NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-05-02

 Emergency crew are using boats and special equipment to reach people stranded¹ by flood water along the gulf² coast. NPR's Debbie Elliott reports 37 people have now been killed in the severe weather moving to the south.

The same storm system that responds deadly tornado³ in 6 days. it's now flooding South Alabama and Florida Panhandle. Florida governor Rick Scott says people are trapped by high water in their homes and in cars. 

"We had flash flooding. We had about 300 requests about evacuation. We have been sending vehicles there. We've sent 24 high-water vehicles from National Guard; Fish and Wildlife is there with 31 vehicles, 13 boats."

Pensacola recoded more than 20 inch of rain, and more in the forecast. Flooding is expected to continue to several days as rivers and creeks⁴ overflow⁵ their banks. Debbie Elliott, NPR News, Orange Beach, Alabama. 

 

President Obama is urging people who believe the federal minimum wage should be higher to make their voices heard. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the president spoke⁶ after Senate Republicans blocked the bill that gradually raises the wage to $10.10 an hour.

Democrats⁷ say this vote won't be the last on raising the minimum wage. Polls show widespread public support for higher minimum wage, and while the bill isn't likely to advance in the divided Congress anytime soon. It could be a potent⁸ campaign issue in the approaching the midterm election. Meanwhile, President Obama notes the Hawaii lawmakers voted this week to gradually raise their state minimum to $10.10 a hour, following the lead of Cincinnati and Maryland. 

"The good news it is outside the Washington focusing on wage."

State lawmakers are considering a similar way check in Massachusetts, Vermont and Illinois. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House. 

 

Stock prices finished higher today with Don Jones Industrial Average hitting a new record. NPR's Jim Zarroli reports a positive economic assessment⁹ from Federal Reserve sent prices rising. 

Federal officials said in a statement that they were once again cutting back on measures they have been taken to stimulus¹⁰ growth. The US economy grew by just 0.1% in first quarter, a slowdown that has been widely blamed on bad weather. But fed officials said growth in economic activity has picked up brazenly¹¹, partly because consumers are spending more. The relatively¹² upbeat assessment of economic condition seem to make investors¹³ happy and stock prices rose across the board. For the first time this year, the Dow hit all time high and Standard and Poor 500 index almost set a record. Jim Zarroli, NPR News, New York.

 

That new high for the Dow, 16,580 up 45 points for the day and S&P closed it 1,883, gaining 5 points. The NASDAQ rose as well, climbing 11 points to close at 4,114.

 

It's NPR News. 

 

Oklahoma governor Mary Fallin is calling for an independent review of last night botched execution. After a death row inmate¹⁴ was injecting with combination of drugs that include a new sedative¹⁵ and declare dead the convict convulsed and repeatedly mumbled¹⁶. The execution was halted and he later died. The execution had been put off for weeks as a lawyer argued the state was withholding¹⁷ information about the new drug's been used.

 

Retired¹⁸ Supreme¹⁹ Court Justice John Paul Stevens told Senate panel today he disagreed with basic promise of Supreme Court's decision on campaign finance that political money is constitutionally protected free speech. NPR's Peter Overby reports Stevens is calling for a constitutional amendment²⁰ to reverse the decision. 

Testified in the Senate Rule Committee, Stevens said money can finance speech but they're absent anonymous²¹. 

"Campaign funds were used to finance the Watergate burglary, actions that clearly were not protected by the First Amendment."

Republican Senators said the First Amendment shouldn't be tinkered with and they defended the free market of debate. Democrats said that market's just dominated by the wealthy, spending his surge demand so-called social welfare organizations which don't disclose their donors²². According to the Westin media project and the center for their response for politics, non-disclosing groups subair 15,000 ads so far this circle, easily surpassing regular political committees. Peter Overby, NPR News, Washington. 

 

Toronto mayor Rob Ford²³ says he's taking time off the battle of his substance abuse. Ford has been drown controversy²⁴ and ridicule²⁵ ever since he admitted to smoking crack. He later made a chaos²⁶ in city hall and displayed other erratic²⁷ behavior. 

1 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

4 creeks   

n.小湾( creek的名词复数 )；小港；小河；小溪

参考例句：

• The prospect lies between two creeks. 矿区位于两条溪流之间。 来自辞典例句
• There was the excitement of fishing in country creeks with my grandpa on cloudy days. 有在阴雨天和姥爷一起到乡村河湾钓鱼的喜悦。 来自辞典例句

5 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 potent   

adj.强有力的，有权势的；有效力的

参考例句：

• The medicine had a potent effect on your disease.这药物对你的病疗效很大。
• We must account of his potent influence.我们必须考虑他的强有力的影响。

9 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

10 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。

11 brazenly   

adv.厚颜无耻地；厚脸皮地肆无忌惮地

参考例句：

• How dare he distort the facts so brazenly! 他怎么敢如此肆无忌惮地歪曲事实！ 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• "I don't know," he answered, looking her brazenly over. “我也不知道，"他厚颜无耻地打量着她。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

12 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

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 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

15 sedative   

adj.使安静的，使镇静的；n. 镇静剂，能使安静的东西

参考例句：

• After taking a sedative she was able to get to sleep.服用了镇静剂后，她能够入睡了。
• Amber bath oil has a sedative effect.琥珀沐浴油有镇静安神效用。

16 mumbled   

含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He mumbled something to me which I did not quite catch. 他对我叽咕了几句话，可我没太听清楚。
• George mumbled incoherently to himself. 乔治语无伦次地喃喃自语。

17 withholding   

扣缴税款

参考例句：

• She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
• The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。

18 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

19 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。

20 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

21 anonymous   

adj.无名的；匿名的；无特色的

参考例句：

• Sending anonymous letters is a cowardly act.寄匿名信是懦夫的行为。
• The author wishes to remain anonymous.作者希望姓名不公开。

22 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

23 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。

24 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。

25 ridicule   

v.讥讽，挖苦；n.嘲弄

参考例句：

• You mustn't ridicule unfortunate people.你不该嘲笑不幸的人。
• Silly mistakes and queer clothes often arouse ridicule.荒谬的错误和古怪的服装常会引起人们的讪笑。

26 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

27 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。