美国国家电台 NPR 2012-08-12

 Mitt¹ Romney has selected Wisconsin Congressman² Paul Ryan as his running mate. NPR's Brain Naylor reports Ryan is a seven-term member of Congress best-known for working on budget issues.

 

Ryan is chairman of the House Budget Committee and is author of the budget plan that would transform government programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Speaking this morning, Ryan said he and Mitt Romney won't be afraid to make tough choices.

 

“President Obama and too many like him in Washington have refused to make difficult decisions because they are more worried about their next election than they are about the next generation.”

 

Conservatives had been urging Romney to pick Ryan, and Democrats³ seemed delighted too when calling the Romney-Ryan ticket “a frightening prospect” for the middle class and anyone who might one day need Medicare or Social Security. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington. 

 

Romney and Ryan continue to campaign in Virginia believed to be a swing state. Larry Sabato was at the University of Virginia, where he’s director of the Center for Politics. He says picking Ryan is a way to rally the Republican base.

 

“It's really a question of which side is more enthused, which side turns out more voters. They are hoping that the Ryan choice will excite the conservative base which has never been all that keen on Mitt Romney.”

 

Obama campaign manager Jim Messina issued a statement that Ryan shares Romney's commitment to a flawed theory that tax cuts for the wealthy and placing greater burdens on the middle class will somehow deliver a stronger economy. 

 

Two powerful earthquakes struck northwestern Iran today. State television reports at least 153 people were killed and at least 700 people were injured. The quakes measured 6.4 and 6.3. They left much of the city of Tabriz without electricity.

 

The two earthquakes came within minutes of each other, according to seismology experts at Tehran University. There were reports of people in the northwestern city of Tabriz rushing into the streets in panic. Most of the casualties are thought to be in outlying villages, but all links to the area are said to have been cut. That's making it difficult for the Iranian authorities to assess the scale of the injuries and the damage. Dozens of rescue workers have been sent to the region, but the onset⁴ of darkness has also hampered⁵ relief efforts. 

 

The BBC's Peter Biles reporting.

 

Afghan officials say an Afghan police officer started firing on his fellow officers at a checkpoint in a remote area of Afghanistan today. They say at least ten officers were killed before the shooter was taken down. The incident comes a day after two separate attacks by Afghans against NATO forces in Helmand province that killed six Americans. 

 

You’re listening to NPR News from Washington.

 

Civil defense⁶ officials in the Philippines now say more than 2.5 million people are affected⁷ by flooding in the capital Manila. Torrential monsoon⁸ rains have brought the worst mudslides and floods in three years. At least 66 people have died. Hundreds of thousands were forced from their homes and sought shelter in evacuation centers. Authorities say they’ve planned to mobilize thousands of workers to clean up the mud and debris⁹. 

 

At the Olympics in London today, Mexico picked up its first gold medal ever. Its men soccer team defeated Brazil. NPR's Mike Pesca reports.

 

Twenty-eight seconds, that's all it took for Mexico to notch¹⁰ a goal in the first Olympic soccer final between two Latin American countries since 1928. Brazilian back Rafael harried¹¹ by a Mexican player forced a weak pass which was picked off by Javier Aquino, who quickly passed onto Oribe Peralta for the quickest goal in Olympic soccer final's history. In the second half, Peralta added another goal of a quarter kick, in which most of the Brazilian defense appeared to be motionless. The Brazilian forward Hulk scored late to make it interesting, but that tally¹² could not overcome his team's general sloppiness¹³. The Mexicans have achieved the greatest soccer victory in their country's victory. Mike Pesca, NPR News, London.

 

The Olympics are providing a political boost to Boris Johnson, the mayor of London. A survey out today says nearly three-quarters of Britons think he should become prime minister because of his success in hosting the games. Johnson has vigorously denied he has any interest in seeking the top job. He has said that he has as much chance of becoming prime minister as finding Elvis or being decapitated by a Frisbee¹⁴ .

1 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。

2 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

3 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》

4 onset   

n.进攻，袭击，开始，突然开始

参考例句：

• The drug must be taken from the onset of the infection.这种药必须在感染的最初期就开始服用。
• Our troops withstood the onset of the enemy.我们的部队抵挡住了敌人的进攻。

5 hampered   

妨碍，束缚，限制( hamper的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions. 恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg. 圣彼德堡镇的那些受折磨、受拘束的体面孩子们个个都是这么想的。

6 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。

7 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

8 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

9 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。

10 notch   

n.(V字形)槽口，缺口，等级

参考例句：

• The peanuts they grow are top-notch.他们种的花生是拔尖的。
• He cut a notch in the stick with a sharp knife.他用利刃在棒上刻了一个凹痕。

11 harried   

v.使苦恼( harry的过去式和过去分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰

参考例句：

• She has been harried by the press all week. 整个星期她都受到新闻界的不断烦扰。
• The soldiers harried the enemy out of the country. 士兵们不断作骚扰性的攻击直至把敌人赶出国境为止。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

13 sloppiness   

n.草率，粗心

参考例句：

• The choice of Sarah Palin epitomised the sloppiness. 选择佩琳作为竞选伙伴凸显草率。 来自互联网
• He chided the boy for his sloppiness. 它责怪这男孩粗心大意。 来自互联网

14 frisbee   

n.飞盘(塑料玩具)

参考例句：

• We always go to the park on weekends and play Frisbee.我们每个周末都会到公园玩飞盘。
• The frisbee is a light plastic disc,shaped like a plate.飞盘是一种碟形塑料盘。