NPR 2008-11-15

Six, Five, four three, two, one, booster ignition and liftoff of space shuttle Endeavour，preparing our home in space for a larger international family.

 The space shuttle Endeavour with the seven-member crew lifting off the pad just moments ago at Cape¹ Canaveral. The seven astronauts are embarking² on a 15-day mission, which will include some remodeling work on the International Space Station. NASA hopes to double the size of the space station crew from three members to six next year. Also on board the shuttle is a new 250-million-dollar wastewater recycling system. If all goes as planned, the shuttle will arrive at the space station on Sunday. Today's launch of Endeavour marks NASA's 124th shuttle mission.

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency for Santa Barbara County where an uncontained fire has burned more than 100 homes. From Santa Barbara, Michael Marcard reports.

 Governor Schwarzenegger's declaration shifts most of the cause of the disaster to the state and federal governments. The pronouncement comes after a hellish night in which a wildfire spread quickly through the coastal³ foothills, north of Santa Barbara, destroying multi-million-dollar homes, classrooms and dorms at Westmont College and levelling the Mount Calvary Monastery⁴. The extreme winds that drove the flames finally abated⁵ after midnight, and they remained calm since. That gives firefighters a window of opportunity to, as they put it, hit the fire heart by saucing it with water-dropping helicopters and aerial tankers⁸. The fears are that winds will pick up again this evening. Meanwhile more than 5, 000 people are ordered to stay out of the evacuation areas and residents are urged to conserve⁹ water because of the massive drain on local reservoirs. For NPR News, I am Michael Marcard in Santa Barbara.

 The Commerce Department is reporting sales at US retailers¹¹ had their biggest decline on record last month, falling 2. 8%. Consumers cut back across the border items such as gasoline, automobiles¹², furniture and electronics. NPR s David Nogueras has more.

October marked the fourth consecutive¹³ monthly decline for retail¹⁰ sales. Bernard Baumohl is the managing director of the Economic Outlook Group. He says recession-worried consumers are hunkering down as turmoil¹⁴ in the credit markets continues to rail the economy. "It has been a rollercoaster ride-down that has in the last couple of months, actually accelerated downwards¹⁵, so we're taking up speed at this point and the deterioration¹⁶ of the economy.” But Baumohl is hopeful the economy might show some signs of recovery by mid⁷ 2009. Until then he says retailers should brace¹⁷ themselves for what could be one of the worst holiday shopping seasons in a quarter century. David Nogueras, NPR news, Washington.

 On Wall Street, a rough ended the week for the Down Jones Industrial Average. The market fell 337 points today to close at 8, 497. The NASDAQ lost 79 points. The Standard & Poor's 500 was down 38 points to end the week.

 This is NPR.

 The FDIC is out with a new plan aimed at helping¹⁸ to keep people in their homes. The government agency's put forth¹⁹ a proposal would call for 24 billion dollars in government funding, go towards preventing more than 1.5 million US householders from falling in the foreclosure. The FDIC posted the plan on its website just days after Treasury²⁰ Secretary Henry Paulson rejected the idea of using any of the government's 700-billion-dollar bailout money to fund such effort.

 Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff says forces are ready at the Mexican boarder in case rampant²¹ drug violence goes over to the US. NPR’s Ted⁶ Robbins reports.

 Secretary Chertoff says he is not predicting the violence between drug cartels will cross the border but he says customs and border protection forces are prepared if it does. "We even have a MRAP, one of those vehicles we have in Baghdad that we could deploy²² if necessary at the port of entry or somewhere else. " MRAPs are heavily armored vehicles used against roadside bombs. Chertoff says US agents also have air-power available. Drug-related killings²³ are soaring in Mexico with innocent bystanders being killed as well. Thursday, a prominent Mexican journalist was assassinated²⁴ outside his home in Juarez across the border from El Paso. More than 4, 000 people have been killed in Mexico so far this year, at least 1, 000 of those in Juarez. Ted Robbins, NPR news, Tucson.

 Sun Microsystems who makes computer service now states it's embarking on a broad reconstructing which the company says could lead to an elimination²⁵ of as many as 6,000 jobs.

 Space shuttle Endeavour is now in a safe orbit. The shuttle lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral from an earlier evening launch. The seven shuttle astronauts are embarking on a 15-day mission when crew will visit the International Space Station.

1 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

2 embarking   

乘船( embark的现在分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• He's embarking on a new career as a writer. 他即将开始新的职业生涯——当一名作家。
• The campaign on which were embarking was backed up by such intricate and detailed maintenance arrangemets. 我们实施的战争，须要如此复杂及详细的维护准备。

3 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

4 monastery   

n.修道院，僧院，寺院

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• She was appointed the superior of the monastery two years ago.两年前她被任命为这个修道院的院长。

5 abated   

减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The worker's concern about cuts in the welfare funding has not abated. 工人们对削减福利基金的关心并没有减少。
• The heat has abated. 温度降低了。

6 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

7 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

8 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

9 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

10 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

11 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

12 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

14 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

15 downwards   

adj./adv.向下的（地），下行的（地）

参考例句：

• He lay face downwards on his bed.他脸向下伏在床上。
• As the river flows downwards,it widens.这条河愈到下游愈宽。

16 deterioration   

n.退化；恶化；变坏

参考例句：

• Mental and physical deterioration both occur naturally with age. 随着年龄的增长，心智和体力自然衰退。
• The car's bodywork was already showing signs of deterioration. 这辆车的车身已经显示出了劣化迹象。

17 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

18 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

19 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

20 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

21 rampant   

adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的

参考例句：

• Sickness was rampant in the area.该地区疾病蔓延。
• You cannot allow children to rampant through the museum.你不能任由小孩子在博物馆里乱跑。

22 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

23 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

24 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

25 elimination   

n.排除，消除，消灭

参考例句：

• Their elimination from the competition was a great surprise.他们在比赛中遭到淘汰是个很大的意外。
• I was eliminated from the 400 metres in the semi-finals.我在400米半决赛中被淘汰。