NPR 2011-12-03

 The US economy adds 120,000 jobs and sends the unemployment rate down sharply at 8.6% in November. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports the Labor¹ Department’s data out today shows that while the unemployment rate fell, so did average weekly earnings².

 

This employment report is roughly in line with the previous three months. With the exception of construction and government, jobs were added across a relatively³ broad swath of the US economy. Mark Vitner is a senior economist⁴ with Wells Fargo. 

 

“I think the most concerning thing I’ve seen here that a lot of jobs we added in November were relatively low-paying jobs. They were retailer⁵ trade, temporary health, and the leisure and hospitality sector⁶, so the average hourly earnings actually dropped 0.1%. 

 

Meanwhile, the participation⁷ rate fell. About 315,000 people gave up looking for work all together. They are no longer counted as unemployed⁸. Sonari Glinton, NPR News.

 

President Obama is pushing ahead with a centerpiece of his jobs agenda. He wants Congress to pass a payroll⁹ tax cut extension before the holiday break. House Republicans will not negotiate with the Democrats¹⁰ they say before they unveil a payroll tax cut plan next week. That includes spending cuts to pay for it.

 

Presidential cadidante Hermen Cain, whose campain has been dogged by allegations of sexual harrassment and an extramarital affair, says that tomorrow he will make an announcement about the future of his campaign.

 

“Tomorrow we’re gonna to be opening our headquaters in Northwest Georgia where we will also clarify there's that word again, clarify exactly what the next steps are.”

 

Speaking in South Carolina, Cain was expected to leave later for Georgia, where he reportedly was going to speak face to face with his wife about the latest allegations against him, all of which he continues to deny.

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clintion has wrapped up her historic trip to Myanmar with a visit to the home of opposition¹¹ leader Aung San Suu Kyi. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports the two women promised to work together to promote democratic reforms.

 

After strolling through Aung San Suu Kyi's garden at her lakeside home, the two women told reporters about their hopes for more reforms in the country. Suu Kyi, who spent years under house arrest, called on the goverment to release all political prisioners. 

 

“First of all, we need all of those who are still in prison to be released, and we need to ensure that no more are arrested in future for their beliefs.”

 

Suu Kyi commended Obama administration officials for what she called the “careful and calibrated” way in which they are engaging the country and for consulting closely with her. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Yangon.

 

European stocks are posting their largest percentage weekly gain since late 2008. Investors¹² are more optimistic about the European Union's attempts to control the region's debt crisis. Also seen gains in US stocks, at last check Dow was up 12 points at 2,032.

 

This is NPR.

 

More than 20 people are arrested outside the US embassy in London. NPR's Philip Reeves says they were protesting the use of American drones carrying out attacks in Pakistan.

 

Scotland Yard says most of the people were arrested on suspicion of being members of a group that's banned by the British government. They’re being held in custody¹³. The protesters made no secret of their plans to go to the US embassy, advertising¹⁴ the demonstration¹⁵ widely inside the space ahead of time. They produced a publicity¹⁶ video, saying the demonstration was to expose what they called “the recent spate¹⁷ of anti-Muslim drone strikes” launched by the US government. Deadly missile strikes by unmanned American drones along Pakistan's border with Afghanistan have caused widespread anger among Musilims for years, but emotions poured over last week, when a drone attack killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. Philip Reeves, NPR News, London. 

 

Several casualties in eastern Afghanistan are of the result of a suicide attack on a military base. Authorities say the bomber¹⁸ was unable to infiltrate¹⁹ the site, which is used by Afghan and NATO forces, so the attacker drove a vehicle packed with explosives to nearby government buildings, a clinic and a youth center and detonated the explosives. A civilian²⁰ died; three Afghan security personnel were wounded.

 

GE Aviation says it is dropping all efforts to devolop an alternative engine for the F-35 Joint²¹ Strike Fighter, saying it doesn't make business sense. The F-136 engine has been under development for about 15 years.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 13 points at 12,032 with the NASDAQ gaining eight points; it’s at 2,635; and the S&P 500 up slightly at 1,248. 

 

I'm Lakshimi Singh, NPR News, Washington.

1 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。

2 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

8 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

9 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

10 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

12 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

13 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。

14 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

15 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

16 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

17 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

18 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

19 infiltrate   

vt./vi.渗入，透过；浸润

参考例句：

• The teacher tried to infiltrate her ideas into the children's minds.老师设法把她的思想渗透到孩子们的心中。
• It can infiltrate as much as 100 kilometers into enemy territory at night.可以在夜间深入敌领土100千米。

20 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

21 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。