NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-05-10

 Lawmakers by 232-to-186 votes have approved creation of a special committee to do investigate the assault on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya. Republican lawmakers founds it to continue to pursue of questions about the attack that claims the lives of the US ambassador, Christopher Stevens and 3 others. But some Democrats¹, like New York representative Louise Slaughter², calls it political theater. 

"It's been down for politics. It's been down to raise money."

Slaughter referred the fact it is a reelection year. But Republican Pete Sessions from Taxes said it's about determining to the true. 

"We must get to the bottom of it without its being a political witching."

There have already been more than a dozen of public hearing, thousands of pages of documents and 50 separate briefings on the Benghazi attack. 

 

A house committee has subpoenaed³ Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports its issue is whether vets⁴ may have died while waiting the care at VA hospitals. 

Allegation against VA hospitals faked to statistic⁵ about how long vets for cares brought call for Shinseki's ouster. The White House backs seem as a urgent patience while the charges are investigated. Republican House Speaker John Boehner stops short for calling Shinseki to resign. 

"There's a systemic, management issue throughout the VA that needs to be addressed, and I don't believe just changing someone on the top is going to actually get to the solution that many of us are looking for."

The country's largest vets group, The American Legion, has asked Shinseki to step down. Quil Lawrence, NPR News. 

 

Pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine are moving forward with referendum on question of independence. But NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson explains from Donetsk, the region's governor says the vote is illegal. 

Governor Serhiy Taruta told the reporters here that up to Ukrainian security services to punish the separatists who carry out the unofficial referendum. But he adds the voters who cast ballots⁶ will not be punished. He says they may be misguided but not criminals. Taruta says it's on fortunate Kiev decided⁷ not to go ahead with an official referendum on question of more autonomy, but they gives regions more voices in political process that something the government is working on. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Donetsk. 

 

Federal Reserve is out with a proposed new rule aimed to make banks safer and avoiding some the problems that took place during the financial crisis. Part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act, the rule would be prohibited a bank merger⁸ of new company' liabilities exceed 10% aggregate⁹ consolidated¹⁰ liabilities of all financial companies. Among the firms have been covered by the rule, bank holding company, savings¹¹ and loan company and the depository institution would be open for public comment through July when the Fed then needs to finalize¹² for taking effect. 

 

A mixed close in Wall Street today. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 32 points to end the session at 16,550; the NASDAQ dropped 16 points to 4,051; the S&P 500 closed down 2 points today. 

 

You're listening to NPR News in Washington.

 

A luxury hotel in the Syrian city of Aleppo is in ruin. That's after a bombing there, Apparently¹³ targeting Syrian government forces. Syrian rebels are claiming responsibility for the blast that killed 14 soldiers and injured dozens of others. Aleppo, Syria's largest city and one-time the nation's commercial hub, has been divided between rebels and government forces. The bomb caverned the hotel in the government-held part of the city was apparently being known as a base by government troops. 

 

More than 100 Wichita State University students, faculty¹⁴ and community members stages the protests on campus today, demanding the release of some 250 abducted¹⁶ Nigerian school girls. From Number Station KMUW in Wichita, Carla Eckels has more. 

"Bring back our girls! Bring back our girls!"

Wearing red shirts and holding up signs reading “Bring Back Our Girls,” demonstrators circled the WSU Plaza¹⁷ of Heroines. Olabisi Pinheiro is president of Nigerian Association at WSU. She called on the Islamic group Boko Haram, who's claimed responsibility for the kidnapping to return the girls. 

"We asked the world to come together, and coming to Nigeria and stopping these people because they do not have a rights. They do not have the rights to abduct¹⁵ our daughters! We want them home! So bring back our girls!"

Speaker reminds these students to continue with social media "bring back our girls" campaign. For NPR News, I'm Carla Eckels in Wichita. 

 

A group of Senators is calling on the US Food and Drug Administration to take a look at new researches that seem to suggest electronic cigarettes may not be as safe as they seem. Lawmakers appointed found incidents. Some insists E-cigarettes can produce dangerous carcinogens similar to those from traditional cigarettes. New York Times suggests some are just high power nicotine¹⁸ devices could produce toxic¹⁹ chemicals and including formaldehyde. 

 

1 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》

2 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

3 subpoenaed   

v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court subpoenaed her to appear as a witness. 法庭传唤她出庭作证。
• The finance director is subpoenaed by prosecution. 财务经理被检查机关传讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

5 statistic   

n.统计量；adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• Official statistics show real wages declining by 24%.官方统计数字表明实际工资下降了24%。
• There are no reliable statistics for the number of deaths in the battle.关于阵亡人数没有可靠的统计数字。

6 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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。

8 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

9 aggregate   

adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合

参考例句：

• The football team had a low goal aggregate last season.这支足球队上个赛季的进球总数很少。
• The money collected will aggregate a thousand dollars.进帐总额将达一千美元。

10 consolidated   

a.联合的

参考例句：

• With this new movie he has consolidated his position as the country's leading director. 他新执导的影片巩固了他作为全国最佳导演的地位。
• Those two banks have consolidated and formed a single large bank. 那两家银行已合并成一家大银行。

11 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

12 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

13 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

14 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

15 abduct   

vt.诱拐，拐带，绑架

参考例句：

• The police caught the man who tried to abduct the boy for ransom.警察抓住了那个企图拐走这男孩以便勒索赎金的家伙。
• The news that we see those use network abduct children sometimes filled with apprehension.我们有时看到那些利用网络诱拐儿童的新闻都心惊肉跳。

16 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

17 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

18 nicotine   

n.(化)尼古丁，烟碱

参考例句：

• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。
• Many smokers who are chemically addicted to nicotine cannot cut down easily.许多有尼古丁瘾的抽烟人不容易把烟戒掉。

19 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。