NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-08-23

 The US air campaign against Islamic State militants¹ in Iraq is working. Defense² Secretary Chuck Hagel says the air strikes have helped Iraqi and Kurdish forces stop the militants from advancing on **. He also warns though, those militants will almost surely regroup and stage new offensive. He calls these Islamic organizations as sophisticated and well- funded as any group he's seen, and Hagel left open the possibility of US air strikes against the group in Syria as well as in Iraq. As for that failed mission to rescue American journalist James Foley in Syria earlier this summer, Hagel defended that effort:We all regret that mission did not succeed. But I'm very proud, very proud of the US forces that participated in it, and the United States will not relent our efforts to bring our citizens home and their captors to justice.  Foley was brutally³ executed by Islamic State and the militants were threatening to kill another American hostage. 

 

    A missionary⁴ doctor Ken⁵ Brantly who picked up the Ebola virus while working in Liberia has been given a clean bill of health and released from an Atlanta hospital. Jay Bores, of member station WABE reports. Before leaving Emory Hospital, a thin but healthy- looking Brantly spoke⁶ to reporters. With his wife by his side, he fought back tears: Today is a miraculous⁷ day. I'm thrilled to be alive, to be well and to be reunited with my family. Brantly and missionary Nancy Writebol have spent the past 3 weeks in a special isolation⁸ unit at Emory. A team of 5 doctors and 21 nurses cared for the pair around the clock. Doctors say the patients will continue to come in for follow- up care and treatment. The hospital says it currently has no plans to treat any other Ebola- stricken patients. For NPR News, I'm Jay Bores in Atlanta.

 

    A federal judge in Florida has struck down that state's ban on same- sex marriage, declaring it unconstitutional. NPR's Craig Allen says this is the 5th court in that state rule against the voter- approved law. In his decision, US federal judge Robert Hinkle echoed the points made by state judges who previously⁹ struck down the ban in 4 Florida counties. Judge Hinkle said the law approved by voters in 2008 violates rights to equal protection and to process guarantee in the US constitution. The case was filed by several same- sex couples, most of whom have already married in other states and want Florida to recognize their unions. Unlike the earlier rulings by state judges, judge Hinkle's order lifts the ban for the entire state. No marriage license¹⁰ has still been issued now, judge Hinkle issued a stay on his order till the appeal's process is complete. Florida's attorney- general has asked a court, but all appeals on hold pending¹¹ on a ruling on gay marriage by the US Supreme¹² Court. Craig Allen, NPR News, Miami.

 

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    The situation and riots toward Ferguson Missouri remains¹³ peaceful tonight. People are out protesting quietly. Governor Jay Nixon has ordered the systematic¹⁴ withdraw of Missouri National Guard troops from the town. And NPR's ** says the heavy machinery¹⁵ is leaving. There's fewer military vehicles. Humvees did begin pulling out around sundown. You can also tell the roads that had been previouly blocked in Ferguson, a lot of the major roads that has started to get barricaded¹⁶ by officers earlier in the evenings. We are not seeing those kinds of barricades¹⁷ any more. There's more traffic flowing freely in the town. Ferguson has seen protesters and violence eluding¹⁸ on some nights since the August night's fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager via white police officer.

 

    Hoping to lure¹⁹ back frequent business travellers, United Airlines are now offering better food for first- class passengers and replacing snacks with full meals on some of its shorter flights. NPR's Craig Wendolm reports. United says it will be phasing in new meals including untrimmed salads and complementary procycle sparkling wine in its first- class cabins. Travel expert Tom Parsons of Bestfares.com says with domestic first- class air fare sometimes running to 2- 3 thousand dollars, airlines can afford to improve the food. What they are tryingto do is wine and dine those folks who love to pay that kind of money. Parsons says the days of free meals for coach passengers in the US are over, but he doesn't really mind given the food choices at most airports now. Given its choice of wine cheaper and meet by myself a sandwich from a name- brand place I know, I think I'd really do that any day and take the airline choice. Craig Wendolm, NPR News.

 

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 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。

3 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

4 missionary   

adj.教会的，传教(士)的；n.传教士

参考例句：

• She taught in a missionary school for a couple of years.她在一所教会学校教了两年书。
• I hope every member understands the value of missionary work. 我希望教友都了解传教工作的价值。

5 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

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 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

8 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

9 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

10 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

11 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

12 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。

13 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。

14 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

15 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

16 barricaded   

设路障于，以障碍物阻塞( barricade的过去式和过去分词 )； 设路障[防御工事]保卫或固守

参考例句：

• The police barricaded the entrance. 警方在入口处设置了路障。
• The doors had been barricaded. 门都被堵住了。

17 barricades   

路障，障碍物( barricade的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The police stormed the barricades the demonstrators had put up. 警察冲破了示威者筑起的街垒。
• Others died young, in prison or on the barricades. 另一些人年轻时就死在监牢里或街垒旁。

18 eluding   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的现在分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• He saw no way of eluding Featherstone's stupid demand. 费瑟斯通的愚蠢要求使他走投无路。 来自辞典例句
• The fox succeeded in eluding the hunters. 这狐狸成功地避过了猎手。 来自辞典例句

19 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。