NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2013-08-12

 The father of former NSA contractor¹ Edward Snowden says he's gotten a VISA to travel to Russia. Lon Snowden says he plans to visit his son there where he has temporary asylum². Speaking to ABC's This Week, Lon Snowden says he'd like his son to return to the United States but doesn't think he'll be able to get a fair trial.

They have poisoned the well, so to speak, in terms of a potential jury pool where my son chooses to live the rest of life is going to be his decision, but I would like at some point in time for him to be able to come back to the U.S..

Edward Snowden disclosed information about highly classified programs in U.S. intelligence agencies that led the government secretly collect information on Americans. Snowden has been charged with violating the espionage³ act.

Afghan officials say at least 22 people are dead as a result of flash flooding near Kabul. NPR's Sean Carberry reports this is the second weekend in a row floods have killed large numbers of people in Afghanistan. 

Heavy rain and hail once again pounded down on Afghanistan, this time focused on the Shomali plain to the north of the capital. Given the country's poor infrastructure⁴ and typically dry terrain⁵ in the summer, it doesn't take much rain to wash away houses and farm land. Kabul itself experienced less than an hour of rain, but that downpour was enough to overfill the switch trenches⁶ and flood streets for several hours. Last weekend, at least 60 died as flash floods washed away hundreds of houses to the east of the capital. Afghanistan has a history of natural disasters like floods and earthquakes and they kill hundreds of people each year. Sean Carberry, NPR News, Kabul. 

At least 5,000 state lawmakers and their staffs are at Atlanta this week, they are gathering⁷ for the 39th annual summit of the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bipartisan group gives lawmakers the chance to exchange policy ideas. As Susanna Capelouto reports this year, health care reform gets special billing. 

The conference kicks off with a two-day health summit where lawmakers get to hear from Health and Human Service Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Monday. She'll likely draw on an attentive⁸ crowd as she updates the group on the sticky issue of Obamacare. About half of the states have updated for a federally run insurance market place that will kick off in October. Medicaid expansion is also on the menu. There are a myriad⁹ of other issues to tackle for state lawmakers this week, including America's retirement¹⁰ crisis, energy policy, social media and drones. For NPR News, I'm Susanna Capelouto, in Atlanta.

A California judge has blocked a potential strike by unionized workers for the mass transit¹¹ system in San Francisco. The judge issued an injunction preventing a possible BART strike. Workers have already walked off the job with BART once this summer. California Governor Jerry Brown delayed a second possible strike last week when he ordered a seven-day inquiry¹² to find out what the effects of a new walkout would be.

You are listening to NPR News from Washington.

Reports from Egypt say police are expected to take action against anti-government protestors who gathered in camps outside Cairo. The action against supporters of ousted¹³ Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi is expected to begin tomorrow. The interim¹⁴ Egyptian government warned it will disperse¹⁵ the camps filled with thousands of people. Other countries have urged Egypt to use restraint, fearing a new outbreak of violence that occurred after Morsi was toppled a month ago. 

San Diego Mayor Bob Filner has left intensive therapy earlier than announced. The embattled mayor said he would enter a two-week therapy program in response to accusations¹⁶ of sexual misconduct. NPR's Nathan Rott reports that list of accusations is growing longer. 

Thirteen women have now come forward accusing Bob Filner of sexual harassment¹⁷. The latest two said the first term mayor and ten term congressman¹⁸ made unwanted advances on them and both are survivors¹⁹ of military sexual assault. For weeks, lawmakers and citizens have been calling for Filner's resignation, but he's refused. California Senator Barbara Boxer²⁰ joined the cries last week with an open letter to Filner saying he should " step down immediately". Meanwhile, at least two citizen-led groups in San Diego are trying to get the necessary signatures to force a vote recall.  And the city attorney says the locks on Filner's mayor office in city hall have been changed. Nathan Rott, NPR News.

Tonight is the start of the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. The annual event occurs every August when space debris²¹ from a comet passes close to the earth. Dozens of meteors are expected to shower down. Astronomers²² say the best for viewing is between midnight and dawn. 

1 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

2 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

3 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 terrain   

n.地面，地形，地图

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• He knows the terrain of this locality like the back of his hand.他对这一带的地形了如指掌。

6 trenches   

深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕

参考例句：

• life in the trenches 第一次世界大战期间的战壕生活
• The troops stormed the enemy's trenches and fanned out across the fields. 部队猛攻敌人的战壕，并在田野上呈扇形散开。

7 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。

8 attentive   

adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的

参考例句：

• She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
• The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

9 myriad   

adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量

参考例句：

• They offered no solution for all our myriad problems.对于我们数不清的问题他们束手无策。
• I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements.我花了三个星期做大量准备工作。

10 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

11 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

12 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

13 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

14 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

15 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

16 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。

17 harassment   

n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱

参考例句：

• She often got telephone harassment at night these days.这些天她经常在夜晚受到电话骚扰。
• The company prohibits any form of harassment.公司禁止任何形式的骚扰行为。

18 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。

19 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

20 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

21 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。

22 astronomers   

n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》