NPR 2009-10-17

A panel investigating allegations of fraud in Afghanistan’s presidential election is expected to release its conclusions this evening or tomorrow. The results will determine whether incumbent¹ President Hamid Karzai won the August 20th vote or whether a runoff election must be held. Afghanistan’s ambassador to the US said today a runoff is likely. The panel’s conclusion could be pivotal to President Obama’s pending² decision regarding US strategy in the Afghan war.

The UN Human Rights Council has endorsed³ a Gaza war crimes report. The so-called Goldstone report will now be sent to the Security Council for consideration. NPR’s Lourdes Garcia-Navarro has details from Jerusalem.

Israel issued a terse⁴ statement. This resolution, it said, provides encouragement for terrorist organizations worldwide and undermines global peace. Israel has been trying to discredit⁵ the report which accused it of war crimes and prevent it from being ratified⁶. It fears the report could act as the basis for Israeli soldiers and politicians to be brought up before the International Criminal Court. The Palestinian authority welcomed the development. PA President Mahmoud Abbas had initially⁷ been pressured into agreeing to delay today's debate. But there was a backlash among Palestinians and across the Arab World that saw him reverse course. Even though Abbas is now asking for those responsible for Gaza crimes to be brought to justice, his popularity has plummeted⁸. Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR News, Jerusalem.

President Obama is scheduled to appear with former President George H. W. Bush in about an hour to promote community service this afternoon at the Bush Library at Texas A&M University. NPR’s Don Gonyea reports.

The first President Bush promoted volunteerism by talking about a Thousand Points of Light. He even created a Daily Point of Light Award during his first year in office back in1989. President Obama has also often talked about the benefits of getting involved in community service, both for the community as a whole and for the volunteer. Three months ago, he established something he calls "United We Serve" and announced September 11th of this year the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. He created a national service day to honor those who felt compelled to get more involved in such work in the aftermath of that tragedy. Mr. Obama today will speak at the George H.W. Bush Library in College Station, Texas, as the headline guest at a forum⁹ on volunteerism being hosted by the former president. Don Gonyea, NPR News, Washington.

The number of doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine¹⁰ available this month won't be as high as officials predicted. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says rather than 40 million doses being ready by the end of this month, manufacturers will be able to supply 28 to 30 million doses with more to come available in the months following.

On Wall Street today, the Dow fell 67 points to 9,995. The NASDAQ fell 16.

This is NPR News.

Six corporate¹¹ executives have been charged in what prosecutors¹² call the largest hedge fund insider-trading scheme in history. Prosecutors say the scam generated more than 20 million dollars in illegal profits. Raj Rajaratnam, a partner in Galleon¹³ Management, and one of the country's wealthiest men, is among the accused. The US attorney said the case should serve as a wake-up call for Wall Street.

The chestnut¹⁴ tree in Amsterdam, mentioned in Anne Frank's Diary, now more than 150 years old, may set down roots in the United States. The tree has been battling a fungus¹⁵, and to help it live on, eleven US sites have been selected to receive its saplings. NPR’s Margot Adler has the story.

The eleven sites were announced by the Anne Frank Center USA here in Manhattan. Most are sites dedicated¹⁶ to fighting intolerance. They include Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas, the site of desegregation in 1957, and Holocaust¹⁷ centers in Michigan, Idaho and Washington State. Saplings will also go to the World Trade Center site and Boston Common. Anne Frank could see the tree from the annex¹⁸ where she hid. "From my favorite spot on the floor," she wrote, "I look up at the blue sky and the bare chestnut tree on whose branches little raindrops shine, appearing like silver, and at the seagulls and other birds as they glide¹⁹ on the wind. As long as this exists, and I may live to see it, the sunshine, the cloudless skies, while this lasts, I cannot be unhappy." Attempts to save the tree itself continue. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

The Coast Guard has expanded the search for the missing pilot of an F16 fighter jet that collided with another F16 during a training exercise last evening off the coast of South Carolina. The aircraft that was hit landed safely.

1 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

2 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

3 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 terse   

adj.(说话，文笔)精炼的，简明的

参考例句：

• Her reply about the matter was terse.她对此事的答复简明扼要。
• The president issued a terse statement denying the charges.总统发表了一份简短的声明，否认那些指控。

5 discredit   

vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑

参考例句：

• Their behaviour has bought discredit on English football.他们的行为败坏了英国足球运动的声誉。
• They no longer try to discredit the technology itself.他们不再试图怀疑这种技术本身。

6 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

7 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

8 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

10 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

11 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

12 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

13 galleon   

n.大帆船

参考例句：

• The story of a galleon that sank at the start of her maiden voyage in 1628 must be one of the strangest tales of the sea.在1628年，有一艘大帆船在处女航开始时就沉没了，这个沉船故事一定是最神奇的海上轶事之一。
• In 1620 the English galleon Mayfolwer set out from the port of Southampton with 102 pilgrims on board.1620年，英国的“五月花”号西班牙式大帆船载着102名

14 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

15 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

16 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

17 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

18 annex   

vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物

参考例句：

• It plans to annex an England company in order to enlarge the market.它计划兼并一家英国公司以扩大市场。
• The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

19 glide   

n./v.溜，滑行；(时间)消逝

参考例句：

• We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着，眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
• So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞，宛如滑翔。