NPR 2011-05-07

US stocks still in positive territory with the jobs market posting robust¹ gains. The Labor² Department says the economy picked up a more-than-expected 244,000 positions in April. NPR's John Ydstie reports all of the net job growth came in the private sector³.

US businesses added 268,000 new jobs to their payrolls⁴ last month. The headline number for the month was dragged lower because governments continued to shed jobs. Austan Goolsbee, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisors⁵, says the strong increases at private firms is especially good news.

"This was the best private sector job growth in more than five years. And the last three months, we've added more than a quarter million jobs, on average, every month."

Goolsbee says that shows the economy is moving from rescue to recovery mode. One negative in April — a slight rise in the unemployment rate back up to 9%. Over the previous five months, it had dropped at the fastest rate in 27 years. John Ydstie, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama is at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, where he is due to address troops shortly. He's been meeting today privately⁶ with some members of the Navy SEALs team that carried out the military assault against bin⁷ Laden⁸ early Monday in Pakistan. As many in the West hail the raid as an enormous success, quite different emotions in parts of Pakistan today. In Abbottabad, where Osama bin Laden was killed several days ago, protesters denounced the US and the Pakistani government.

Fresh violence reported out of Syria today, where witnesses accused troops of opening fire on anti-government activists⁹, killing¹⁰ at least 21 people. Covering developments from Beirut, NPR's Kelly McEvers gives us an update on the uprising in Syria that's now in its seventh week.

The shootings came as thousands of protesters have taken to the streets in towns and cities around Syria, calling for the ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Syrian authorities also detained a leading opposition¹¹ figure and former lawmaker, who's been a major critic of the regime. The protesters turned out despite the fact that nearly 600 people have been killed; thousands have been detained; and at least three cities have been surrounded and cut off from the rest of the country. Protesters, including women and children, carried olive branches and marched toward the besieged¹² southern city of Darra, which has been the hardest hit by the crackdown. Residents there report that tanks and snipers kept them from protesting. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Beirut.

Before the close on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average up 55 points at 12,639 in trading of four billion shares; NASDAQ gaining 13 points or nearly 0.5%; it's at 2,828; S&P 500 up five at 1,340.

This is NPR News.

Al-Qaeda rebukes¹³ the Pakistani government for bin Laden's death, saying it needs to be cleansed¹⁴. In a message posted today on militant¹⁵ websites, the terror network confirms bin Laden's death and threatens reprisal¹⁶ attacks.

Florida's legislature has overhauled¹⁷ the state's voting rules. NPR's Greg Allen in Miami reports the measure now before the governor will affect early voting and new voters.

Democrats¹⁸ charge it's an effort by Florida's Republican-controlled legislature to disenfranchise Democratic-leaning voters. Republicans deny that. The new rules are in part a response to the 2008 presidential election. Barack Obama carried the state held by a large turnout of Democratic voters signed up in registration¹⁹ drives. Florida's League of Women Voters says under the new rules, it may no longer be able to conduct those drives. The bill requires all people signing up voters to register with the state and imposes fines for voter forms not turned in within 48 hours. In addition, the bill cuts in half to one week, the number of days allocated²⁰ for early voting. Florida Democratic Senator Bill Nelson says if the state's Republican Governor Rick Scott signs it, he'll ask the Justice Department to investigate whether the measures violate federal law. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

Authorities in Memphis are pleading with residents in the most flood-prone areas to get out. They've been going door-to-door today, handing out fliers, warning people their property could be inundated²¹ with high waters as the Mississippi River continues to rise. Tennessee officials predict flooded areas won't dry out for several more weeks.

Recapping our top story, President Obama is due to address troops at Fort Campbell, Kentucky shortly. He's been meeting privately with members of the Navy SEALs team that conducted that military assault against bin Laden early Monday in Pakistan.

1 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

2 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。

3 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。

4 payrolls   

n.（公司员工的）工资名单( payroll的名词复数 )；（公司的）工资总支出，工薪总额

参考例句：

• Indices of employment, payrolls, and production steadied in February 1931931年2月，就业、工资额和生产指数稳定。 来自辞典例句
• Wall Street responded to the payrolls figures with gusto. 华尔街对就业数据作出了积极的反应。 来自互联网

5 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

6 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

7 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。

8 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

9 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》

10 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

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 besieged   

包围，围困，围攻( besiege的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Paris was besieged for four months and forced to surrender. 巴黎被围困了四个月后被迫投降。
• The community besieged the newspaper with letters about its recent editorial. 公众纷纷来信对报社新近发表的社论提出诘问，弄得报社应接不暇。

13 rebukes   

责难或指责( rebuke的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• His industry rebukes me. 他的勤劳使我感到惭傀。
• The manager's rebukes in loud voice and stern expression have made the clerks gathered in the out office start with alarm. 老板声色俱厉的责备把聚集在办公室外的职员们吓坏了。

14 cleansed   

弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The nurse cleansed the wound before stitching it. 护士先把伤口弄干净后才把它缝合。
• The notorious Hell Row was burned down in a fire, and much dirt was cleansed away. 臭名远场的阎王路已在一场大火中化为乌有，许多焦土灰烬被清除一空。

15 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

16 reprisal   

n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠

参考例句：

• There is no political alternative but a big reprisal.政治上没有旁的选择只能是大规模报复。
• They bombed civilian targets in reprisal.他们炮轰平民目标作为报复。

17 overhauled   

v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越

参考例句：

• Within a year the party had drastically overhauled its structure. 一年内这个政党已大刀阔斧地整顿了结构。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A mechanic overhauled the car's motor with some new parts. 一个修理工对那辆汽车的发动机进行了彻底的检修，换了一些新部件。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 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》

19 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

20 allocated   

adj. 分配的 动词allocate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The Ford Foundation allocated millions of dollars for cancer research. 福特基金会拨款数百万美元用于癌症研究。
• More funds will now be allocated to charitable organizations. 现在会拨更多的资金给慈善组织。

21 inundated   

v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付

参考例句：

• We have been inundated with offers of help. 主动援助多得使我们应接不暇。
• We have been inundated with every bit of information imaginable. 凡是想得到的各种各样的信息潮水般地向我们涌来。 来自《简明英汉词典》