NPR 2010-09-10

The State Department is warning Americans abroad to be on alert for possible protests against the US after a Florida church announced it would burn copies of the Koran this Saturday. Ahead of that, NPR's Michele Kelemen reports governments worldwide warn burning the Koran could fuel Islamist extremism.

State Department spokesman Mark Toner says the Obama administration is urging a pastor¹ to reconsider plans to commemorate² 9/11 by burning the Muslim holy book.

"He's facing an unequivocal message that this is not a good thing. This does not represent the United States, the values we hold, and that it could potentially put at risk Americans overseas."

The State Department issued a travel alert that says demonstrations³ have already taken place in several countries including Afghanistan and Indonesia. Embassies in Jordan, Algeria, Syria and Indonesia have also put out special warnings to Americans there to be on alert. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

As the White House monitors developments in Florida this Saturday, it's also watching to see if Iran delivers on its promise to release American Sarah Shourd the same day. She is one of three American hikers in prison in Tehran over a year ago on espionage⁴ charges. The government is calling the release "an active clemency⁵" to mark the end of Ramadan.

A US appeals court in Washington DC has lifted a lower court ruling that temporarily blocked federally funded research using in embryonic⁶ stem cells. But as NPR's Julie Rovner reports, the reprieve⁷ itself might also be temporary.

A three-judge panel lifted the August 23rd injuction that brought most embryonic stem cell research funded by the National Institute of Health to a halt after it was appealed by the Justice Department. Government officials had argued that even a temporary stop could set back the promising⁸ science. But the appeals court said its ruling allowing the research to proceed is a temporary one. It wants more time to examine the government's case and that of the plaintiffs in the underlying⁹ lawsuit¹⁰: a pair of adult stem cell researchers. They argue the Obama administration's policy violates an existing congressional ban on research that harms embryos¹¹. A further decision is expected later this month. Julie Rovner, NPR News, Washington.

Firefighters in Colorado are bracing¹² for more erratic¹³ winds as they tackle flames in the foothills west of Boulder¹⁴. Thousands of people are unable to return home. But Kirk Siegler of member station KUNC reports that some rain over that past day has allowed crews to contain 30 percent of the blaze.

Light rain showers have helped firefighters get some containment¹⁵ on the blaze and it's by no means controlled though. Fire crews are expecting more bad weather tonight when wind gusts¹⁶ up to 50 miles an hour in the forecast. Those gusty¹⁷ winds on Labor¹⁸ Day first blew this fire out of control, eventually burning nearly 170 homes. Fire officials say that number could still climb as the entire burned area has still not been surveyed.

This is NPR.

US and Iraqi forces are continuing their hunt for four prisoners who escaped from a maximum security facility just outside of Baghdad. As NPR's Jonathan Blakeley reports, the escapees are believed to have terrorist links.

The prisoners escaped late Wednesday from a facility formerly¹⁹ known as Camp Cropper. US military spokesman Genaral Jeffrey Buchanan says they're investigating.

"We're working in concert with the Iraqi security forces to continue the search for them and working to bring closure. And obviously, it's regrettable."

The escapees, who have ties to al-Qaeda, are four of about 200 prisoners who're considered dangerous. And at the request of the Iraqi government, remain in US custody²⁰. The rest of the 1,500 prisoners were transferred to Iraqi authority in July. Just a week after that handover, four other prisoners managed to escape. Jonathan Blakeley, NPR News, Baghdad.

The US Navy says it's detaining nine suspected pirates who allegedly hijacked²¹ the German-owned Magellan Star off the Somali coast yesterday. The US Fifth Fleet says Marines raided the ship before dawn and reclaimed²² control.

Texas Governor Rick Perry has issued disaster declarations for 40 counties affected²³ by Tropical Storm Hermine. Rick Perry conducted an aerial tour of flooded parts of central Texas today. Separately, authorities have suspended their search for two swimmers, who've been missing since yesterday and are feared dead.

The trade deficit²⁴ shrank more than expected in July. Government reports the gap narrowed 14 percent under $43 billion.

Last check on Wall Street, Dow was up 28 points at 10,415.
 

1 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

2 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 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。

5 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

6 embryonic   

adj.胚胎的

参考例句：

• It is still in an embryonic stage.它还处于萌芽阶段。
• The plan,as yet,only exists in embryonic form.这个计划迄今为止还只是在酝酿之中。

7 reprieve   

n.暂缓执行（死刑）；v.缓期执行；给…带来缓解

参考例句：

• He was saved from the gallows by a lastminute reprieve.最后一刻的缓刑令把他从绞架上解救了下来。
• The railway line, due for closure, has been granted a six-month reprieve.本应停运的铁路线获准多运行6 个月。

8 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

9 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

10 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

11 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

12 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

13 erratic   

adj.古怪的，反复无常的，不稳定的

参考例句：

• The old man had always been cranky and erratic.那老头儿性情古怪,反复无常。
• The erratic fluctuation of market prices is in consequence of unstable economy.经济波动致使市场物价忽起忽落。

14 boulder   

n.巨砾；卵石，圆石

参考例句：

• We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。
• He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

15 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

16 gusts   

一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作

参考例句：

• Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
• Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。

17 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

18 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。

19 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

20 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

21 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

22 reclaimed   

adj.再生的；翻造的；收复的；回收的v.开拓( reclaim的过去式和过去分词 )；要求收回；从废料中回收（有用的材料）；挽救

参考例句：

• Many sufferers have been reclaimed from a dependence on alcohol. 许多嗜酒成癖的受害者已经被挽救过来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They reclaimed him from his evil ways. 他们把他从邪恶中挽救出来。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

23 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

24 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。