NPR 2011-08-13

 The US markets are reacting in part to more upbeat economic news this time in retail¹. The Commerce Department reports consumers spent more money in the last three months than previously² thought. In July, retail sales rose 0.5%, and the government revised up sales figures from the previous two months. A day after hearing that fewer people filed for jobless insurance last week, today's retail report is more welcome news for investors³ who experienced a turbulent week on Wall Street. Most Asian markets also posted modest gains, and European stocks ended the week up after countries temporarily banned short selling. Now the Italian cabinet is holding an emergency session to talk about cuts and tax increases to meet European Central Bank demands to sharply reduce Italy's mountain of debt. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports Italian officials remain divided over where to cut costs. 

 

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi briefed local government officials on the emergency measures. Lombardy Governor Roberto Formigoni said they include raising value-added tax, imposing⁴ a solidarity⁵ tax on high earners and raising the retirement⁶ age for many workers. The government needs to find 20 billion euros, almost 30 billion dollars, in savings⁷ and revenue next year and another 25 billion euro in 2013. The cabinet reportedly intends to cut funding to local governments by more than eight billion dollars next year and by five billion the year after that. Regional officials literally⁸ oppose the plan cuts, saying local services from schools and transport to health and welfare services are always the first austerity targets. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

 

Famine-stricken Somalia is now dealing⁹ with a cholera¹⁰ epidemic¹¹. That warning today from the World Health Organization, which is responding to the Horn of the Africa's worst drought in decades. The WHO says poor sanitation¹² and dirty water are driving up the number of people who fall victims to the disease.

 

The man convicted of killing¹³ 11 women and concealing¹⁴ their bodies in and around his home is getting the death penalty in Ohio. We have more details from reporter Bill Rice of member station of WCPN on the case surrounding Anthony Sowell.

 

Sowell was impassive throughout the trial but appeared to completely detach as family members of the victims got the chance to speak their piece at sentencing. Here's Dorothy Pollard, the aunt of victim Diane Turner.

 

"No matter what type of lifestyle these women had lived, Anthony Sowell had no right to play God by taking their lives. It is our hope that he'll meet his Maker¹⁵ sooner rather than later."

 

Sowell's victims were all poor black women with histories of addiction¹⁶ to crack cocaine¹⁷ and alcohol which he used to lure¹⁸ them to his home before killing them. Three survivors¹⁹ of attacks by Sowell testified at trial that he had choked and raped²⁰ them. 

 

This is NPR News.

 

Harry²¹ & David, the mail-order company known for fruit baskets and gifts, is preparing to emerge from bankruptcy²². More from NPR's Jeff Brady.

 

Part of the deal includes terminating the pension plans for 2,700 current and former employees. Creditors²³ will get pennies on the dollar, and Harry & David will receive new operating capital. The company's primary business of selling fruit, nuts and baked goods through the mail has continued through bankruptcy. Harry & David's management submitted the filing in March after disappointing sales during last winter's holiday season. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

 

In China, a human rights activist²⁴ went on trial in Beijing four months after she was detained amid the government's crackdown on dissent²⁵. Kathleen McLaughlin reports on the latest example of China's pushback against critics.

 

Wang Lihong does not fit the mode of a stereotypical²⁶ Chinese dissident, but the 56-year-old business woman who was born into an army family has long been involved in China's rights and justice movements. On Friday, she was tried in a Beijing court on charges of creating a disturbance²⁷, which could land her in prison for up to five years. Wang was taken by police four months ago in the massive crackdown on critics following failed calls for a "Jasmine Revolution" in China. China has released several other critical voices, including internationally known artist Ai Weiwei in recent weeks. Ai broke his post-detention silence, specifically on Wang's case, saying on Twitter: "If you don't speak out for Wang Lihong, you are not just a person who will not stand up for fairness and justice, you do not have self-respect." For NPR News, I'm Kathleen McLaughlin in Beijing.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 151 points, 1.3% higher, at 11,294, and the NASDAQ was up 19 points at 2,512.

1 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

2 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

3 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

4 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

5 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。

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

8 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

9 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

10 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

11 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

12 sanitation   

n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备

参考例句：

• The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。
• Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。

13 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。

14 concealing   

v.隐藏，隐瞒，遮住( conceal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Despite his outward display of friendliness, I sensed he was concealing something. 尽管他表现得友善，我还是感觉到他有所隐瞒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SHE WAS BREAKING THE COMPACT, AND CONCEALING IT FROM HIM. 她违反了他们之间的约定，还把他蒙在鼓里。 来自英汉文学 - 三万元遗产

15 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

16 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

17 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

18 lure   

n.吸引人的东西，诱惑物；vt.引诱，吸引

参考例句：

• Life in big cities is a lure for many country boys.大城市的生活吸引着许多乡下小伙子。
• He couldn't resist the lure of money.他不能抵制金钱的诱惑。

19 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

20 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

21 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

22 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。

23 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

25 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

26 stereotypical   

n.常规

参考例句：

• Personas should be typical and believable, but not stereotypical. 人物角色应该是典型和可信赖的，但不是一成不变的。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Anything could be stereotypical, so I guess it could be criticism. 任何东西都可以变的老套，所以我猜那就是一种批评。 来自互联网

27 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。