NPR 2008-08-03

Iran failed to meet a deadline today to announce whether it's ready to suspend uranium production, and begin international talks on ending its nuclear program. Teri Schultz has more from Brussels.

A European Union diplomat¹ says Brussels wasn't really expecting the Iranians to get in touch by now. There've been no signs Teheran even acknowledges the deadline pressed primarily by the United States. After meeting his Iranian counterpart in Geneva July 19th, the top negotiator with Iran, EU Foreign Policy Chief Javier Solana, said he'd like the Iranians to tell him within about two weeks, whether they're prepared to enter negotiations². The US pinned that down more specifically to August 2nd. The EU diplomat who wished to remain anonymous³ because of the sensitivity of the situation, says a deadline is less important to Solana than getting a clear answer from Teheran. Nonetheless, this official says, Solana wants to receive that answer very soon. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did post a statement on his website today that every country including Iran has the right to engage in uranium enrichment. He said Iran will not back down one iota⁴ from pursuing its nuclear activities.

US military officials in Baghdad announce today they're charging two American soldiers with murder, after the death of an Iraqi detainee. Staff Sergeant⁵ Hal Warner and First Lieutenant⁶ Michael Behenna, are also being charged with assault, making a false statement, and obstruction⁷ of justice. Officials do not provide details on how the detainee died.

The Coast Guard release preliminary results today from an investigation⁸ into last month's collision between a ship and an oil barge⁹ on the Mississippi River. It caused a huge oil spill that shut down the river traffic for several days. NPR's Andrea Hsu has more from New Orleans.

The initial findings reveal that the tugboat pulling the oil barge was being operated by a steersman apprentice¹⁰, who was not licensed¹¹ to pilot the boat. Moreover, the captain of the tugboat was not aboard at the time of collision. The Coast Guard has also made public radio transmissions during the collision. On the recording¹², a pilot aboard the ship is heard calling out to the tugboat multiple times, each time with increasing urgency, but the tugboat does not respond. Finally, you hear this from the ship. "????（希望大哥大姐小弟小妹们帮个忙） we just took his tow. I suppose, that the barge is right in front of us and we're running it over. " Thousands of gallons of fuel oil spilled from the barge when it broke in half. Crews are working to salvage¹³ the barge, first pumping out what oil remains¹⁴ in its tanks. A formal hearing on the collision is scheduled for later this month. Andrea Hsu, NPR News, New Orleans.

The Justice Department is expected to decide within days its next step in the anthrax case. The chief suspect apparently¹⁵ committed suicide this week. Letters laced with anthrax were sent to Congressional offices and newsrooms soon after the September 11th attacks. Five people were killed, several others were sickened.

You are listening to NPR News.

US health officials reported today, the number of Americans infected by the AIDS virus is much higher than previously¹⁶ thought. They say there were roughly 56, 300 new HIV infections in 2006, up from the 40, 000 annual estimate used for the last dozen years. It can take ten years or more for the infection to cause symptoms and illness. According to current estimates, more than a million Americans are living with the AIDS virus.

The President of the International Olympic Committee, says he has no regrets about the decision to place the Olympics in China. Jacques Rogge spoke¹⁷ a week before the Beijing Games. NPR's Howard Berkes reports from Beijing.

The International Olympic Committee has been peppered with questions about pollution affecting athletes, and Chinese government-restrictions on foreign reporters covering the Olympics. Both issues make critics wonder whether the IOC bet wrong, when it named Beijing Olympic host, and said the Games would change China in positive ways. But IOC President Jacques Rogge is bullish on the Beijing Games. "I'm sure, that come the 9th of August, the day after the opening ceremony, the magic of the games and the flawless organization will take over. " Rogge said athletes' National Olympic Committees and the governing bodies of Olympic sports are praising Beijing preparations and venues¹⁸. He called the athletes village here the best he's ever seen. Howard Berkes, NPR News, Beijing.

An induction¹⁹ ceremony is being held at this hour in Canton, Ohio for the newest members of the Football Hall of Fame. They include Washington Redskins' Darrell Green and Art Monk²⁰, who won two Super Bowls together.

1 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

2 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

3 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。

4 iota   

n.些微，一点儿

参考例句：

• There is not an iota of truth in his story.他的故事没有一点是真的。
• He's never shown an iota of interest in any kind of work.他从来没有对任何工作表现出一点儿兴趣。

5 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

6 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

7 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

8 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

9 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

10 apprentice   

n.学徒，徒弟

参考例句：

• My son is an apprentice in a furniture maker's workshop.我的儿子在一家家具厂做学徒。
• The apprentice is not yet out of his time.这徒工还没有出徒。

11 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

12 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

13 salvage   

v.救助，营救，援救；n.救助，营救

参考例句：

• All attempts to salvage the wrecked ship failed.抢救失事船只的一切努力都失败了。
• The salvage was piled upon the pier.抢救出的财产被堆放在码头上。

14 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。

15 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。

16 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。

17 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。

18 venues   

n.聚集地点( venue的名词复数 )；会场；（尤指）体育比赛场所；犯罪地点

参考例句：

• The band will be playing at 20 different venues on their UK tour. 这个乐队在英国巡回演出期间将在20个不同的地点演出。
• Farmers market corner, 800 meters long, 60 meters wide livestock trading venues. 农牧市场东北角，有长800米，宽60米的牲畜交易场地。 来自互联网

19 induction   

n.感应，感应现象

参考例句：

• His induction as a teacher was a turning point in his life.他就任教师工作是他一生的转折点。
• The magnetic signals are sensed by induction coils.磁信号由感应线圈所检测。

20 monk   

n.和尚，僧侣，修道士

参考例句：

• The man was a monk from Emei Mountain.那人是峨眉山下来的和尚。
• Buddhist monk sat with folded palms.和尚合掌打坐。