NPR 2009-6-30

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

Bernard Madoff whose multi-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme cost many investors¹ their life savings² was sentenced to 150 years in prison today in a New York courtroom. NPR's John Ydstie reports.

U.S. District Judge Denny Chin handed down the 150-year sentence following testimony³ from Madoff's victims. One of them, Carla Hirshhorn, said "Life has been a living hell. It feels like the nightmare we can't wake from." Another, Tom Fitzmaurice, said he cheated his victims out of their money so he and his wife Ruth could live a life of luxury beyond belief. Prosecutors⁴ had called for the 150-year sentence for the 71-year-old Madoff. Madoff's lawyers said he should spend no more than 12 years behind bars. Before Judge Chin pronounced the verdict, Madoff apologized to his family and the victims. Madoff said he had dug himself deeper into a hole as the scheme progressed and he said he would "live with this pain, this torment⁵ for the rest of my life." John Ydstie, NPR News.

 The Supreme⁶ Court today ruled in favor of white firefighters in New Haven⁷, Connecticut who claimed they were denied promotions⁸ because of their race. The firefighters say they were discriminated⁹ against when the city dropped the results of its promotions exam, fearing it would be sued because no African-Americans scored high enough to be promoted. The court said New Haven didn't show sufficient evidence that the city would have been vulnerable to liability.

Ousted¹⁰ Honduran leader Manuel Zelaya is due to address the UN General Assembly tomorrow. Zelaya was overthrown¹¹ yesterday in a military coup¹². Soldiers transferred him to Costa Rica. The Organization of American States today passed a resolution condemning¹³ the take over. And as NPR's Don Gonyea reports from the White House, President Obama says the coup is not legal and Zelaya should be returned to power.

The President said Zelaya was democratically elected and that in the view of the White House, of Honduras' Latin American neighbors and of the Organization of American States, Zelaya is still president.

"I think it would be a terrible precedent¹⁴ if we start moving backwards¹⁵ into the era in which we are seeing military coups¹⁶ as a means of political transition rather than democratic elections." 

Mr. Obama said the US stands on the side of democracy even though leaders of those democracies are not always favorable to the US. He said enormous democratic progress has been made in Latin America over the past two decades. He said "we don't want to go back to a dark past."  Don Gonyea, NPR News, the White House.

On Wall Street today, the Dow was up 90 points at 8,529. The NASDAQ closed up five at 1,844 and the S&P was up eight.

This is NPR News.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has accused Afghan guards working for the US coalition¹⁷ forces of killing¹⁸ a police chief of the southern province of Kandahar and four officers during a gun battle today. Karzai is demanding coalition forces hand over the suspected private security guards. The governor of Kandahar says Afghan authorities have arrested 41 guards connected to the incident.

One of the few survivors¹⁹ of Khmer Rouge²⁰ torture center testified in Cambodia today at the tribunal of a man who managed the so-called S-21 prison. Doualy Xaykaothao has details from Phnom Penh.

Recounting the torturous²¹ days of the interrogation center from more than 30 years ago, artist Vann Nath told the UN-backed tribunal that he was beaten, electrocuted and left on the brink²² of starvation by Duch, the Khmer Rouge cadre who oversaw²³ the notorious prison. Vann Nath survived, he said, because Duch like his portraits of Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot. It is estimated that at least 14,000 Cambodians were killed at the S-21 or Tuol Sleng prison. Duch, a born-against Christian²⁴ is standing²⁵ trial on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture and homicide. Duch has admitted his part in the deaths, but said he was only following orders to save his own life. For NPR News, I'm Doualy Xaykaothao in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Michael Jackson's father Joe Jackson says the family is waiting to make funeral arrangements until they have results from a second autopsy²⁶ that the family had requested. The Los Angeles County coroner conducted an autopsy Friday a day after the pop star died and is awaiting toxicology tests.

I'm Barbara Klein, NPR News in Washington.

1 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

4 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。

5 torment   

n.折磨；令人痛苦的东西(人)；vt.折磨；纠缠

参考例句：

• He has never suffered the torment of rejection.他从未经受过遭人拒绝的痛苦。
• Now nothing aggravates me more than when people torment each other.没有什么东西比人们的互相折磨更使我愤怒。

6 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。

7 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

8 promotions   

促进( promotion的名词复数 )； 提升； 推广； 宣传

参考例句：

• All services or promotions must have an appeal and wide application. 所有服务或促销工作都必须具有吸引力和广泛的适用性。
• He promptly directed the highest promotions and decorations for General MacArthur. 他授予麦克阿瑟将军以最高的官阶和勋奖。

9 discriminated   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的过去式和过去分词 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• His great size discriminated him from his followers. 他的宽广身材使他不同于他的部下。
• Should be a person that has second liver virus discriminated against? 一个患有乙肝病毒的人是不是就应该被人歧视？

10 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

11 overthrown   

adj. 打翻的，推倒的，倾覆的 动词overthrow的过去分词

参考例句：

• The president was overthrown in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被赶下台。
• He has overthrown the basic standards of morality. 他已摒弃了基本的道德标准。

12 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

13 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

14 precedent   

n.先例，前例；惯例；adj.在前的，在先的

参考例句：

• Is there a precedent for what you want me to do?你要我做的事有前例可援吗？
• This is a wonderful achievement without precedent in Chinese history.这是中国历史上亘古未有的奇绩。

15 backwards   

adv.往回地，向原处，倒，相反，前后倒置地

参考例句：

• He turned on the light and began to pace backwards and forwards.他打开电灯并开始走来走去。
• All the girls fell over backwards to get the party ready.姑娘们迫不及待地为聚会做准备。

16 coups   

n.意外而成功的行动( coup的名词复数 )；政变；努力办到难办的事

参考例句：

• China has seen many political coups within the ruling class. 中国统治阶级内部发生过很多政变。 来自互联网
• Thailand has had eighteen coups or coup attendance since nineteen thirty-two. 泰国1932年以来有18次政变或参加政变。 来自互联网

17 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

18 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。

19 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

20 rouge   

n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红

参考例句：

• Women put rouge on their cheeks to make their faces pretty.女人往面颊上涂胭脂，使脸更漂亮。
• She didn't need any powder or lip rouge to make her pretty.她天生漂亮，不需要任何脂粉唇膏打扮自己。

21 torturous   

adj. 痛苦的

参考例句：

• His breathing was torturous.他的呼吸充满痛苦。
• This is a torturous agonizing way to kill someone.这是一种让人受尽折磨、痛苦难忍的杀人方法。

22 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

23 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

24 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

25 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

26 autopsy   

n.尸体解剖；尸检

参考例句：

• They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
• A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。