NPR 2009-12-05

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack¹ Speer.

The US economy shed 11, 000 jobs in November. That is according to the Labor² Department. That's the smallest loss in two years. Economists⁴ say it‘s a sign the nation's job market may finally be turning around. More from NPR's Frank Langfitt.

The November jobs numbers were strong nearly across the board. Not only were job losses small, but the unemployment rate fell from 10. 2% to 10%. In addition, businesses hired more than 50, 000 temp workers. That's significant because employers usually bring in temps before committing to hiring full-time⁵. John Silvia is chief economist³ with Wells Fargo's Securities.

"Employers are probably trying to step carefully into the water. I think they see that we are not going into depression. We had a recession. Sales are not as difficult or as bad as they had feared. “

Silvia cautioned though that the unemployment rate could rise again as people who quit looking for jobs come back into the labor market. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama was also out talking about the November jobs numbers today. While he called the report another hopeful sign, the President also noted⁶ we have a lot more work to do before we can celebrate. Mr. Obama made his remarks at a community college outside Allentown, Pennsylvania.

"Too many members of our American family have felt the gut⁷ punch of a pink slip. Eight million Americans have lost their jobs. Every one of us knows somebody who has been swept up by this storm. “

Senior administration officials say when President Obama makes his speech next week, he will be outlining a broad series of ideas aimed at generating new jobs.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton thanked NATO allies for pledging 7, 000 more soldiers to support the new US strategy in Afghanistan. Teri Schultz reports from Brussels.

Calling the conflict in Afghanistan a crucial test for the military alliance, Clinton said she was heartened by the response from her NATO counterparts and partner countries. The total number of new troop contributions is some 2, 000 higher than NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had predicted yesterday, and some observers had thought his figure of 5, 000 was overly optimistic.

"What we've seen today is very encouraging, that at least 25 countries have announced that they will send more forces to the mission in 2010.”

Clinton emphasized that more trainers are also needed to help get the Afghans ready to take over their own security. But responding to concerns about President Obama's plan to start withdrawing in 2011, Clinton assured allies and Afghans alike the US will stay as long as needed. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz at NATO headquarters.

A blast has reportedly ripped through a nightclub in the Russian city of Perm near the Ural Mountains, killing⁸ 15 people and injuring 16 others. That's according to Russian news agency reports. They're citing law enforcement officials.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 22 points. The NASDAQ was up 21 points. The S&P 500 rose six points.

This is NPR.

US is said to be considering widening its use of unmanned drones to launch attacks against Al-Qaeda and Taliban targets inside Pakistan. That s according to military officials who say another element of the plan will be to bolster⁹ training of Pakistan’s forces to fight insurgents¹⁰. Officials say the stepped up actions against militant¹¹ networks would mean possibly extending the strikes by armed drones further south beyond current target areas inside Waziristan. It also would involve moving Pakistan’s paramilitary troops into that area.

Richard Todd who was Ian Fleming's first choice to play James Bond on Screen has died. The British actor who stared in "Dam Busters" and "The Longest Day" had been suffering from cancer. NPR's Bob Mandela reports.

In World War Two, Richard Todd was a paratrooper, the officer who first made contact with Major John Howard at Pegasus Bridge. In the 1962 film "The Longest Day", he played Major John Howard and got to play the scene in which he met himself. It was another film commitment that same year that kept him from playing James Bond in "Dr. No", but by then he'd been nominated for an Oscar in "The Hasty Heart" and he claimed for a number of roles from the lead in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright to Sir Walter Raleigh in "The Virgin¹² Queen" opposite Bette Davis. In a career spanning seven decades, he also played dozens of character roles on everything from "Murder, She Wrote" to "Doctor Who". Richard Todd died yesterday at the age of 90. Bob Mandela, NPR News.

One upshot of the current administration's friendly relations with Cuba is musicians from that country are seizing the opportunity to try to perform in the US. After taking office in January, President Obama promised to recast US-Cuban ties.

I'm Jack Speer, NPR News in Washington.
 

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

4 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 full-time   

adj.满工作日的或工作周的，全时间的

参考例句：

• A full-time job may be too much for her.全天工作她恐怕吃不消。
• I don't know how she copes with looking after her family and doing a full-time job.既要照顾家庭又要全天工作，我不知道她是如何对付的。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

10 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

11 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

12 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。