美国国家电台 NPR 2012-10-17

 The presidential candidates will spar for a second time tonight, but this time in a town-hall setting, taking questions from voters. NPR's Ron Elving says each man is looking to make big gains at New York's Hofstra University.

 

This represents the best opportunity. President Obama is going to have to make up for or bounds back from his performance in the first debate on October 3rd which cost him the momentum¹. Mitt² Romney's challenge in this debate is different from the first debate. It is not an election about being seen on the same stage with the incumbent³ president, the commander in chief. It's more about the relationship he has with these questioners. And he is going to have to speak to them directly and he is going to have to the kind of empathy and human warmth that people look for in a president. NPR's Ron Elving.

 

The U.S. Supreme⁴ Court is allowing all Ohio voters to cast ballots⁵ in the final weekend before election day, handing State Democrats⁶ a big victory. More from NPR's Pam Fessler. 

 

Ohio officials want to restrict early in-person voting in the final weekend of the campaign to military voters, arguing that local officials were too busy preparing for election day to handle a big turnout. The Obama re-election campaign and State Democrats said that was unfair to other voters and a federal appeals court agreed. The U.S. Supreme Court's decision not to block the lower court's ruling opened the way for all state voters to cast ballots on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, before election day. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted has now directed every county in the key battleground state to offer 16 hours of additional early voting at weekend. Pam Fessler, NPR News.

 

The Cuban government says starting in January, it's doing away with much-loathed exit visas, its citizens were required to get to travel abroad. Details from NPR's Greg Allen.

 

The Cuban government says restrictions⁷ on travel will remain in place for doctors and scientists to prevent a brain drain. Other Cubans who can't afford it, would be allowed to travel out of the country without government permission. Jaime Suchlicki, Director of University of Miami's Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies, says the Communist government is taking the step to reduce economic pressures on the island. He expects many Cubans to jump at the chance to leave the country.

 

Those are going to be an avalanche⁸ of Cubans going into foreign embassy, trying to get visas to get out and eventually winding⁹ up in the United States. 

 

Under the longstanding “wet foot, dry foot”  policy, Cubans who arrive on U.S. soil are allowed to remain and apply for permanent residency. Greg Allen, NPR News, Miami.

 

A big shakeup in the financial world today,  Citigroup CEO Vikram Pandit who helped guide his company through the 2008 financial crisis, has abruptly¹⁰ resigned. Multiple reports state the departure follows months of tension with the board from which Pandit has also stepped down.

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 128 points at 13,552.

 

You are listening to NPR News.

 

The second of two female marines who tried to make it through the grueling Infantry¹² Officer Course has failed due to medical reasons. NPR's Tom Bowman reports the women volunteers were part of a study by the marines to see if women can become ground combat leaders.

 

The marines have not released the names of either women, citing privacy concerns. One of the women washed out earlier this month during the first day of the Infantry Officer Course at Quantico, Virignia, which lasts 86 days, is considered the toughest training course in the Corps¹³. About 25% of the men failed on that first day as well. The second woman Marine¹¹ failed late last week, after she was unable to complete two required training events due to an unspecified medical reasons. The Marine Corps said the woman, a 24-year-old second lieutenant¹⁴, is being treated and is in good condition. So far, no other female marines have signed up for the next course. Tom Bowman, NPR News, Washington.

 

Dutch police are stunned¹⁵ by an art heist that they say, is the largest scene in years in the Netherlands. They say thieves broken into the Rotterdam Museum early today and stole Picasso, Monet, Matisse and Gauguin paintings, worth hundreds of millions of euros. The collection was exhibited to help celebrate the museum's 20th anniversary. 

 

Back in the U.S., consumer prices have risen for the second straight months, driven largely by more expensive gas. The Labor¹⁶ Department reports the consumer price index rose a seasonally¹⁷ adjusted 0.6% in September, similar to the month before, take out energy and food prices, which fluctuate the jumping consumer prices is closer to 0.1%. 

1 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

2 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

3 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 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》

7 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

8 avalanche   

n.雪崩，大量涌来

参考例句：

• They were killed by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.他们在瑞士阿尔卑斯山的一次雪崩中罹难。
• Higher still the snow was ready to avalanche.在更高处积雪随时都会崩塌。

9 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

10 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

11 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

12 infantry   

n.[总称]步兵(部队)

参考例句：

• The infantry were equipped with flame throwers.步兵都装备有喷火器。
• We have less infantry than the enemy.我们的步兵比敌人少。

13 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

14 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

15 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

16 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。

17 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句