NPR 2009-07-10

This week's summit meeting in Italy produced no firm commitment from developing countries to cut their greenhouse gas emissions¹, but President Obama says he's not giving up. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.

President Obama says it's not easy to get 17 world leaders to agree on a strategy for fighting climate change. But he argues he and his colleagues meeting in Italy this week made a good start. Developing countries agreed that global temperatures should not be allowed to rise more than 2 degree Celsius² from their pre-industrial levels. Mr. Obama says in the months to come, the negotiations³ will continue with developing nations over how to put that goal into practice. "As I wrestle⁴ with these issues politically in my own country, I've come to see that it is gonna be absolutely critical that all of us go beyond what's expected if we are gonna achieve our goals.”The United States' effort to control its own greenhouse gases narrowly passed the House last week. It still faces an uphill battle in the Senate. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Rome.

Chinese state-run media is reporting an earthquake in southwestern China. The quake, with a reported magnitude of 6.0, was felt in Yunnan Province area with reports of more than 300 injuries and damage to perhaps tens of thousands of homes. Initial quake was reported to have been followed by at least eight aftershocks. Rescue officials are sending tents and blankets to the region. The quake appeared to have been centered in the mountainous region on China's southern border with Thailand and Myanmar.

China's leaders have vowed⁵ to maintain stability and mete⁶ out severe punishment for those responsible for ethnic⁷ violence that killed more than 150 people this week. More than 1,000 people were injured in the ethnic clashes. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Urumqi, China.

President Hu Jintao convened⁸ a meeting of the nine-member politburo last night to discuss the situation in far-west Xinjiang Province. The politburo urged authorities to isolate⁹ and crack down on instigators and hardcore elements behind the riots while educating ordinary participants. The security presence continued to increase today with riot and SWAT police units being deployed¹⁰ from other provinces. Some road blocks were lifted and shops reopened after a three-day lockdown. The government blanketed the city with propaganda, urging residents not to harbor rioters or spread rumors¹¹. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Urumqi, China.

California government workers will be getting a three-day weekend whether they want it or not. The furlough for most state workers tomorrow was part of a plan put forth¹² by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger aimed at closing the state's more than 26-billion-dollar budget shortfall. State government workers now will be required to take three unpaid¹³ furlough days a month. It is aimed at saving the state millions of dollars. The addition of a third monthly furlough day will effectively cuts state workers annual incomes by about 14%.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained four points, closing at 8,183. The NASDAQ was up five points today.

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The path appears clear for giant General Motors emergence¹⁴ from bankruptcy¹⁵. That's after a judge issued an order approving a plan by the automaker to sell most of its assets to a new company. GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson said the company expects to close the sale quickly, but he's not giving any firm timeframe. When GM emerges from bankruptcy, it will do so as a much smaller company. The judge's order went into effect today despite a last-minute appeal from plaintiffs in an Arizona product liability case.

State police are cracking down on an anti-logging protest in southern Oregon. 23 people were arrested and police planned to make more arrests today. From member station KOCC in Eugene, Rachel McDonald has more.

Four protesters suspended in trees and home-made structures remain at a blockade erected¹⁶ to stop logging on the Elliott State Forest southwest of Eugene. Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky with the group Cascadia Rising Tide describes the blockade as a free state.

"People who are locked down, people in the area, all of the direct support and all of our medics, they're all in jail right now and it is just the people who are up in the air that are holding down the free state."

Those arrested face charges of interfering¹⁷ with an agricultural operation. Activists¹⁸ say they want to prevent the logging of ancient forests and prevent global warming. For NPR News, I'm Rachel McDonald in Eugene, Oregon.

 US Airlines were cancelling fewer flights and losing less luggage in May. That's according to the Transportation Department who says this monthly on-time performance report by the nation's airlines shows more than 80% of flights arrived on(at) the gate at the gate on time in May. That's compared with 79% this same period last year. The number of passenger complaints about mishandled luggage also declined.

1 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

2 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

3 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。

4 wrestle   

vi.摔跤，角力；搏斗；全力对付

参考例句：

• He taught his little brother how to wrestle.他教他小弟弟如何摔跤。
• We have to wrestle with difficulties.我们必须同困难作斗争。

5 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

6 mete   

v.分配；给予

参考例句：

• Schools should not mete out physical punishment to children.学校不应该体罚学生。
• Duly mete out rewards and punishments.有赏有罚。

7 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

8 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

9 isolate   

vt.使孤立，隔离

参考例句：

• Do not isolate yourself from others.不要把自己孤立起来。
• We should never isolate ourselves from the masses.我们永远不能脱离群众。

10 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

11 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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。

13 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

14 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

15 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

16 ERECTED   

adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立

参考例句：

• A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。
• A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

17 interfering   

adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词

参考例句：

• He's an interfering old busybody! 他老爱管闲事！
• I wish my mother would stop interfering and let me make my own decisions. 我希望我母亲不再干预，让我自己拿主意。

18 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》