2013年经济学人 北约司令官提名人选请辞 美两党就减支存分歧（在线收听）

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

这里是华盛顿NPR新闻，我是拉克什米·辛格。

Marine Corps General John Allen has withdrawn his name from consideration to be NATO supreme commander in Europe and he is retiring from military. Allen told president Obama his decision during a meeting at White House today. NPR’s Craig Windham reports president says he accepted Allen's request to retire so the general can address health issue with his family. In the statement issued by the White House, Obama calls Allen one of the nation’s finest military leaders. And he says he conveyed his deep personal appreciation for Allen's service over past nineteen months as US top commander in Afghanistan. Allen's nomination for the NATO post was put on hold when allegation surface mail sent inappropriate email message to a Florida social net but he was clear any wrongdoing last month following the investigation by the inspector general of Defense Department who looked in the email exchanges. After Allen was exonerated , the White House indicated it's moving ahead with his nomination. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

海军陆战队上将约翰·艾伦放弃接受北大西洋公约组织最高军事长官提名，选择退役。今天，奥巴马总统在白宫与艾伦会面时艾伦提出了请求。据NPR新闻的克雷格·温德姆报道，总统表示他接受艾伦的退役请求，这样一来他就能专注于家人的健康问题。白宫发表了一份声明，声明中奥巴马称艾伦是美军最优秀的军事指挥官之一。奥巴马表示，他深深地感谢艾伦过去19个月中作为美国最高指挥官在阿富汗的优异服务。 艾伦被指控向佛罗里达州某社交网络发送“不恰当的”电子邮件，提名程序因此而中断，国防部监察长对双方交换的电子邮件进行了调查，并于上个月证实艾伦没有违反军队纪律。艾伦证明清白以后，白宫表示将继续推动提名。NPR新闻，克雷格·温德姆华盛顿报道。

The latest warning from White House over possible sequester took on new urgency today. President Obama said this morning that if congress failed to approve stop gap measure, 85 billion dollars in cut would take effect in ten days. The impact would be filled across government. Once more tax revenues, congressional republicans argue president already got back now he’s offered more in the way of trimming spending.

今天，白宫就迫在眉睫的美国财政自动减支问题发出警告。奥巴马总统表示，如果国会今天早上不能通过替代方案，那十天以后850亿美元的减支计划就将生效。该计划的影响将遍及政府各个部门。再次提及税收增加，国会共和党人指责称，总统现在已经回到了原点，他为削减开支计划提供了更多的方法。

The supreme court is taking up another challenge to Campaign Finance Laws. NPR’s Peter Overby told us the new case seize to overturn a single aspect to limit how much individuals can give to candidates and party committees. Like a lot of case on political money, Metuchen verse the Federal Election Commission asks a relative small question. Can the court throw out just a big overall cap and how the donor can give per year or per election cycle. Richase teaches Campaign Finance Law at the University of California at Irvine. If court does it, then a whole host of campaign contribution limits could be subjected to future challenge. In 1976 supreme court decision says government can limit contribution to candidates and parties to guard against corruption and the appearance of corruption. Peter Overby, NPR News, Washington.

最高法院正在处理挑战竞选财务法的新案子。据NPR新闻的彼得·奥弗比报道，新案子的目标是推翻单方面限制个人对候选人及政党委员会的赞助额度。像大多数政治金钱案一样，Metuchen诉联邦选举委员会案提出了一个相关的小问题。法庭能否制定出一个上限总额，赞助者每年或每个选举周期怎样进行赞助。在加州大学尔湾分校教授《竞选财务法》的Richase表示，如果法庭这么做的话，那大量的竞选资金限制未来将遭遇挑战。1976年最高法院决定，政府可以限制对候选人和政党的赞助金额，以防止腐败和腐败的萌芽。NPR新闻，彼得·奥弗比华盛顿报道。

Tunisia’s political transition now faces new uncertainty, the country's Prime Minister has stepped down after he was unable to form a new government of technocrats.

突尼斯的政治过渡现在面临新的不确定性，突尼斯总理因未能组建政府新技术专家内阁而辞职。

United Nation is out with new finding on civilian casualties in Afghanistan says last year 16 civilians were killed in US strong strike which rose to 70% in 2012. But report shows overall civilian casualties decreased from the previous year.

联合国发表阿富汗平民死亡报告，去年有16名阿富汗平民在美国的猛烈袭击下死亡，2012年这个数字上升了70%。但是报告显示，阿富汗平民伤亡总数较前一年有所下降。

Dow is up 49.

道琼斯平均指数上升49点。

This is NPR.

