NPR 2011-02-15

President Obama says his budget proposal would help the US cut its deficit¹ and become a stronger global competitor with targeted investments in crucial areas. NPR's Paul Brown reports on how the president is staking out his position as the budget battle intensifies².

Here's Mr. Obama at a Baltimore, Maryland middle school. He says his plan respects the need to trim spending while supporting three areas he considers very important.

"Education is an investment that we need to win the future, just like innovation is an investment that we need to win the future, just like infrastructure³."

Republican and some Democratic critics in Congress are already saying the White House proposal is too timid. But so far, neither the White House nor those critics propose cuts to Social Security or other entitlement programs that the president's own deficit commission recommends. Paul Brown, NPR News, Washington.

Ignoring appeals from Egypt's military junta⁴, demonstrators launched a fresh round of protests and strikes. Labor⁵ unrest over pay and work conditions spread as a result of the uprising that ousted⁶ Hosni Mubarak from power Friday. The revolution triggered anti-government protests in other countries, including Bahrain, Yemen and Iran. Riot police moved in on thousands of protesters. Dozens of injuries were reported. Tunisia, where an uprising was credited for the revolt in Egypt, is seeing many Tunisians seeking refuge on a small Sicilian island. They are running from deteriorating⁷ conditions at home. Teri Schultz reports on how Rome and Brussels are addressing what's described as an unprecedented⁸ situation.

Local officials on the island of Lampedusa report they are overwhelmed by the sudden influx⁹ of Tunisians fleeing instability in their homeland. Several thousand have arrived in the last week. Italy's Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has asked the EU for support and says he wants to send an Italian contingent¹⁰ to Tunisia to block the departures. That suggestion was not well received in Tunisia where EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton is currently visiting. But commission spokesman Michele Cercone promises all options are being examined.

"The European Commission is fully¹¹ aware of the exceptional pressure on Italy and stands ready to support the Italian authorities and to show concrete European solidarity¹²."

Europe's top human rights body, the Council of Europe, is warning Italy against mass expulsion of the refugees. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

General Motors plans to shell out more than 189 million dollars in profit-sharing to its 48,000 hourly workers. GM plans to pay millions more in performance-based bonuses for salaried employees. The company emerged from bankruptcy¹³ protection less than two years ago. It had received a government bailout of nearly 50 billion dollars.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was down two points at 12,270; NASDAQ was up six.

This is NPR News.

People are still talking about the Grammy Awards which gave top honors last night to a Canadian rock band, a country trio and a jazz singer among others. NPR's Mandalit del Barco caught up with them backstage.

Canadian band Arcade¹⁴ Fire picked up Grammy's coveted¹⁵ Album of the Year for their exploration of suburban¹⁶ teen angst. The indie band beat out major label artists including rapper Eminem, who won just two awards, and Lady Antebellum, who received Song & Record of the Year and three other Grammys. Singers Charles Kelley and Hillary Scott talked to reporters backstage.

"We really wanted to make Nashville and the country music community proud."

Another lady, Lady Gaga, arrived in a strange egg-shaped capsule and won three awards. But the biggest surprise was when jazz singer Esperanza Spalding beat out teen idol¹⁷ Justin Bieber for best new artist. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.

Soccer idol Ronaldo is leaving the sport. Today, the 34-year-old striker announced that he was retiring because his body just could no longer meet the demands of the game. Ronaldo won two World Cups with Brazil. And during his 18-year-long career, Ronaldo was FIFA Player of the Year three times. He's also recognized as the top goal scorer in World Cup history.

Here's the latest from Wall Street, still mixed. The Dow was down slightly at 12,273 in trading of just over two billion shares, the NASDAQ Composite Index rising up seven at 2,817, and the S&P 500 up three at 1,332.

1 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。

2 intensifies   

n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A clear atmosphere intensifies the blue of the sky. 纯净的空气使天空变得更蓝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blowing on fire intensifies the heat. 吹火使热度加强。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 junta   

n.团体；政务审议会

参考例句：

• The junta reacted violently to the perceived threat to its authority.军政府感到自身权力受威胁而进行了激烈反击。
• A military junta took control of the country.一个军政权控制了国家。

5 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。

6 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

7 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

8 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

9 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

10 contingent   

adj.视条件而定的；n.一组，代表团，分遣队

参考例句：

• The contingent marched in the direction of the Western Hills.队伍朝西山的方向前进。
• Whether or not we arrive on time is contingent on the weather.我们是否按时到达要视天气情况而定。

11 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

12 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

13 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

14 arcade   

n.拱廊；(一侧或两侧有商店的)通道

参考例句：

• At this time of the morning,the arcade was almost empty.在早晨的这个时候，拱廊街上几乎空无一人。
• In our shopping arcade,you can find different kinds of souvenir.在我们的拱廊市场，你可以发现许多的纪念品。

15 coveted   

adj.令人垂涎的；垂涎的，梦寐以求的v.贪求，觊觎(covet的过去分词)；垂涎；贪图

参考例句：

• He had long coveted the chance to work with a famous musician. 他一直渴望有机会与著名音乐家一起工作。
• Ther other boys coveted his new bat. 其他的男孩都想得到他的新球棒。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

17 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。