NPR 2012-06-12

 Caution appears to be returning to global markets after the initially¹ rallied over news that Spain’s banks would get an EU bailout. Lauren Frayer reports from Madrid Spanish markets have closed flat, and the country's borrowing costs have shot back up to the same levels as before the rescue announcement was made.

 

Stock surged and Spain's bond yields initially fell on word Europe would extend a 125-billion-dollar lifeline to rescue Spanish banks. The idea with Spain would have a bit breathing room without having to bailout its banks on its own. But the rally was short-lived. Stocks have lost most of their early gains, and Madrid's borrowing costs are back near levels that triggered bailouts for Greece, Portugal and Ireland. An EU loan will add to Spain's overall debt, and its deficit² will increase too with interest payments. Investors³ are worried about how the overspent Spanish government will manage to pay back the bailout loan. For NPR News, I'm Lauren Frayer in Madrid.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was down 61 points, nearly 0.5%, at 12,493.

 

The secretary of Commerce is under investigation⁴ for a felony hit and run for a pair of traffic accidents in the Los Angeles area over the weekend. John Bryson's office says he had a seizure⁵ and stayed overnight in the hospital before returning to Washington. The White House, meanwhile, is offering few details about Bryson's condition or whether may have an impact on his job.

 

“We're obviously concerned about the incident, concerned about Secretary Bryson’s health-related issues that played a role in this incident, and we're still gathering⁶ information about it.”

 

The White House Press Secretary Jay Carney speaking to reporters earlier today from the White House.

 

The defense⁷ has rested in the Roger Clemens perjury⁸ trial without Clemens testifying. As NPR's Nina Totenberg tells us, the last defense witness was the former Yankees security director, Gerald Laveroni, who told the jury that the prosecution's star witness cannot be believed. 

 

Laveroni worked for the Yankees at the same time Clemens and his chief accuser  Brian McNamee did. As how much credibility McNamee had, Lavernoi replied zero. Also at the close of the defense case, the defense read a stipulation⁹ agreed to by the government that Clemens was tested for by Major League Baseball for performance-enhancing drugs during the years 2003 to 2007, and never tested positive. Prior to that, Major League Baseball did not conduct those tests. Clemens is accused of lying to Congress about using these drugs in the years prior to 2003. Nina Totenberg, NPR News, Washington.

 

Jerry Sandusky's trial on sex abuse charges underway now in Pennsylvania. The former Penn State assistant football coach faces 52 counts of sexually abusing children, charges he vehemently¹⁰ denies. 

 

At last glance on Wall Street, the Dow is down 64 points at 12,490.

 

This is NPR News.

 

NATO says it is limiting its air strikes in Afghanistan to be used as a final option in the defense of coalition¹¹ troops. The alliance's commanders say that previously¹² air strikes could be conducted against insurgents¹³ in residential¹⁴ areas as long as civilians¹⁵ were not present. But that changed after women and children were killed during a NATO air strike against insurgents last week. 

 

Meanwhile in northern Afghanistan, rescuers are searching the debris¹⁶ of a village that's been buried in a landslide¹⁷. That landslide was triggered by a strong earthquake today.

 

An intense firefight is underway in western US. In Colorado, a blaze has grown to nearly 60 square miles.

 

“Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted” is No.1 at the box office in the US and Canada. More from NPR's Trina Williams.

 

Receipts are up nearly 30% compared to last year this time, thanks to “Madagascar 3 Europe's Most Wanted” and some serious competition from “Prometheus.” “Madagascar 3” pulls away to claim the top spot.

 

“This train is for circus animals only. But we are circus. What is your act? Uh, da-da-dadada-da da circus da-da…”

 

The third in the series of films about escaped zoo animals and their adventures features the voices of Jada Pinkett Smith, Chris Rock, Ben Stiller and David Schwimmer. Outer space thriller¹⁸ “Prometheus” finishes at No. 2. Last weekend's winner “Snow White and the Huntsman” is still doing well, despite dropping to the third place on the chart. “Men In Black III” is fourth with “The Avengers” following. Trina Williams, NPR News.

 

And Dow is down 67, NASDAQ off 27.

 

This is NPR News.

1 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。

2 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

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 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。

5 seizure   

n.没收；占有；抵押

参考例句：

• The seizure of contraband is made by customs.那些走私品是被海关没收的。
• The courts ordered the seizure of all her property.法院下令查封她所有的财产。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 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。

8 perjury   

n.伪证；伪证罪

参考例句：

• You'll be punished if you procure the witness to commit perjury.如果你诱使证人作伪证，你要受罚的。
• She appeared in court on a perjury charge.她因被指控做了伪证而出庭受审。

9 stipulation   

n.契约，规定，条文；条款说明

参考例句：

• There's no stipulation as to the amount you can invest. 没有关于投资额的规定。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The only stipulation the building society makes is that house must be insured. 建屋互助会作出的唯一规定是房屋必须保险。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 vehemently   

adv. 热烈地

参考例句：

• He argued with his wife so vehemently that he talked himself hoarse. 他和妻子争论得很激烈，以致讲话的声音都嘶哑了。
• Both women vehemently deny the charges against them. 两名妇女都激烈地否认了对她们的指控。

11 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

12 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。

13 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

14 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

15 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

16 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

17 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

18 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。