NPR 2009-03-10

President Barack Obama today moved to officially lift the Bush administration's restrictions¹ on human embryonic² stem cell research. The move reverses a 2001 directive from Mr. Obama's predecessor³ in the White House. At a signing ceremony in the East Room of the White House, the President said today medical miracles do not simply happen by accident. "Promoting science isn't just about providing resources, it's also about protecting free and open inquiry⁴. It is about letting scientists like those who are here today do their jobs, free from manipulation or coercion⁵, and listening to what they tell us." Under the previous rules, stem cell research was limited to the 21 stem cell lines produced before 2001. The president in an effort to address critics of such research said that the order will not open the door to human cloning which he called “profoundly wrong” and he promised strict guidelines regarding the use of embryonic stem cells.

 Georgia's Republican Governor Sonny Perdue, meanwhile, has opposed to such a stem cell research and a Republican-controlled legislature there is moving toward restrictions. From Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta, Susanna Capelouto reports.

 State lawmakers are considering a bill that would make it illegal to create and use Georgia embryos⁸ for any reason other than fertilization. Scientists could still bring them in from other states. Georgia's Republican Governor Sonny Perdue says he does not agree with President Obama's move to lift a ban on funding stem cell research. "As a veterinarian, I am a scientist, but I believe that we can cure the major diseases through basic science research without sacrificing our grown embryos." Officials with the university system worry that if passed, the measure could limit research. They say it could also hurt Georgia’s strength in the bio-science industry. In May, the state will host the 2009 Bio International Conference. For NPR News, I'm Susanna Capelouto in Atlanta.

Drug makers⁷ Merck and Schering-Plow have announced a multi-billion dollar merger⁹. Doug Doyle with member station WBGO reports.

 It's a deal that gives the New Jersey¹⁰ pharmaceutical¹¹ companies more firepower to compete in a drug industry facing stiff competition and intense cost pressures. Today's deal would bring together the maker⁶ of asthma¹² drug Singulair with the maker of allergy¹³ medicine Nasonex. The latest merger comes only a few weeks after Pfizer announced it had agreed to pay 68 billion dollars for Wyeth. Big companies are struggling because of the slumping¹⁴ sales as blockbuster drugs of the 90s are losing patent protection. Merck's top executive, Chairman and CEO Richard Clark will lead the combined company. As a result, Schering-Plow will be the surviving corporation but will take the name Merck. For NPR News, I'm Doug Doyle in Newark.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 79 points to end the session at 6,547, declines beat advances by about a 2-to-1 margin¹⁵. The NASDAQ was down 25 points today. The Standard & Poor's 500 dropped nearly 7 points.

This is NPR.

Bolivia's president today announced the expulsion of another US diplomat¹⁶. President Evo Morales is alleging¹⁷ the second secretary at the U. S. Embassy in La Paz conspired¹⁸ with opposition¹⁹ groups. Francisco Martinez is a career diplomat. Last week Morales publicly accused Martinez of involvement with a Bolivian police officer he said infiltrated²⁰ the country’s scandal-plagued state oil company on behalf of the CIA. The US government called the accusation²¹ unfounded. In September, Morales expelled U. S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg accusing him of inciting²² political opposition.

 Mass transit²³ was more popular in the US last year. Ridership was up 4% over 2007, but the reasons are unclear. NPR's Dave Mattingly has more.

 The figures come from the American Public Transportation Association. It says ridership on buses, subways and commuter²⁵ rail in 2008 was the highest since 1956, nearly 11 billion trips on mass transit. But there is disagreement on why. Some believe it reflects a shift in the country's travel habits; others argue it's temporary that the weak US economy and higher gasoline prices prompted more people to leave their cars behind and take the bus, subway or train. Gas prices peaked at more than 4 dollars a gallon nationwide last July before plunging²⁶ to less than 2 dollars on average. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

 Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez underwent arthroscopic surgery today to repair a tear in his right hip²⁴. The doctor who performed a one hour and twenty minute procedure at Vail Valley Surgical²⁷ Center in Colorado says the surgery went as planned. Yankees general manager says he expects Rodriguez to be back on the field again some time in May.

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 embryonic   

adj.胚胎的

参考例句：

• It is still in an embryonic stage.它还处于萌芽阶段。
• The plan,as yet,only exists in embryonic form.这个计划迄今为止还只是在酝酿之中。

3 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

4 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。

5 coercion   

n.强制，高压统治

参考例句：

• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions.既不诱供也不逼供。
• He paid the money under coercion.他被迫付钱。

6 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

7 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

9 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

10 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。

11 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

12 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

13 allergy   

n.(因食物、药物等而引起的)过敏症

参考例句：

• He developed an allergy to pollen.他对花粉过敏。
• The patient had an allergy to penicillin.该患者对青霉素过敏。

14 slumping   

大幅度下降，暴跌( slump的现在分词 )； 沉重或突然地落下[倒下]

参考例句：

• Hong Kong's slumping economy also caused a rise in bankruptcy applications. 香港经济低迷，破产申请个案随之上升。
• And as with slumping, over-arching can also be a simple postural habit. 就像弯腰驼背，过度挺直也可能只是一种习惯性姿势。

15 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

16 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

17 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

18 conspired   

密谋( conspire的过去式和过去分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They conspired to bring about the meeting of the two people. 他们共同促成了两人的会面。
• Bad weather and car trouble conspired to ruin our vacation. 恶劣的气候连同汽车故障断送了我们的假日。

19 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。

20 infiltrated   

adj.[医]浸润的v.（使）渗透，（指思想）渗入人的心中( infiltrate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The headquarters had been infiltrated by enemy spies. 总部混入了敌方特务。
• Many Chinese idioms have infiltrated into the Japanese language. 许多中国成语浸透到日语中。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

21 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

22 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

23 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。

24 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

25 commuter   

n.(尤指市郊之间)乘公交车辆上下班者

参考例句：

• Police cordoned off the road and diverted commuter traffic. 警察封锁了道路并分流交通。
• She accidentally stepped on his foot on a crowded commuter train. 她在拥挤的通勤列车上不小心踩到了他的脚。

26 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

27 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。