美国国家电台 NPR 2012-08-03

 At the Summer Olympics in London, results are in from one of the most anticipated matchups of the games, the men's 200-meter individual medley¹. As NPR's Tom Goldman tells us American swimmer Michael Phelps struck gold again.

It was his first individual gold medal of the London Olympics and he beat his teammate and rival Ryan Lochte. This was second of their two head-to-head matchups and Lochte got one, he got the first one and Phelps got the second. NPR's Tom Goldman in London.

Phelps now has broken his own record with 20 Olympic medals. 

 

 

The international envoy² for Syria says he is resigning at the end of his term. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports Kofi Annan is blaming his failed mission on UN Security Council members preferring to unite to stop the violence. 

The former UN Secretary General told reporters in Geneva that he is giving up by the end of the month on what many had called mission impossible. 

At a time when we need, when the Syrian people desperately³ need action, there continues to be finger-pointing and name-calling in the Security Council.

Annan's reputation took a beating as he tried unsuccessfully to get Syria's government and opposition⁴ fighters to ceasefire and talk. US Ambassador Susan Rice says he should be commended for as she put it, taking on such a thankless and difficult task, at great personal cost. Michele Kelemen, NPR News Washington.

 

 

The number of people filing for unemployment benefits rose last week, though less than expected. But the four week moving average of applications went down, NPR's Sonari Glinton reports analysts⁵ are monitoring the weekly numbers in context. 

July is the typical time when the auto⁶ maker⁷ shut down their plants. They use this time to clean up, fix and change auto machines and get ready for the end of the year rush. This year, the Japanese car companies that build in the US are working overtime⁸ to make up for losses after last year's earthquake and tsunami⁹. Economist¹⁰ Nigel Gault says these changes make it hard to get a real sense of what's going on, jobless.

We have a much better picture, tomorrow for the month of July. And in the next couple of weeks, all of the seasonal¹¹ distortions that can boost the claims then as around. Those distortions are going to disappear from the numbers.

The Labor¹² Department reports on the all important monthly unemployment number tomorrow. Sonari Glinton, NPR News.

 

 

The European Central Bank said today it may take steps directly in the open market to drive down high borrowing rates in the eurozone struggling nations. But it's offering no specifics and making more promises. The lack of concrete actions drove stocks down today, just before the close, the Dow was off 92 points; the NASDAQ was off 10; the S&P was off 10 at 1,365.

 

 

This is NPR.

 

 

Retailers¹³ say they made solid gains last month, some including Cosco say sales were better than expected. They say hot weather and clearance¹⁴ prices helped. 

 

 

A government survey finds the US is likely to rely less on oil imports in coming years. NPR's Jeff Brady reports that's because there is more proved reserves of oil and natural gas in the US than previously¹⁵ estimated. 

Controversial technologies like hydraulic¹⁶ fracturing or fracking are making it easier to extract more oil and natural gas in the US. Increasing supply and declining demand means the US is importing less oil. Last year, imports totalled about 55%. Adam Sieminski with the Energy Information Administration says some models show that number could decline dramatically by 2035. 

It could get down to as low as 14% or 15%. We will still be importing oil in the US. But a lot of that would be coming from Canada. 

Most of the domestic reserve increases are in Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and the Gulf¹⁷ of Mexico. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

US officials say there was no near mid-air collision of three US airways¹⁸ commuter¹⁹ jets are near Washington's Reagan National Airport Tuesday. They are calling it a loss of separation and blame it on miscommunication. The Flight Safety Foundation's Kevin Hiatt says the pilots of two departing planes didn't know there was about one that's approaching. 

They had no idea based on what they had been given at that particular time that another aircraft was inbound coming their direction. That's air traffic control. And could if they were all being even on a different frequency at that particular time. 

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the incident. 

1 medley   

n.混合

参考例句：

• Today's sports meeting doesn't seem to include medley relay swimming.现在的运动会好象还没有混合接力泳这个比赛项目。
• China won the Men's 200 metres Individual Medley.中国赢得了男子200米个人混合泳比赛。

2 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

3 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

8 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

9 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

10 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

11 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

12 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。

13 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

14 clearance   

n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理

参考例句：

• There was a clearance of only ten centimetres between the two walls.两堵墙之间只有十厘米的空隙。
• The ship sailed as soon as it got clearance. 那艘船一办好离港手续立刻启航了。

15 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。

16 hydraulic   

adj.水力的；水压的，液压的；水力学的

参考例句：

• The boat has no fewer than five hydraulic pumps.这艘船配有不少于5个液压泵。
• A group of apprentics were operating the hydraulic press.一群学徒正在开动水压机。

17 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

18 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

19 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。