NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-01-05

 Federal Reserve board chairman Ben Bernanke was consciously optimistic about the economy at the annual meeting of the America economic association in Philadelphia today. Steve Backner of market news international says the soon-to-retire chief said he still sees the need for monetary¹ stimulus². 

The Fed scaled back its quantitative³ easing program, a heavy bond buying last month, and Bernanke said that reflected a progress toward the goal of substantial improvement in the labor⁴ market. But he said the cut in monthly bond buying from 85 to 75 billion dollars didn’t lessen⁵ the Fed’s commitment to keep monetary policy highly stimulative⁶ for as long as needed. Bernanke was upbeat in his last major speech before leaving office at the end of the month, saying economy made considerable progress and the headwinds hindering growth are abating⁷, but he said recovery is far from complete with unemployment is elevated. For NPR News, I’m Steve Backner in Philadelphia. 

 

The death toll⁸ is rising as officials now are able to assess some briefs of a major apartment fire in Minneapolis earlier this week. Initially⁹ it was thought everyone has got out of the 3-story building, though a number of people were hurt from jumping out of the windows to escape the blaze. But now officials say a second body was founded this morning in addition to a body founded that site yesterday. Total of 14 others were hurt in the fire which broken out a windy morning. Authorities are on tour what sparked the blaze, but they’re looking a possible natural gas leak. Something were reported an explosion before the fire. 

 

The Obama administration has announced 2 actions aiming at strengthening background checks for gun buyers. NPR’s Brian Naylor reports the steps are directed at those who have metal health issues. 

One of the proposals rule changings would clarify what information takes mental health agencies can gift to the federal background check system. The department health and human services notes a 2012 report that founds at 17 states has submitted fewer than 10 records each of people’s prohibits from buying a gun because the metal health reasons. The other action would expand the term committing to a mental institution to include volunteer impatient as well as outpatient services. The Obama administration tries to win sweeping¹¹ changes to the nation’s background check system after the Newtown shooting but was blocked by Congress. The White House again called on lawmakers to pass what it turns common sense gun safety legislation. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington. 

 

President Obama plans to pressure Congress to restore long-term jobless benefits, some 1.3 million Americans. Officials say the president plans to hold an event at the White House Tuesday where he will review negative consequences for its economy not extending unemployment benefits. The White House says president Obama will join in an event by American jobless benefits ran out late last month. 

 

A mixed close on Wall Street today as investors¹³ look toward a year ahead. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 28 points; the NASDAQ was down 11 points today. 

 

You’re listening to NPR News in Washington. 

 

According to the Pentagon, Maries used a UC130 cargo¹⁴ plane to evacuate¹⁵ some 20 Americans from US embassy in Juba South Sudan has been an ongoing¹⁶ violence there. State Department says security situation is deteriorating¹⁷. Representatives from both sides of conflict at Ethiopia for preliminary peace talks as violence continues. Within the past several weeks, fighting in the region between rebels and government forces has left more than a thousand people dead and driven estimated 200,000 people from their homes. 

 

2013 auto¹⁸ sales in US marks a strong re-bounce for previous recession levels. NPR’s Louis Givony told us the variety of sedans plays a part in the industry’s strong year. 

Ford¹⁹ was one of the strongest performances of the year, reporting a 11% jump with strong sales of the fueling sedan, the escape crossover and Ford’s F series pickups. A General Motors vice¹⁰ president Kurt McNeil declared the recession formally in the rearview mirror with an overall annually²⁰ increase in sales of 7.3%. Chrysler, too, scored a solid year-over-year hike. It’s numbers up 9%. A cross board dealering centers and oil price break and dramatically reduced borrowing costs made a major difference as drivers who held on to old cars during the recession gave in and decided²¹ to buy or lease new ones. Louis Givony, NPR News. 

 

Even the Super Ball is about a month away. The ad blizzards²² associates with the big game are already beginning. Soft drink maker¹² Pepsi, which plans to get the big Super Ball half time show as a sponsor in TBS begins tomorrow. Marshal parts of a large campaign by the company aims to dropping awareness²³ for the show, it would be a major part of 48th anniversary of Super Ball. Super Ball schedules to air February 2. 

1 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

3 quantitative   

adj.数量的，定量的

参考例句：

• He said it was only a quantitative difference.他说这仅仅是数量上的差别。
• We need to do some quantitative analysis of the drugs.我们对药物要进行定量分析。

4 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。

5 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

6 stimulative   

n.刺激，促进因素adj.刺激的，激励的，促进的

参考例句：

• Do you want to enjoy the absolutely stimulative experience? 你想享受魔兽游戏带来的绝对刺激的体验吗？ 来自互联网
• Discussed follow pattern of demand, the way that stimulative technology progresses. 探讨了遵循供求规律，促进技术进步的途径。 来自互联网

7 abating   

减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The storm showed no signs of abating. 暴风雨没有减弱的迹象。
• The recent public anxiety about this issue may now be abating. 近来公众对这个问题的焦虑心情现在也许正在缓和下来。

8 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。

9 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

12 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

13 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

14 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

15 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。

16 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

17 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。

18 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。

19 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

20 annually   

adv.一年一次，每年

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。

21 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

22 blizzards   

暴风雪( blizzard的名词复数 )； 暴风雪似的一阵，大量（或大批）

参考例句：

• Even in the summertime we might be struck by blizzards. 甚至在夏天，我们也可能受到暴风雪的袭击。
• Blizzards battered Britain for the third day. 大风雪袭击英国已进入第三天。

23 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。