NPR 2009-05-23

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbara Klein.

Forty-four states and the District of Columbia lost jobs in April according to the Labor¹ Department. NPR's Yuki Noguchi has details.

The report shows that overall the nation's unemployment picture continues to worsen, particularly in the larger states and the states that rely heavily on the auto² industry. California lost the most number of jobs, nearly 64,000. Last month, Texas, Michigan and Ohio combined lost more than 100, 000 jobs. The highest jobless rate is in Michigan, the hub of the US auto industry where joblessness hit 12.9% in April. Michigan is followed by Oregon, South Carolina, Rhode Island and California where unemployment is now 11%. That compares to a national unemployment rate that reached 8.9% in April. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama today signed into law new rules designed to protect credit card users. They become effective in February. Among other things, the new law bars credit card companies from raising interest rates on previous purchases as long as the consumer’s payment is current and it requires companies to get 45 days notice before raising rates on future purchases. Credit card companies have warned they might make credit cards more expensive and harder to get.

President Obama made several promises today to graduates of the US Naval³ Academy. He pledged to send them into harm's way only when absolutely necessary and with well-defined goals and the support needed to accomplish them. NPR's Don Gonyea has more.

This was Mr. Obama's first commencement address as president to one of the nation's service academies. He honored the more than 1, 000 midshipmen who became commissioned officers at the ceremony. He commended their decision to serve their country. "These Americans have embraced the virtues⁵ that we need most right now: self-discipline over self-interest; work over comfort; and character over celebrity⁶." The president spoke⁷ even as the controversy⁸ over his decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention⁹ center next year has prompted heated debate in Washington. He did not directly address that in Annapolis, but he did restate his belief that the US does not have to choose between its security and its ideals. Don Gonyea, NPR News, Annapolis.

Vice⁴ President Joe Biden is in Beirut for talks with Lebanon's President in advance of a crucial election there June 7th. Biden is the highest level US official to visit Lebanon in more than 25 years. The White House is concerned Iranian-backed Hezbollah and its allies could win a majority and shift power away from factions¹⁰ that support the US.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 14 points to close at 8, 277. The NASDAQ was down three, closing at 1,692. The S&P fell one point, closed at 887.

 This is NPR News.

A former US army private will spend the rest of his life in prison for crimes committed during the Iraq war. From member station WKYU in Bowling¹¹ Green, Kentucky, Lisa Autry has details.

Steven Green convicted of raping¹² and killing¹³ an Iraq teen and murdering her family has been spared the death penalty. Federal jurors in Paducah, Kentucky considered several mitigating¹⁴ factors such as combat stress and a bad home life. Still prosecutors¹⁵ pointed¹⁶ to evidence of premeditation. Professor Robert Holland is a former military lawyer and trial judge. "While these soldiers were in a dangerous combat environment, they nonetheless, were off duty. They talked for substantial period of time. Let's go out and take our own action against Iraqis who happened to have been near their post." The 24-year-old Green will serve life behind bars with no chance of parole. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Autry in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

An Iranian-American journalist who was jailed in Iran since late January is back in the United States. Roxana Saberi who freelanced for several news organizations including NPR was convicted of espionage¹⁷ and sentenced to eight years in prison in April. But earlier this month, an appeals court reduced and suspended her sentence. Saberi arrived today in Washington.

A 66-year-old woman who was diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer has died, the first person to die under Washington State's Death with Dignity law. With a physician by her side, Linda Fleming administered herself the drugs that ended her life. She had released a statement, saying the pain had become unbearable¹⁸.

I'm Barbara Klein, NPR News in Washington.

1 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。

2 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

3 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 virtues   

美德( virtue的名词复数 )； 德行； 优点； 长处

参考例句：

• Doctors often extol the virtues of eating less fat. 医生常常宣扬少吃脂肪的好处。
• She delivered a homily on the virtues of family life. 她进行了一场家庭生活美德方面的说教。

6 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

7 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。

8 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

9 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

10 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

11 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？

12 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

13 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。

14 mitigating   

v.减轻，缓和( mitigate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Are there any mitigating circumstances in this case ? 本案中是否有任何情况可以减轻被告的罪行？ 来自辞典例句
• A sentencing judge is required to consider any mitigating circumstances befor imposing the death penalty. 在处死刑之前，要求量刑法官必须考虑是否有任何减轻罪行之情节。 来自口语例句

15 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

16 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

17 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

18 unbearable   

adj.不能容忍的；忍受不住的

参考例句：

• It is unbearable to be always on thorns.老是处于焦虑不安的情况中是受不了的。
• The more he thought of it the more unbearable it became.他越想越觉得无法忍受。