NPR 2012-01-07

 President Obama points to December's drop in the unemployment rate as further validation¹ of his economic policies.

 

 

 

“The economy is moving in the right direction. We’re creating jobs on a consistent basis. We’re not going to let up, not until everybody who wants to find a good job can find one.”

 

 

 

The president reacting to the Labor² Department's report today that shows the unemployment rate dipped to 8.5% after the economy added 200,000 jobs. Encouraging news this election year for President Obama who faces the highest unemployment rate of any sitting president since World War II. NPR's John Ydstie offers a detail look now at the country's complicated employment picture.

 

 

 

The unemployment rate fell to 8.5% in December from an upwardly revised 8.7% in November. That decline was also unexpected. Most economists³ thought the rate would rise in December after a big drop the previous month. The revised numbers show the unemployment rate dropping steadily⁴ from 9.1% back in August. But part of that decline is due to a drop in the number of people looking for work. Some may be discouraged by the difficult job market, but demographic factors like retirement⁵ may also be coming into play. Despite the positive report, more than 13 million people remain unemployed⁶. John Ydstie, NPR News, Washington.

 

 

 

Now Republican presidential candidates including former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum are praising the decline in the unemployment rate. But Santorum maintains it has little to do with President Obama's jobs policy. He was campaigning today in New Hampshire.

 

 

 

“You do what you did in 1980 when Iowa chose Bush and New Hampshire chose Rick.”

 

 

 

New Hampshire holds the first in the nation primary next Tuesday.

 

 

 

In an unprecedented⁷ move, the Justice Department is expanding its definition of rape⁸ to include sexual assaults of males. For the last 80 years, the crime was defined as carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. White House advisor⁹ Valerie Jarrett says the revision for nationwide data collection ensures rape will be more accurately¹⁰ reported nationwide.

 

 

 

“This major policy change will lead to more accurate reporting and far more comprehensive understanding of this devastating¹¹ crime.”

 

 

 

Authorities say the change has been years in the making.

 

 

 

Europe's persistent¹² debt crisis is again, the subject of high-level meetings today. France is hosting Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti, whose government has seen the interest rate on its ten-year bond top 7%. That level has prompted other nations to seek a bailout and option. Europe would like to avoid with Italy. France is coping with its own financial troubles and risks losing its coveted¹³ AAA credit rating.

 

 

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was down 29 points at 12,388; NASDAQ up nine points at 2,679.

 

 

 

This is NPR News.

 

 

 

France says it may go ahead with a financial transaction tax even if Germany doesn’t join in. Eleanor Beardsley reports that French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to set an example on the issue.

 

 

 

In his New Year’s address, Sarkozy said that finance institutions should be called upon to help repair the damage they caused in the financial crisis. Sarkozy called it a moral issue. France says it’s looking to institute a Europe-wide financial transaction tax by the end of 2012. The idea is unpopular with Britain, but Sarkozy and German Chancellor¹⁴ Angela Merkel will discuss it when they meet in Berlin on Monday. The Germany finance minister has said that Germany would push for a financial transaction tax at the European Union level or at least within the eurozone. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

 

 

 

For the first time in its 79 years, the BBC plans to broadcast commercial advertisements. Larry Miller¹⁵ reports from London that it's initially¹⁶ a yearlong pilot restricted to parts of the world service.

 

 

 

The move into commercial broadcasting comes after the British government says it wants the BBC World Service to begin paying for itself and generate nearly five million dollars by 2014 when a government subsidy¹⁷ ends. The BBC is funded primarily by license¹⁸ fees paid by domestic users. The proposed yearlong pilot would insert advertising¹⁹ into a world service English broadcast to Berlin. Ads would also be put on the service's Arabic, Russian and Spanish websites. The BBC's governing Trust approved the plans after accepting that a failure to act could lead to more cuts to services. The World Service has a radio, TV and online audience of more than 200 million. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

1 validation   

n.确认

参考例句：

• If the countdown timer ever hits zero, do your validation processing. 处理这种情况的方法是在输入的同时使用递减计时器，每次击键重新计时。如果递减计时器变为零，就开始验证。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓
• Although the validation control is a very widespread idiom, most such controls can be improved. 虽然确认控件是非常广泛的习惯用法，但还有很多有待改进的地方。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

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 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

5 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。

6 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

7 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。

8 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

9 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

10 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

11 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

12 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

13 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》

14 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

15 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

16 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

17 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

18 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

19 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。