NPR 2010-09-12

Ceremonies today to mark the anniversary of September 11th, 2001 began at the spot where the attacks began that day. New York City, where the twin towers fell, is now called Ground Zero. NPR's Margot Adler reports.

The ceremony on this ninth anniversary of the September 11th attacks was like many before. Bells were rung and there were four moments of silence to commemorate¹ the moment the planes hit the North and South towers and the time that each of the towers fell. Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke² at the beginning.

"We have learnt inch by inch that the best ways through the dark nights of our personal sorrow is to link our hands with those who can lead us towards the daybreak of a new day."

Ground Zero is now a busy construction site, with a skyscraper³ that is already 40 stories tall and a memorial set to be finished next year. Various other commemorations rallies poetry meetings and walks are planned for today. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

President Obama spoke at the Pentagon, the site of a second attack. He said the perpetrators didn't simply attack America, they attacked the very idea of America itself.

"We define the character of our country, and we will not let the acts of some small band of murderers who slaughter⁴ the innocent and cower⁵ in caves distort who we are."

First Lady Michelle Obama spoke at a service held at the third site near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. She was joined by Laura Bush, who was first lady nine years ago.

"When I was first here on September 17, 2001, this quiet field was scarred by a smoldering⁶ crater⁷. Our grief was raw and our heartache was heavy. We were just learning the names of those aboard Flight 93 and the story of their sacrifice."

She praised the courage of the passengers who alerted the authorities and then resisted the hijackers.

A Florida pastor⁸ who threatened to burn a Koran in Gainesville, Florida today instead went to New York and appeared in television. He told NBC he feels God is telling him not to do it.

Iran had announced it would free American Sarah Shourd today as an act of mercy following the end of the holy month of Ramada. She's among three Americans held on espionage⁹ charges after being picked up along the border with the Iraq last July, but the BBC's Jon Leyne reports officials changed their plans just hours before her scheduled release.

The presidency¹⁰ has said it's a postponement¹¹ and she will eventually be released. The word seems to be from the judiciary that they want to wait until she's been tried and presumably they expect convicted and then be given an amnesty.

The BBC's Jon Leyne.

Family members say the three Americans who were hiking in northern Iraq may have wandered into Iran by mistake.

This is NPR News.

About 1,000 people are still out of their homes because of a wildfire just west of Boulder¹², Colorado. About 2,000 others were allowed to return home last night. Firefighters have contained about 50 percent of the blaze.

Officials say as many as 100,000 people are in desperate need after heavy flooding in the West African country of Burkina Faso. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva the United Nation is seeking more than $14 million in aid.

The floods have caused serious damage in five regions of Burkina Faso. UN spokeswoman Elisabeth Byrs says the floods have damaged or destroyed homes, bridges, roads, schools, health centers and other infrastructure¹³.

"So, it's now thousands of people are in need of our assistance and also aid distribution has been, in some parts, slowed and delayed by difficulties in access because of this destruction of infrastructure."

The United Nations reports some villages are isolated¹⁴ and cut off from aid and UN agencies fear there may be still worse to come. They note the country is weeks away from the end of the rainy season and much work is needed to repair the damage already done.

For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

In men's tennis, top-seeded Rafael Nadal beat No.12 Mikhail Youzhny at the US Open today, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4. He's advancing to the tournament final for the first time his career. He'll face either Roger Federal or Novak Djokovic. That match is under way.

The women's championship match is being played this evening. It features second grand Kim Clijsters against No.7 Vera Zvonareva.
 

1 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。

2 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。

3 skyscraper   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。
• The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

4 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

5 cower   

v.畏缩，退缩，抖缩

参考例句：

• I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat.我决不会在任何一位大师面前发抖，也不会为任何恐吓所屈服。
• Will the Chinese cower before difficulties when they are not afraid even of death?中国人死都不怕，还怕困难吗？

6 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

7 crater   

n.火山口，弹坑

参考例句：

• With a telescope you can see the huge crater of Ve-suvius.用望远镜你能看到巨大的维苏威火山口。
• They came to the lip of a dead crater.他们来到了一个死火山口。

8 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。

9 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。

10 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

11 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

12 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。

13 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

14 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。