NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-03-21

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

　　President Obama is on a fence-mending mission to Israel, his first official visit since taking office. He and his host Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appear to publicly thaw¹ their sometimes frosty relations by affirming a close friendship and alliance against shared security threats. At the forefront was Iran's nuclear program. Obama maintains there is still time to resolve the matter diplomatically. Netanyahu is leaning toward tougher action. On the matter of Syria, Obama responded to the Assad regime's claims that rebels were behind the chemical attack on a village in northern Syria.

 

　　I am deeply skeptical² of any claim that in fact it was the opposition³ that used chemical weapons.

 

　　Syria was the subject of a hearing on Capitol Hill today. The U.S. ambassador to Syria says the U.S. has no evidence yet the chemical weapons have been used in the conflict. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports the U.S. calls that a red line.

 

　　A day after the Syrian government and rebels traded accusations⁴ of chemical weapons use.  Ambassador Robert Ford⁵ said the U.S. viewed such reports very seriously.

 

　　So far, we have no evidence to substantiate⁶ the reports that chemical weapons were used yesterday. But I want to underline that we are looking very carefully at these reports.

 

　　He says the U.S. is worried that Bashar al-Assad regime could be tempted⁷ to use chemical weapons as it loses ground on the battle field. If that happens, Ford warns there will be consequences. He wouldn't spell those out in the hearing at the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　The Federal Reserve is going to keep up its bond buying program to help hold down interest rates and boost growth, despite more signs that the economy is improving. NPR's Craig Windham reports the Fed's policy-making Open Market Committee made that announcement after completing its monthly meeting in Washington.

 

　　The Fed says it will keep buying $85 billion a month in treasury⁸ bonds and mortgage-backed securities until the nation's employment picture improves substantially. Feds Chairman Ben Bernanke notes the labor⁹ market is steadily¹⁰ getting better.

 

　　However, at 7.7% , the unemployment rate remains¹¹ elevated.

 

　　And Bernanke says other factors are being watched as well.

 

　　The committee also remains concerned that restrictive fiscal¹² policies may slow economic growth and job creation in coming months.

 

　　Bernanke also made reference to what he called the recent sharp increase in global financial stresses that could affect the U.S. economy. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Banks in Cyprus will now remain close through Friday as the Mediterranean¹³ island nation tries to find a way to avoid a financial meltdown. Confronted with public anger, the parliament voted down a measure that would impose a significant levy¹⁴ on bank deposits.

 

　　Before the close, Dow was up 56 points.

 

　　This is NPR.

 

　　A former mayor and four ex-city council members from Bell, California, have been convicted of corruption¹⁵ charges. One person has been acquitted¹⁶. The defendants¹⁷ were accused of misappropriating public funds and paying themselves hefty salaries with tax payer dollars.

 

　　A new survey finds more than 1/4 of those who now support same-sex marriage say they used to oppose it. NPR's Jennifer Ludden reports that young people are also behind a major shift in attitudes.

 

　　Support has risen steadily among all generations, but Michael Dimock of the Pew Research Center says none more so than millennials those age 18 to 32.

 

　　Seventy percent say they favor gay marriage that's much higher than any other group and they now represent a much bigger share of the adult population today than they did ten years ago.

 

　　The Pew study also finds many former opponents of gay marriage changed their mind, often citing a friend or family member who's homosexual. Overall, Pew finds support for same-sex marriage closely divided but when asked if gay and lesbian couples should have the same legal rights as others. Two thirds of Americans say yes. Jennifer Ludden, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Colorado has passed tighter gun laws that expand background checks and ban ammunition¹⁸ magazines that hold more than 15 rounds.

 

　　Democratic Governor John Hickenlooper signed the bill today, eight months after the shooting rampage at an Aurora¹⁹ movie theater. This's been an especially somber²⁰ day though for the governor this morning, he addressed questions about the recent shooting death of the man he appointed as head of the state's corrections department. Tom Clements was killed at his home. So far, there have been no arrests.

 

　　I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, in Washington.

1 thaw   

v.（使）融化，（使）变得友善；n.融化，缓和

参考例句：

• The snow is beginning to thaw.雪已开始融化。
• The spring thaw caused heavy flooding.春天解冻引起了洪水泛滥。

2 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

3 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。

4 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

5 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

6 substantiate   

v.证实；证明...有根据

参考例句：

• There is little scientific evidence to substantiate the claims.这些主张几乎找不到科学依据来证实。
• These theories are used to substantiate the relationship between the phenomenons of the universe.这些学说是用来证实宇宙现象之间的关系。

7 tempted   

v.怂恿（某人）干不正当的事；冒…的险（tempt的过去分词）

参考例句：

• I was sorely tempted to complain, but I didn't. 我极想发牢骚，但还是没开口。
• I was tempted by the dessert menu. 甜食菜单馋得我垂涎欲滴。

8 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

9 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。

10 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

11 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

12 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

13 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

14 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

15 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

16 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

17 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

18 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

19 aurora   

n.极光

参考例句：

• The aurora is one of nature's most awesome spectacles.极光是自然界最可畏的奇观之一。
• Over the polar regions we should see aurora.在极地高空,我们会看到极光。

20 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。