NPR 2011-12-07

 It's make-or-break time for the middle class, President Obama's message today at a high school in Osawatomie, Kansas. It's the same town where Republican President Theodore Roosevelt spoke¹ more than 100 years ago in his “New Nationalism” address to fight for average Americans.

 

Mr. Obama says into our third century as a nation, he is pledging to restore greater financial security through education, innovation, across the board financial accountability and assistance.

 

“This country should not be known for bad debt and phony profits. We should be known for creating and selling products all around the world that are stamped for three proud words: Made in America.”

 

But Republicans challenge President Obama's strategies, including calls for an extension of the payroll² tax cut that expires at the end of the month. They are arguing over ways to pay for it.

 

With the nation's first presidential nominating contest exactly four weeks away from today, Iowa's governor says the race to win the caucuses⁴ is still wide open. We have details from Iowa Public Radio’s Sarah McCammon.

 

Iowa Governor Terry Branstad isn't endorsing⁵ anyone before the January 3rd caucuses. He says he thinks Republican voters have been waiting to decide who can beat President Obama. 

 

“So it's still very fluid, very open, and I think a lot of it is because the public is looking for the ideal candidate. And now I think they've come to the realization⁶ nobody’s perfect, and we need to choose the one that's the best.

 

A Des Moines Register poll released this weekend put former House Speaker Newt Gingrich at the top of the pack among likely GOP caucus³ goers with 25% support. For NPR News, I'm Sarah McCammon in Des Moines.

 

Thousands of activists⁷ from all over the country are on Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to take action to help middle-class Americans who are having trouble making ends meet. NPR's Craig Windham reports the lobbying blitz is the work of a loose coalition⁸ of organizations, including union and church groups. 

 

Albert James, who heads the state chapter of the group USAction, says it's not just the young adults seen at Occupy camp sites who are frustrated⁹ with the growing gap between the middle class and the wealthy.

 

“We are part of the 99% that people don't want to give credit to those Occupy Americas. We are the ones who are the retirees, and all the workers, the mothers, the fathersm, OK, and your average neighbor. 

 

Padebo Blank, a retired¹⁰ teacher from Maryland, says the lobbying effort is aimed at “pushing Congress people to really start doing something, make sure the 1% starts sacrificing ‘cause the rest of us are kind of sacrificed out."

 

Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 103 points at 12,200 in trading of two billion shares; NASDAQ Composite Index gaining four points; it’s at 2,660; and the S&P 500 also up seven points or more than 0.5% at 1,264.

 

This is NPR.

 

Greece's ongoing¹¹ struggle to avoid default finds lawmakers preparing to vote on new and unpopular austerity measures. Students rattle¹² security barriers during a rally trying to provoke police lines outside parliament. The crowd gathered to also mark the three-year anniversary of a police officer's fatal shooting of a teenager in Athens. Witnesses say hundreds of anarchists¹³ clash with police.

 

There’s an atmosphere of tension in Democratic Republic of Congo the day the results of a presidential election were due to be announced amid opposition¹⁴ allegations of vote fraud and fears of unrest. From the capital Kinshasa, NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports the authorities warn they will not tolerate any violence.

 

On the final day of election campaigning, security forces in Kinshasa reportedly opened fire on crowds of opposition supporters and some were killed. So many Congolese wary¹⁵ of the prospect¹⁶ of more disturbances¹⁷ are choosing to stay home. The government warns it will crack down on those who incite¹⁸ or foment¹⁹ violence. Kikaya Bin²⁰ Karubi speaks for the president's party. 

 

“I appeal to the people of Kinshasa not to do anything that would make soldiers or policemen nervous and do something that we'll all regret later.”

 

There were reports of some clashes between protesters and the security forces in parts of Congo yesterday. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Kinshasa.

 

Confrontations²¹ also reported in central Moscow, where protesters are alleging²² vote fraud from Sunday's parliamentary elections.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

1 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。

2 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。

3 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

4 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

5 endorsing   

v.赞同( endorse的现在分词 )；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：

• Yet Communist leaders are also publicly endorsing religion in an unprecedented way. 不过，共产党领导层对宗教信仰的公开认可也是以前不曾有过的。 来自互联网
• Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is endorsing Republican Senator John McCain. 康涅狄格州独立派参议员约瑟夫。列波曼将会票选共和议员约翰。麦凯恩。 来自互联网

6 realization   

n.实现；认识到，深刻了解

参考例句：

• We shall gladly lend every effort in our power toward its realization.我们将乐意为它的实现而竭尽全力。
• He came to the realization that he would never make a good teacher.他逐渐认识到自己永远不会成为好老师。

7 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》

8 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。

9 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

12 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

13 anarchists   

无政府主义者( anarchist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Anarchists demand the destruction of structures of oppression including the country itself. "无政府主义者要求摧毁包括国家本身在内的压迫人民的组织。
• Unsurprisingly, Ms Baburova had a soft spot for anarchists. 没什么奇怪的，巴布罗娃女士倾向于无政府主义。

14 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。

15 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

16 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

17 disturbances   

n.骚乱( disturbance的名词复数 )；打扰；困扰；障碍

参考例句：

• The government has set up a commission of inquiry into the disturbances at the prison. 政府成立了一个委员会来调查监狱骚乱事件。
• Extra police were called in to quell the disturbances. 已调集了增援警力来平定骚乱。

18 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。

19 foment   

v.煽动，助长

参考例句：

• The rebels know the truth and seek to foment revolution.那些叛乱者知道真相，并且想办法来挑起革命。
• That's an attempt to foment discord.这是挑拨。

20 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

21 confrontations   

n.对抗，对抗的事物( confrontation的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At times, this potential has escalated into actual confrontations. 有时，这一矛盾升级为实际的对抗。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• These confrontations and uncertainties were bing played out for the first time on a global scale. 所有这一切对抗和不稳定，第一次在全球范围内得到充分的表演。 来自辞典例句

22 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。