NPR 2012-02-23

 The Obama administration wants to cut the top corporate¹ tax rate from 35% to 28%. NPR's Scott Horsley reports that's part of a broader proposal designed to simplify the tax code. 

 

The current corporate tax rate is one of the highest in the world. While the proposed rate of 28%, it's closer to the average for big industrial countries. In exchange for the lower overall rate, the administration wants to do away with dozens of targeted tax breaks for particular industries. At the same time, the White House wants to provide additional tax incentives³ to promote manufacturing. Treasury⁴ Secretary Tim Geithner says the proposal is designed to start a process that's bound to be long and contentious⁵. The secretary plans to meet with congressional tax writers within the coming weeks. Scott Horsely, NPR News, Washington.

 

President Obama is hailing the new African-American History Museum as not just a record of tragedy but a celebration of life. At the groundbreaking on the National Mall today, the president said it was on the grounds long ago that the pillars of democracy were built often by black hands. NPR's Allison Keyes says it was a moving event for a number of people.

 

I spoke⁶ a little bit earlier to a 92-year-old Navy from the first class Larinso Japel. He said he is proud to be here today. The ship upon which he served is being featured in the museum here with the USS Mason, and he said he is so proud. He did not say if he was going to live long enough not only to see an African-American president but to see a museum that would honor the contribution that African-Americans have made to this country. 

 

NPR's Allison Keyes.

 

After nearly seven months, the trail of Egypt's ousted⁷ President Hosni Mubarak draws to a close today. Grant Clark reports Mubarak is charged with corruption⁸ and ordering the death of hundreds of protesters during last year's uprising.

 

Defense⁹ lawyers are making their closing arguments today in the controversial trial, which has been unfolding largely behind closed doors. Prosecutors¹⁰ claimed Mubarak gave police shoot-to-kill orders and to use live ammunition¹¹ against protesters, whose demonstrations¹² ended history decades of rule a year ago. Mubarak could face the death penalty if found guilty, although any conviction is likely to be appealed. But there will be no verdicts today. The former leader is on trail along with his two sons Alaa and Gamal, as well as a former interior minister and several top police officials. Grant Clark, NPR News, Cairo.

 

Syrian activists¹³ are reporting helicopter gunships being used in northwestern Syria. In Homs, site of more than two weeks’ shelling, residents estimate dozens more people have been killed today. Among them, two Western journalists, American Marie Colvin and French native Remi Ochlik.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was down ten points at 12,956.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The death toll¹⁴ is rising in Argentina's worst train crash in decades. At least 49 people are dead, as many 600 injured. Authorities say a crowded train slammed into the buffers¹⁵ at a Buenos Aires station during morning rush hour. Authorities are still pulling victims from the wreckage¹⁶. 

 

Supporters of California's ban on same-sex marriage say they will appeal a ruling earlier this month by a federal appellate court that struck down Proposition 8. NPR's Richard Gonzales reports backers of the measure will ask a larger panel of the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to review the ruling.

 

A three-judge panel split 2 to 1, finding that Prop². 8 is unconstitutional because it discriminates¹⁷ against a minority group for no compelling reason. But the sponsors of Prop. 8 say that decision is out of step with other federal court rulings, and they are requesting an en banc hearing, in other words, before all the judges of the Ninth Circuit. A majority of the judges on that panel would have to vote to grant the hearing. The appeal is expected to delay the possibility of the case going to the US Supreme¹⁸ Court. Richard Gonzales, NPR News, San Francisco.

 

Federal charges are being brought against the former supreintendent of West Virginia's Upper Big Branch mine, site of the 2010 explosion that killed 29 men. Gary May is accused of conspiring¹⁹ to defraud²⁰ the federal government. So far, May is the highest-ranking Massey Energy employee to face criminal charges in connection with the tragedy.

 

Latest from Wall Street, Dow’s down nine points at 12,956 in trading now about two billion shares; NASDAQ also off eight points; it's at 2,940; and the S&P 500 falling two points at 1,360.

 

This is NPR News.

1 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

2 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

3 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

4 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

5 contentious   

adj.好辩的，善争吵的

参考例句：

• She was really not of the contentious fighting sort.她委实不是好吵好闹的人。
• Since then they have tended to steer clear of contentious issues.从那时起，他们总想方设法避开有争议的问题。

6 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。

7 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 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。

10 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

11 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

12 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。

13 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》

14 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

15 buffers   

起缓冲作用的人（或物）( buffer的名词复数 )； 缓冲器； 减震器； 愚蠢老头

参考例句：

• To allocate and schedule the use of buffers. 分配和计划缓冲器的使用。
• Number of times the stream has paused due to insufficient stream buffers. 由于流缓冲区不足导致流程暂停的次数。

16 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

17 discriminates   

分别，辨别，区分( discriminate的第三人称单数 )； 歧视，有差别地对待

参考例句：

• The new law discriminates against lower-paid workers. 这条新法律歧视低工资的工人。
• One test governs state legislation that discriminates against interstate commerce. 一个检验约束歧视州际商业的州立法。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

18 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。

19 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

20 defraud   

vt.欺骗，欺诈

参考例句：

• He passed himself off as the managing director to defraud the bank.他假冒总经理的名义诈骗银行。
• He is implicated in the scheme to defraud the government.他卷入了这起欺骗政府的阴谋。