美国国家电台 NPR 2012-09-13

 Flags are lower and security is heightened at U.S. installations around the world in response to yesterday's anti-American unrest in Egypt and Libya. A violent protest against obscured anti-Islamic film in the U.S. erupted first at the U.S. Embassy in Cairo, then hours later at the U.S. consulate¹ in Libya, where four Americans including Ambassador Chris Stevens were killed in Benghazi. Today, President Obama sought to remind Americans that the attacks are the work of a few not Libya's government or the Libyan people as a whole.

 

This attack will not break the bonds between the United States and Libya. Libyan security personnel  fought back against the attackers alongside Americans. Libyans helped some of our diplomats³ find safety, and they carried Ambassador Stevens' body to the hospital, where we tragically⁴ learned that he had died. 

 

Before the president spoke⁵, his election-year rival Mitt⁶ Romney lobbed  verbal attacks at the incumbent⁷ for his handling of the unrest. He accused the administration of apologizing for American values when it responded to anti-American violence. But on Capitol Hill, few Republicans followed Romney's lead. As NPR's David Welna explains. 

 

A few Republicans at the capitol did repeat Mr. Romney's charges that the Obama Administration had apologized that the perpetrators at the attacks on the U.S. embassy in Cairo and U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. But most GOP lawmakers reframed from any criticism. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke on the senate floor.

 

We honor the Americans, we lost in Libya. And we will stand united in our response. Among the things we can agree on in Washington is that the attacks on the US and its representatives will be met with resolve. 

 

New Jersey⁸ Democratic Senator Frank Lautenberg said Mitt Romney had offered "atrocious political response to the violence that claimed in American diplomats' lives ". David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.

 

Meanwhile, tributes are pouring in today for Ambassador Chris Stevens. He was the first U.S. ambassador to be killed while on due in more than 30 years. NPR's Craig Windham says the 52-year-old was a career U.S. diplomat². 

 

Stevens grew up in California and went to college at  UC Berkeley. In a video introducing him as an ambassador to Libya he said he did not know much about the Middle East until he became a Peace Corps⁹ volunteer in 1983.

 

I worked as an English teacher in a town in the high Atlas¹⁰ mountains in Morocco for two years. And quickly grew to love this part of the world. Since joining the foreign service, I have spent almost my entire career in the Middle East and North Africa.

 

Steven spoke Arabic and French, and he served in an array of foreign service jobs in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Syria. His nomination¹¹ to be ambassador to Libya came early this year. Those who knew Stevens say he was intelligent, easy going and friendly. He is survived by a wife and two children. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

This is NPR.

 

A billion people live downstream from the glaciers¹³ in the Himalayans . That's a concern because some those glaciers are melting. NPR's Richard Harris reports on a new study that looks at how climate change affects this critical water resource.

 

Some glaciers in the Himalayans are gradually melting as the climate changes. Others appeared to be holding steady or even growing since that glacier¹² run off frozen to some of the most important rivers in the world. People have been worried about what that means for the billion people who live downstream. A report from the National Academy of Sciences concludes that the fade of the glaciers is just one facet¹⁴ of this issue of more immediate¹⁵ concern. People are drawing too much water from wells in some areas. Also shifting monsoon¹⁶ rains could have a much more dramatic effect than gradually diminishing glaciers. Another real concern is the risk that nations and users may fight over scarce water resources. So the academy says this is not simply a matter of melting glaciers. Richard Harris, NPR News.

 

Federal Health officials say this could be the worst year yet for West Nile virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at today there have been 1,400 serious illnesses linked to West Nile. They include 118 deaths nationwide. They say cases are expected to grow through October. 

 

In Iowa, egg farm's manager linked to the 2010 salmonella outbreak has pleaded guilty to try to bride USDA inspector¹⁷ to allow the sale of unapproved eggs. U.S. Attorney Stephanie Rose said the manager Tony Wasmund agreed to the plea in the Cedar¹⁸ Rapids federal courtroom today.

 

Before the close, the Dow was up 10 points at 13,333. 

1 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 tragically   

adv. 悲剧地，悲惨地

参考例句：

• Their daughter was tragically killed in a road accident. 他们的女儿不幸死于车祸。
• Her father died tragically in a car crash. 她父亲在一场车祸中惨死。

5 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。

6 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。

7 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

8 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

9 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

10 atlas   

n.地图册，图表集

参考例句：

• He reached down the atlas from the top shelf.他从书架顶层取下地图集。
• The atlas contains forty maps,including three of Great Britain.这本地图集有40幅地图，其中包括3幅英国地图。

11 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

12 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

13 glaciers   

冰河，冰川( glacier的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Glaciers gouged out valleys from the hills. 冰川把丘陵地带冲出一条条山谷。
• It has ice and snow glaciers, rainforests and beautiful mountains. 既有冰川，又有雨林和秀丽的山峰。 来自英语晨读30分（高一）

14 facet   

n.(问题等的)一个方面；(多面体的)面

参考例句：

• He has perfected himself in every facet of his job.他已使自己对工作的各个方面都得心应手。
• Every facet of college life is fascinating.大学生活的每个方面都令人兴奋。

15 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

16 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。

17 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

18 cedar   

n.雪松，香柏(木)

参考例句：

• The cedar was about five feet high and very shapely.那棵雪松约有五尺高,风姿优美。
• She struck the snow from the branches of an old cedar with gray lichen.她把长有灰色地衣的老雪松树枝上的雪打了下来。