NPR NEWS 2008-02-06

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Giles Snyder.

Today is the busiest primary election day in U.S. history. A huge number of delegates are at stake for the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle¹. Voters on the Super Tuesday will go to the polls to cast ballots² in more than 20-state primaries and caucuses³. One question is how well voting equipment will perform. NPR's Pam Fessler reports.

Some states such as California will be using new equipment this year and election officials are nervous. They say there could be long delays in getting final results because they will be counting paper ballots using optical scan machines. This will take longer than counting results from touch screen voting machines which California Secretary Of State says it can no longer be used. Some activists⁴ are more concerned about states such as New Jersey⁵ and Georgia that are still using touch screen voting equipment. They say there could be problems of a contest disclose and there are no paper ballots to use in a recount. Voting rights advocates will also be watching Georgia closely to see how voters feel with a new voter ID requirement. Pam Fessler, NPR News, Washington.

Rebels fighting government troops in Chad are accusing France of intervening militarily. A rebel chief contends French aircraft have been firing on rebels in the capital of N'Djamena. Chad is a former colony and a French military spokesman denies the charge. France's Foreign and Defense⁶ Ministry⁷ is facing a deepening dilemma⁸ now that the U.N. Security Council has given them a green line to take action. Frank Browning reports from Paris.

As latest Sunday, Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner declared France's neutrality over the Chad rebellion signaling the country's departure from a long history of deepened involvement and regular intervention⁹ in its client states' affairs. But the Security Council's decision yesterday to approve intervention by French army and air force troops already stationed in Chad leaves France in a touchy¹⁰ situation. The U.N.'s action was linked to a sharp denunciation of the rebels' border crossing from Darfur of Sudan. The rebels have cited of French support for the government as one of their grievances¹¹. Should the rebels win, the French nominated forces sent to aid Darfur refugees would be in a precarious¹² position. Meanwhile thousands of civilians¹³ fled N'Djamena yesterday as the rebels withdrew temporarily from the capital. For NPR News, I'm Frank Browning in Paris.

There has reportedly only been sporadic¹⁴ gunfire around N'Djamena today. A French military spokesman tells the Associated Press that the rebels appeared to be holding back around the edge of the city. Meanwhile African Union mediators are expected to arrive today.

The death toll¹⁶ stemming from post-election violence in Kenya has climbed. The local Red Cross in Nairobi now says one thousand people have died and more than three hundred thousand have been displaced. Meanwhile former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says his efforts to broker¹⁷ talks have hit a snag. Annan says the president's camp has rejected his choice of a mediator¹⁵. The crisis was sparked by the disputed reelection of President Mwai Kibaki.

This is NPR.

BP has formally pleaded guilty to criminal conduct in the explosion that hit the company's Texas City refinery¹⁸ in 2005. Fifteen workers were killed and 170 injured in the blast. Huston Public Radio's Ed Mayberry reports.

A federal judge heard victim impact statements from survivors¹⁹ and relatives of those killed in the accident almost three years ago. BP has a plea agreement with the Justice Department to pay a 50-million-dollar fine. Eva Rowe's parents were killed in the blast and she says the fine is not adequate. 'I think this plea agreement stinks²⁰. If the purpose of punishment is to give incentive²¹ to the wrongdoer to change their ways and do the right thing, this agreement utterly²² fails. 50 million is less than one month worth of profit for this one BP plant.' Current Texas City plant manager Keith Casey ended the guilty plea on behalf of BP. Relatives of workers killed and injured are asking for a larger fine and possible jail time for executives who ignored problems at the plant. For NPR News, I'm Ed Mayberry in Huston.

Legendary²³ Major League Baseball pitcher²⁴ Roger Clemens is scheduled to speak under oath to Congressional lawyers today about allegations that he used steroids and human-growth hormone²⁵. Clemens has to talk to the lawyers behind closed doors a day after former teammate Andy Pettitte did the same. The interviews are in preparation for a public hearing next week.

A federal judge in California says the Navy must follow environmental laws placing strict limits on sonar training that opponents argue harms whales and other marine²⁶ mammals. The court has ruled President Bush does not have the authority to exempt²⁷ the Navy from compliance²⁸. He signed a waiver earlier this month and the Navy says it's studying its options.

I'm Giles Snyder, NPR News from Washington.

1 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

2 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

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 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 dilemma   

n.困境，进退两难的局面

参考例句：

• I am on the horns of a dilemma about the matter.这件事使我进退两难。
• He was thrown into a dilemma.他陷入困境。

9 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

10 touchy   

adj.易怒的；棘手的

参考例句：

• Be careful what you say because he's touchy.你说话小心，因为他容易生气。
• He's a little touchy about his weight.他对自己的体重感到有点儿苦恼。

11 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 precarious   

adj.不安定的，靠不住的；根据不足的

参考例句：

• Our financial situation had become precarious.我们的财务状况已变得不稳定了。
• He earned a precarious living as an artist.作为一个艺术家，他过得是朝不保夕的生活。

13 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

14 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

15 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

16 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

17 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

18 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

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 stinks   

v.散发出恶臭( stink的第三人称单数 )；发臭味；名声臭；糟透

参考例句：

• The whole scheme stinks to high heaven—don't get involved in it. 整件事十分卑鄙龌龊——可别陷了进去。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The soup stinks of garlic. 这汤有大蒜气味。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

22 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

23 legendary   

adj.传奇（中）的，闻名遐迩的；n.传奇（文学）

参考例句：

• Legendary stories are passed down from parents to children.传奇故事是由父母传给孩子们的。
• Odysseus was a legendary Greek hero.奥狄修斯是传说中的希腊英雄。

24 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

25 hormone   

n.荷尔蒙，激素，内分泌

参考例句：

• Hormone implants are used as growth boosters.激素植入物被用作生长辅助剂。
• This hormone interacts closely with other hormones in the body.这种荷尔蒙与体內其他荷尔蒙紧密地相互作用。

26 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• 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。

27 exempt   

adj.免除的；v.使免除；n.免税者，被免除义务者

参考例句：

• These goods are exempt from customs duties.这些货物免征关税。
• He is exempt from punishment about this thing.关于此事对他已免于处分。

28 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。