NPR 2010-10-02

A political development in Iraq today could have implications for US relations with the next Iraqi government. Anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr endorsed¹ a second term for Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. NPR’s Kelly McEvers says that could also signal an end to a seven-month-old political stalemate.

The announcement was made by the National Alliance, a group of Shiite politicians that includes the anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and other Shiite blocs³ that have close ties to Iran. Sadr’s support for Maliki was critical to the nomination⁴. His bloc² had fiercely opposed Maliki, who set Iraqi troops along with US forces to defeat Sadr’s Mahdi Army in 2008. The nomination could end months of political wrangling⁵ since elections in March netted no clear winner. The other top vote-getter in the election, the party of former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi, has threatened to boycott⁶ the political process if Maliki is named prime minister again. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Baghdad.

NATO says two coalition⁷ troops were killed in battles with insurgents⁸ in southern Afghanistan today. Fifteen insurgents were also killed in a firefight in eastern Kunar province. In the past month, NATO says, it has also captured more than 400 suspected militants⁹.

President Obama is losing his right-hand man to a political campaign. Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel is leaving the White House to run for mayor of Chicago. Mr. Obama said it will take some getting used to.

“For nearly two years, I’ve begun my workday with Rahm. I’ve ended my workday with Rahm.”

Current presidential advisor¹⁰ Pete Rouse will temporarily fill the chief of staff job.

An apology from high-level US government officials to Guatemala today, NPR’s Michele Kelemen says it follows the discovery of what’s been called “unethical medical research” in the 40s. When a Wellesley College professor was researching the controversial Tuskegee syphilis study, the professor found records that Dr. John Cutler was also getting US government funding for a research project in Guatemala. The director of the National Institute of Health, Francis Collins, told reporters in a conference call that Cutler was exposing prisoners and mentally ill patients to sexually transmitted diseases to test the effectiveness of penicillin¹¹.

“This case of unethical human subjects research represents an appalling¹² example from a dark chapter in the history of medicine.”

Secretary of State Clinton called Guatemala’s president to apologize and she and the Health and Human Services secretary said in a statement that they were outraged¹³. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

Construction spending was up 0.4 percent in August, fueled by a big increase in government spending projects. Private building fell to the lowest level in 12 years.

Near the close on Wall Street, the Dow up 41; NASDAQ ahead two; S&P up five.

This is NPR.

President Obamawas on hand when new Supreme¹⁴ Court Justice Elena Kagan took her seat on the Supreme Court this morning. The court session was just ceremonial. The court opens its new term on Monday.

A sixth death is now blamed on the storm that dumped heavy rain from the Southeast up to Boston. Police say a woman drove her car into a rain-swollen creek¹⁵ in southeastern Pennsylvania before dawn. Five people were killed in storm-related traffic accidents in North Carolina yesterday.

Dish Network subscribers could not get many of the shows provided by Fox this morning. NPR’s Zoe Chace says it’s part of a dispute between Fox and the satellite TV provider.

Fox is trying to raise the price it charges the Dish Network for its channels. Dish claims that Fox is jacking at the price by more than 50 percent and adds that Fox has a history of shaking down the cable and satellite providers. Fox, on its just launched website, GetWhatIPaidFor.com, doesn’t name the percentage increase it demands, but says that accusations¹⁶ of price gouging¹⁷ are unfair, and adds that if Dish doesn’t fall in line by November 1st, it may lose access to Fox’s broadcast network, "Yes That’s Glee” and “American Idol”. The Dish Network is the third largest pay-TV provider in the US and its fight with Fox affects over 14 million subscribers. Zoe Chace, NPR News.

United and Continental¹⁸ have finalized¹⁹ their deal to become the world’s biggest airline, bumping Delta²⁰ from the top spot. With United’s acquisition of Continental official today, the new company will be called United, but airline operations will remain separate for at least a year until the FAA grants a single operating certificate.
 

1 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 bloc   

n.集团；联盟

参考例句：

• A solid bloc of union members support the decision.工会会员团结起来支持该决定。
• There have been growing tensions within the trading bloc.贸易同盟国的关系越来越紧张。

3 blocs   

n.集团，联盟( bloc的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The division of Europe into warring blocs produces ever-increasing centrifugal stress. 把欧洲分为作战集团产生了越来越大的离心效果。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The policy of the two blocs was played out. 把世界分为两个集团的政策已经过时了。 来自辞典例句

4 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

5 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

6 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

7 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。

8 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

9 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

10 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

11 penicillin   

n.青霉素，盘尼西林

参考例句：

• I should have asked him for a shot of penicillin.我应当让他给我打一针青霉素的。
• Penicillin was an extremely significant medical discovery.青霉素是极其重要的医学发现。

12 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

13 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

14 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。

15 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

16 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

17 gouging   

n.刨削[槽]v.凿( gouge的现在分词 )；乱要价；（在…中）抠出…；挖出…

参考例句：

• Banks and credit-card companies have been accused of gouging their customers. 银行和信用卡公司被指控欺诈顾客。 来自辞典例句
• If back-gouging is applied, grinding to bright metal is required. 如果采用火焰气刨，则应将其打磨至可见光亮的金属表面。 来自互联网

18 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

19 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。