pilot and a wing walker were killed. No spectators were hurt. This is NPR News from Wasington.

 

　　Officials in India say at least 560 people have died in floods and landslides¹⁵ in the northern part of the country. They warned the death toll¹⁶ is likely to rise as troops reached remote villages where flash floods washed away houses and vehicles. Hundreds of people are missing. Monsoon¹⁷ flooding occurs every year in India, causing enormous loss of life and property.

 

　　At least three people have died in widespread flooding in southern Alberta. Tens of thousands of residents in the city of Calgary had been forced from their homes. Dan Karpenchuk reports.

 

　　Officials described the flooding is catastrophic. Hundreds of homes are partially¹⁸ submerged, railroad tracks have been lifted, and 75,000 people have been forced to evacuate¹⁹. Downtown Calgary which on Friday resembled a lake is still without power and is off-limits. Mayor Naheed Nenshi says it will likely remain so until at least the middle of next week. The basement of City Hall is flooded with six feet of water. Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Alberta Premier²⁰ Alison Redford toured the flood zone on Friday and promised there would be money available through disaster aid programs. Now communities downstream are bracing²¹ for the surging waters. Ten thousand people in low-lying areas of the city of Medicine Hat have been told to get out of their homes by this morning. For NPR News, I'm Dan Karpenchuk, Toronto.

 

　　Politicians at every government level are often reluctant to raise taxes. But lawmakers in Florida's Miami-Dade County voted this week to raise property taxes. Homeowners would pay about 20 dollars more per year. The money--20 million dollars a year--would be used to keep unwanted dogs and cats from being euthanized. The pet fund would pay for programs such as adoption²² events to find new homes for stray dogs and cats.

 

　　I'm Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.

1 lethal   

adj.致死的；毁灭性的

参考例句：

• A hammer can be a lethal weapon.铁锤可以是致命的武器。
• She took a lethal amount of poison and died.她服了致命剂量的毒药死了。

2 generators   

n.发电机，发生器( generator的名词复数 )；电力公司

参考例句：

• The factory's emergency generators were used during the power cut. 工厂应急发电机在停电期间用上了。
• Power can be fed from wind generators into the electricity grid system. 电力可以从风力发电机流入输电网。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

4 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

5 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 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。

8 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

9 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。

10 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

11 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

12 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。

13 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

14 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

15 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

16 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

17 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

18 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

19 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

20 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

21 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

22 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。