NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-01-01

 One provision of the Affordable¹ Care Act that was supposed to take effect today has been delayed. It’s the requirement that groups affiliated² with religious organizations provide contraception as part of their health insurance coverage³. The temporary block was issued by Supreme⁴ Court justice Sonia Sotoumaiwuer. It came after a request for the state by a group of nuns⁵ working in a nursing home. In March, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on a related matter – whether four profit companies are also required to provide contraception in health coverage.

 

Today the minimum wage is set to rise in some 13 states, but in some of them, the rise is small. As NPR’s Margal Edler reports.

 

In New Jersey⁶, the rise will be by $1 to ($)8.25 an hour. In New York, up 0.75 to $8 an hour and up to $9 by the end of 2015. In Connecticut, the minimum wage will rise to ($)8.70. Rode Island, $8 an hour. The federal minimum wage is ($)7.25 and now some 20 states will surpass that. President Obama says he supports raising the federal minimum wage to $10.10 an hour over two years. A recent article in the New York Times notes that leaders in the Democratic Party believe the minimum wage is an issue that will serve them well politically, not only by pushing for a rise in the federal minimum wage, but attempting to place state minimum wage proposals on the [balerd in states] with hotly contested races. Margal Edler, NPR News, New York.

 

The government of Afghanistan is preparing to release a number of prisoners the US says killed or wounded American troops. NPR’s Shawn Carbery reports the prisoner release is the latest controversy⁷ in a deteriorating⁸ relationship between Washington and Karbul.

 

A US official in Kabul says 88 of the detainees set to be released were directly involved in \ attacks against Afghan civilians⁹ or Afghan and international forces. The release has been ordered by the Afghan Review Board, a special panel established after the US handed over control of the prison at Bargram airfield¹⁰ last March. The US had delayed the handover because it fears the Afghan government would release dangerous prisoners without any prosecution¹¹. So far the review board has ordered the release of 650 prisoners. This latest release order comes as President Harmid Karzai is refusing to sign a security agreement with the US. Shawn Carbery, NPR News, Karbul.

 

Peace talks are supposed to open today between the government of South Sudan and rebels. The talks are in Ethiopia. But as negotiations¹² start, more fighting is reported in South Sudan. Fears of a widening war are growing. Meanwhile, the president of Uganda had given an ultimatum¹³ to the South Sudanese rebels: go to the peace talks or face war from neighboring countries.

 

Former First Lady Barbra Bush has been hospitalized in Huston for a respiratory infection. A family spokesman says she is getting quote, “fantastic care” and is in great spirits. She has been visited by her husband, former President Jorge H W Bush.

 

This is NPR.

 

The National Weather Service is warning of \ bitterly cold temperatures in some of the upper Midwest and Great Lakes states. The mercury will stay below zero day and night. People in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota are being warned against deadly wintural temperatures. This could fall to as much as 50 degrees below zero with a threat of frostbite within minutes to exposed skin.

 

The 100 anniversary of commercial flight is being celebrated¹⁴ today in Tampa and in St. Petersburg, Florida. NPR’s Gregg Allen reports the Tampa airbow line began flying on January 1st, 1914.

 

It was a [bent wire] biplane piloted by aviator¹⁵ pioneer Tony Jenison. On its first paid flight across Tampa Bay, it carried just one passenger, St. Petersburg’s Mayor. The ticket price was $5 one way. To commemorate¹⁶ the anniversary, the founder¹⁷ of Florida’s Fantasy of Flight Attraction built a replica¹⁸ of Jenison’s original airbow. He had planned to recreate the flight today, but at last the replica is not yet ready to take to the air. In his place, another early aviation enthusiast¹⁹ profai/bufai a different replica of airbow, Bahalfmen Exfora Molotskiv from St. Petersburg to Tampa. The Benwar 2020 Airbout were also be on hand. But it’s not expected to flying to a later in the year, the opportunity for yet another centennial celebration. Gregg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

 

A ship that’s been stuck in the ice near Antarctica remains²⁰ trapped there. Three icebreakers have failed to reach dozens of scientists and tourists [on the board of aboard] the trapped ship are in good health. And they have supplies. They are waiting for a break in the weather so a helicopter from one of the icebreakers can start ferrying people of the ship.

 

I’m Kolva Comen, NPR News.

1 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

2 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 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。

5 nuns   

n.（通常指基督教的）修女， （佛教的）尼姑( nun的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Ah Q had always had the greatest contempt for such people as little nuns. 小尼姑之流是阿Q本来视如草芥的。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Nuns are under vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. 修女须立誓保持清贫、贞洁、顺从。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

8 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

9 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。

10 airfield   

n.飞机场

参考例句：

• The foreign guests were motored from the airfield to the hotel.用车把外宾从机场送到旅馆。
• The airfield was seized by enemy troops.机场被敌军占领。

11 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。

12 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。

13 ultimatum   

n.最后通牒

参考例句：

• This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum.这一次该提议是以最后通牒的形式提出来的。
• The cabinet met today to discuss how to respond to the ultimatum.内阁今天开会商量如何应对这道最后通牒。

14 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。

15 aviator   

n.飞行家，飞行员

参考例句：

• The young aviator bragged of his exploits in the sky.那名年轻的飞行员吹嘘他在空中飞行的英勇事迹。
• Hundreds of admirers besieged the famous aviator.数百名爱慕者围困那个著名飞行员。

16 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。

17 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。

18 replica   

n.复制品

参考例句：

• The original conservatory has been rebuilt in replica.温室已按原样重建。
• The young artist made a replica of the famous painting.这位年轻的画家临摹了这幅著名的作品。

19 enthusiast   

n.热心人，热衷者

参考例句：

• He is an enthusiast about politics.他是个热衷于政治的人。
• He was an enthusiast and loved to evoke enthusiasm in others.他是一个激情昂扬的人，也热中于唤起他人心中的激情。

20 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。