这里是NPR新闻。

A new law takes effect this year in North Carolina that cuts unemployment benefit and raises business taxes. The governor signed the legislation today. From member station WFAE Michael Tomsic reports the state is trying to pay back 2.5 billion dollars to the federal government. North Carolina and more than 20 other states run out of money for unemployment insurance after the recession so they borrowed from federal government, and now only California and New York still owed more than North Carolina. Governor Pat McCrory says the debt is unacceptable. “Borrowing from Washington with no idea or plan on how to pay for ends with this administration.” The law he signed dramatically cut unemployment benefit and slightly raised taxes on some businesses. It also means 170,000 North Carolinian will lose their federal extended benefit in July when the changes take effect. For NPR news, I'm Michael Tomsic in Charlotte.

今年，北卡罗来纳州将实施一项新法案，以削减失业救济金并增加营业税。今天北卡罗来纳州州长签署了该法案。据成员站WFAE的记者迈克尔·托姆希奇报道，北卡罗来纳州正努力偿还从联邦政府借来的25亿美元借款。北卡罗来纳州和其他20余个州因经济衰退而耗尽了失业保险，因此这些州向联邦政府借钱，而目前只有加利福尼亚州和纽约州的欠款比北卡罗来纳州多。北卡罗来纳州州长帕特·麦柯瑞表示，债务是不可接受的。“从华盛顿借款，却对如何偿还政府的借款毫无想法和计划。”他签署的法案大幅削减了失业救济金，小幅增加了一些企业的税收。这意味着该法案于7月实施时，北卡罗来纳州将有17万人损失联邦延期补贴。NPR新闻，迈克尔·托姆希奇夏洛特报道。

Confidence among US home builders is down slightly from its 6.5 years high. The National association home builder Wells Folk index dropped from 47 to 46 since January. Rating below 50 generally suggest negative sentiment about housing market.

美国住宅建造商信心指数较六年半以来的最高水平轻微下滑。美国全国住宅建筑商协会公布的数据显示，富国银行信心指数从1月份的47点下降至46点。一般来说，指数低于50点表明了房产市场的负面情绪。

For the first time, Google stock has topped 800 dollars as it has come more than 4 years after the online giant first holding 700 a share.

谷歌股价首次突破800美元，这个网络巨头在突破每股700美元大关后用了四年的时间达到这一成绩。

An investigation is under way in Belgium to one of biggest diamond heist in recent history. Authorities say 8 men made off with 50 million dollars worth precious stone from Brussels airport yesterday. They see the man were armed but no shots were fired.

比利时发生钻石大劫案，目前案件正在进一步调查中，这是比利时迄今最严重的钻石劫案之一。官方表示，昨天，8名男子在布鲁塞尔机场抢劫了价值5千万美元的宝石后逃跑。劫匪作案时携带武器，但并没有开枪。

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

我是拉克什米·辛格，这里是华盛顿NPR新闻。

划红精讲

1. put on hold

搁置；延期；暂停

eg. After the accident her career had to be put on hold.

这次意外事故后她的事业只得被暂时搁在一旁。

eg. The department's finances are currently being reviewed so all expense claims have been put on hold for the meantime.

该部门的财务状况目前正在进行审核，所以一切报销已被暂停。

eg. Retribution must be put on hold. It has become a diversion from, and an impediment to, the more important task of fixing the economy.

但惩罚必须暂时停止。它已经变成了对更重要任务——修复经济——的牵制和阻碍。

2. exonerate

vt.使免罪，免除

n.免罪，免除

adj.免罪的，免除的

eg. The official report basically exonerated everyone.

官方报道基本上宣布所有人无罪。

eg. An investigation exonerated the school from any blame.

一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。

eg. Giving up may be a kind of exonerate.

放弃也许是一种解脱。

3. guard against

避免，预防；警戒；警；戒

eg. The armed forces were on high alert to guard against any retaliation.

武装部队保持高度戒备，以防发生任何报复行动。

eg. She was frank, because she had nothing to conceal, assured because she knew of nothing to be on her guard against.

她坦然，因为她没有什么可隐瞒的；她安祥，因为她不知道有什么需要戒备的。

eg. In society we should always guard against the sniper's shot.

在社会上我们要时常提防冷箭伤人。

4. pay back

偿还；报复；报答；偿付

eg. He burst into tears, begging her to forgive him and swearing to pay back everything he had stolen.

他突然大哭起来，求她原谅，并发誓偿还他偷的所有东西。

eg. I'll pay you back that two quid tomorrow.

我明天还你那两英镑。

eg. Some day I'll pay you back for this!

总有一天我会为此报复你。

5. run out of

用光；耗尽；缺乏

eg. With Japan occupying prime rubber producing areas in Southeast Asia, the US feared it would run out of the vital material.

日本占领东南亚主要的橡胶产地后，美国担心它将缺少这种重要的原料。

eg. All business people know that you can carry on for a while if you make no profits, but that if you run out of cash you are toast.

每一个商人都知道，即使你没有盈利，你还可以维持运营一段时间；但如果你没有了现金，你就完了。

eg. If numerous large files are uploaded, the operating system could run out of disk space, resulting in a total failure.

如果上传无数大文件，操作系统会耗尽磁盘空间，导致整体故障。