NPR 2011-03-14

Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan says his country is facing the biggest crisis since World War II. He’s doubled the number of troops being dispatched for rescue and relief to 100,000, and he is calling on his countrymen to pull together.

“I’m confident that the Japanese people can be united to work together to weather this difficulty.”

Japanese officials are still scrambling¹ to control the impact of damaged cooling systems at several nuclear power plants. NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce reports the troubles are growing.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says that officials at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant are pumping in seawater to try to control reactor² No. 3, which may have had a partial meltdown. Officials assume that kind of meltdown already occurred at reactor No. 1, though they say the core steel containment³ vessel⁴ is intact. Also, there is concern about the potential for another hydrogen explosion, like the one that happened at reactor No.1. Meanwhile, the Onagawa nuclear complex up the coast has reported an increase in radiation levels in the areas surrounding the plant. Experts are investigating to find the source of this increase. The reactors⁵ there are reported to be under control. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News.

In Libya, rebel fighters are falling back from the eastern oil port of Brega. NPR’s Peter Kenyon reports it marks another advance for the better-equipped forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi.

Reports from the front described groups of rebels climbing into cars and trucks and retreating in the direction of Ajdabiya. Now, the farthest west city’s still under rebel control. Pro-Gaddafi forces are continuing their intensified⁶ barrage⁷ against the largely volunteer rebel force, using tanks, artillery⁸ and fighter jets. The rebels have found it impossible to overcome superior firepower of the pro-Gaddafi forces, and some speculated that Gaddafi is moving quickly now before the international community can intervene. Rebel leaders and many foreign governments welcomed the Arab League’s decision yesterday to call on the UN Security Council to approve a no-fly zone over Libya, but that is still likely to take several days, and it’s not clear what the situation on the ground will be by then. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Benghazi.

US lawmakers continue to wrangle⁹ over how to reduce the federal budget. Democratic Senator Charles Schumer tells NBC’s “Meet the Press” Democrats¹⁰ agree cuts need to be made, but “We can’t cut into our seed corn. We can’t cut into the things that help America grow and create jobs, like education or cancer research or food safety, things like that.” But Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says Republicans will only support a budget that includes major spending cuts.

“Cutting spending and job creation are not mutually exclusive. In fact, we believe reducing government spending is [actually] helpful to get the private sector¹¹ going again.”

McConnell spoke¹² on Fox News Sunday.

This is NPR News.

Israel is giving the go-ahead for 500 new settler homes in the West Bank. The approval comes a day after a family of Jewish settlers was killed in their home. From Jerusalem, Linda Gradstein reports the move threatens to further complicate¹³ stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts.

The new homes will be built in four Jewish settlements that Israel says it wants to keep even if a peace deal is reached with the Palestinians. The US has sharply condemned¹⁴ the expansion of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Israel announced the new homes after five members of one family — two parents and three children — were killed in a stabbing attack late Friday night. Settlers have called for revenge against Palestinians who they blame for the attack. The Palestinian Authority condemned the attack. There were reports of Jewish attacks on Palestinian property. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called on Jewish settlers to show restraint. For NPR News, I’m Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

In Bahrain’s capital today, pro-democracy demonstrations¹⁵ turned violent. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets and water cannon¹⁶ against protesters who were blocking the main highway into Manama’s financial district. Today’s clashes come on the heels of Defense¹⁷ Secretary Robert Gates’ visit yesterday when he urged Bahrain’s leaders to move toward democratic reforms.

Anti-government groups in Yemen rallied again today in the capital Sanaa, trying to bring an end to President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s 32-year rule. At least one person was killed, and several were injured when police and government supporters fired live rounds and tear gas into a crowd of protesters at Sanna University. Clashes are also reported in the southern port city of Aden.

1 scrambling   

v.快速爬行( scramble的现在分词 )；攀登；争夺；（军事飞机）紧急起飞

参考例句：

• Scrambling up her hair, she darted out of the house. 她匆忙扎起头发，冲出房去。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• She is scrambling eggs. 她正在炒蛋。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

3 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。

4 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

5 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

6 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 barrage   

n.火力网，弹幕

参考例句：

• The attack jumped off under cover of a barrage.进攻在炮火的掩护下开始了。
• The fierce artillery barrage destroyed the most part of the city in a few minutes.猛烈的炮火几分钟内便毁灭了这座城市的大部分地区。

8 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

9 wrangle   

vi.争吵

参考例句：

• I don't want to get into a wrangle with the committee.我不想同委员会发生争执。
• The two countries fell out in a bitter wrangle over imports.这两个国家在有关进口问题的激烈争吵中闹翻了。

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 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。

12 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。

13 complicate   

vt.使复杂化，使混乱，使难懂

参考例句：

• There is no need to complicate matters.没有必要使问题复杂化。
• These events will greatly complicate the situation.这些事件将使局势变得极其复杂。

14 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

15 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。

16 cannon   

n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮

参考例句：

• The soldiers fired the cannon.士兵们开炮。
• The cannon thundered in the hills.大炮在山间轰鸣。

17 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。