NPR 2008-02-19

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Paul Brown.

 

European Union Ministers are to meet today to determine how to react to Kosovo's declaration of independence yesterday and the UN Security Council plans to meet again. A number of countries in Europe are uneasy about Kosovo's newly declared independence. Among them is Spain which says it will not recognize the move. Jerome Socolovsky has more.

 

Many Spaniards generally believe their country is a step away from the slippery slope of disintegration¹. They see the former Yugoslavia as their nightmare scenario². Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernández de la Vega already made it clear on Friday that Spain does not support Kosovo's declaration of independence. One commentator's calling it a "Pandora's box". But in the Basque region, the self-ruled government is welcoming the declaration. A spokeswoman says Kosovo offers a lesson on how to resolve separatist conflicts peacefully. Since the 1960s, the Basque group ETA has killed more than 800 people in its fight for independence. The Spanish government has rejected the regional government's proposal for a referendum on self-determination. For NPR News, I'm Jerome Socolovsky in Madrid.

 

A suicide car bomb targeting a Canadian convoy³ in southern Afghanistan has killed at least 8 Afghan civilians⁴. This attack comes a day after the deadliest suicide bomb attack in Afghanistan since the Taliban was toppled in 2001. The death toll⁵ in that attack has now surpassed 100.

 

President Bush continues his visit to Tanzania today. He handed out anti-malaria bed nets in the northern part of the country saying the US is behind efforts to eradicate⁶ the disease. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has arrived in Kenya to back mediation⁷ efforts to end the political crisis there and the violence that has claimed more than 1000 lives. Rice wants Kenya's president and the opposition⁸ to share power, this follows December's disputed presidential vote which the opposition claims was rigged. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports from Nairobi.

 

Washington's considerable diplomatic weight to try to end the political deadlock⁹ in Kenya has been welcomed by the mediator¹⁰ Kofi Annan. Pressure from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should help the former UN Chief who's trying to get Kenya's rival politicians to agree a power sharing deal and a grand coalition¹¹ government favored by President Bush. However, Kenya's Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula warned that his country would not accept any agreement imposed from the outside. "Should just be amended¹² to our country, we have our constitution, we have laws, whatever agreement we reached must not be illegal, must not be unconstitutional, and mustn't be dangerous to the people of Kenya." The minister said no one should put a gun to anyone's head. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Nairobi.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met with former Democratic rival John Edwards in North Carolina yesterday. Obama and fellow candidate Hillary Clinton have been seeking an endorsement¹⁴ from Edwards. Wisconsin holds Democratic and Republican primaries tomorrow and Hawaii holds its Democratic caucus¹⁵. Chuck Quirmbach of Wisconsin Public Radio reports.

 

Obama's campaign says a winter storm in Wisconsin forced the cancellation¹⁶ of an event near Green Bay and the Illinois Democrat¹³ went to meet with Edwards. Obama says the 2 talked about issues like reducing poverty and helping¹⁷ working and middle-class Americans. "So it was a wide ranging conversation, there wasn't any clear objective. Obviously we will love to have John Edwards's support, but I said that the day after he dropped out. This really was just a chance for us to share ideas." Obama says if he is the Democratic nominee¹⁸, he would look at John Edwards as a possible running mate or eventually for other posts. Senator Hillary Clinton remained in Wisconsin and will campaign here today while Obama splits his time between Wisconsin and Ohio. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.

 

Republican presidential hopeful John McCain is widely expected to pick up an endorsement from former president George H. W. Bush today. McCain is to meet with Mr. Bush in Texas and hold a rally tomorrow. Meanwhile, McCain's lone¹⁹ remaining rival for the Republican nomination²⁰, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said again yesterday he is in the campaign to stay and all the way to the party convention if necessary. Wisconsin holds its Republican and Democratic primaries tomorrow.

 

U.S. stock markets are closed for Presidents Day today. In Europe, stock prices rose in early trading.

 

I'm Paul Brown, NPR News in Washington.

 

1 disintegration   

n.分散，解体

参考例句：

• This defeat led to the disintegration of the empire.这次战败道致了帝国的瓦解。
• The incident has hastened the disintegration of the club.这一事件加速了该俱乐部的解体。

2 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

3 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

4 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。

5 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。

6 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

7 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

8 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。

9 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

10 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。

11 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

12 Amended   

adj. 修正的 动词amend的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He asked to see the amended version. 他要求看修订本。
• He amended his speech by making some additions and deletions. 他对讲稿作了些增删修改。

13 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

14 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。

15 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

16 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

19 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

20 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。