NPR 2012-04-11

 From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

 

Two weeks away from a GOP presidential primary in his home state, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum is suspending his campaign. He says it was a family decision.

 

“This was a time for prayer and thought over this past weekend, and just like it was, frankly¹, when we decided² to get into this race.”

 

He spoke³ at a news conference in Gettysburg. Mitt⁴ Romney, the front-runner congratulated Santorum on his campaign. 

 

In southern Afghanistan, a Taliban attack has left at least four police officers dead, five more wounded in a suicide bombing. NPR's Ahmad Shafi has details.

 

According to a provincial⁵ spokesperson, three men wearing traditional coats approached the gates of a police compound in Helmand province at noon. The police opened fire when two of the men set off explosive belts strapped⁶ to their bodies. A third suicide bomber⁷ was killed in the subsequent firefight. The Taliban issued a statement to the media claiming responsibility for the attack. Helmand is one of the most volatile⁸ provinces in Afghanistan. It produces most of the world's opium⁹. Officials say the Taliban has stepped up their attacks on the police to protect poppy fields. Ahmad Shafi, NPR News, Kabul.

 

The White House says a rocket launch planned by North Korea this week would be a clear and serious violation¹⁰ of UN resolutions. But as NPR's Louise Lim reports, Pyongyang insists it's merely sending a science satellite into orbit.

 

Space officials told reporters in Pyongyang that the communication satellite was being mounted on the rocket today, completing preparations. One official dismissed as nonsense, assertions that the launch could be a cover for developing missile technology. The rocket will be fired between April the 12th and 16th to commemorate¹¹ the 100th birthday of North Korea's late founder¹² Kim Il-Sung. China is repeating calls for calm and restraint amid a diplomatic coercive condemnation¹³. Russia is criticizing the launch is showing disregard for UN Security Council resolutions restricting such actions. And here in Seoul, the Unification Ministry¹⁴ is warning the North that it will bring further isolation¹⁵ and sanctions upon itself. Louise Lim, NPR News, Seoul.

 

The Federal Communications Commission has revealed a plan to quickly disable a cellphone after it's reported stolen. Chairman Julius Genachowski told reporters in Washington the FCC is working closely with wireless¹⁶ companies.

 

“Creating a database to prevent use of stolen smartphones and tablets, this database will enable carriers to disable stolen smartphones and tablets, dramatically reducing their value on the black market.”

 

It should take about six months to set up the database. 

 

On Wall Street, a losing day for the Dow, now down 199 points at 12,740; NASDAQ down 48.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Miami Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen says he is sad and embarrassed for remarks he made about Fidel Castro. The baseball team placed in the city's Little Havana neighborhood and now would suspend Guillen for five games without pay after he told Time magazine he loves and respects Fidel Castro. At a news conference, he commented on the suspension.

 

“The way I feel right now, I cannot say it's unfair or fair. I think that they make that decision.”

 

He says he just wants to apologize.

 

Baylor acknowledging what it calls a three-year joint¹⁷ investigation¹⁸ with NCAA enforcement staff of possible rules violations¹⁹ in both the men's and women's basketball programs. NPR's Wade²⁰ Goodwyn reports.

 

The ESPN.com first reported that more than 1,200 impermissible phone calls and text messages were sent to recruits by Baylor's basketball coaches. Baylor has shown a concealed²¹ quality in Division 1 competition in football and basketball. The problem has been following the rules while doing so. In 2003, the men's basketball program erupted in the scandal after one player shot and murdered his teammate. The subsequent investigation turned up recruiting violations, widespread player drug and alcohol abuse and illicit²² player tuition payments made by then head coach Dave Bliss²³. Wade Goodwyn, Dallas.  

 

Off the coast of Great Britain, a medical emergency delayed the passage of a cruise ship retracing²⁴ the route of the Titanic²⁵, 100 years after it set sail on its ill-fated voyage, the ship carrying over 1,000 passengers.

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR New, Washington.

1 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 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。

4 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。

5 provincial   

adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人

参考例句：

• City dwellers think country folk have provincial attitudes.城里人以为乡下人思想迂腐。
• Two leading cadres came down from the provincial capital yesterday.昨天从省里下来了两位领导干部。

6 strapped   

adj.用皮带捆住的，用皮带装饰的；身无分文的；缺钱；手头紧v.用皮带捆扎(strap的过去式和过去分词)；用皮带抽打；包扎；给…打绷带

参考例句：

• Make sure that the child is strapped tightly into the buggy. 一定要把孩子牢牢地拴在婴儿车上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soldiers' great coats were strapped on their packs. 战士们的厚大衣扎捆在背包上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

8 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

9 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

10 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

11 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

12 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

13 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

14 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

15 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

16 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

17 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

18 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

19 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

20 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

21 concealed   

a.隐藏的，隐蔽的

参考例句：

• The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
• I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。

22 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

23 bliss   

n.狂喜，福佑，天赐的福

参考例句：

• It's sheer bliss to be able to spend the day in bed.整天都可以躺在床上真是幸福。
• He's in bliss that he's won the Nobel Prize.他非常高兴，因为获得了诺贝尔奖金。

24 retracing   

v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯

参考例句：

• We're retracing the route of a deep explorer mission. 我们将折回一个深入的探险路线中去。 来自电影对白
• Retracing my steps was certainly not an option. 回顾我的脚步并不是个办法。 来自互联网

25 titanic   

adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的

参考例句：

• We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力，以达到我们的目的。
• The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。