NPR 2009-08-24

More troops needed in Afghanistan, that's the message today from NATO military commanders to President Obama's envoy¹. A resurgent Taliban has taken hold in many areas thought to be stabilized² by US forces in that country. Security has deteriorated³, putting more pressure on the administration to send in more troops in hopes of regaining⁴ control. This is at a time when the White House is having a tough time selling health care overhaul⁵ to the public because of the looming⁶ budget deficit⁷. A recent Washington Post, ABC poll, shows that most Americans think the war in Afghanistan is not worth fighting.
 
The Iraqi government announced the arrest of the plotters behind twin truck bombs that targeted government buildings last week in the heart of Baghdad. Iraqi television broadcast their confessions⁹. NPR's Deborah Amos reports from Baghdad.
 
Amid strong recriminations that the Iraqi security service failed the country, after nearly 100 people died in last week's attacks, the Iraqi government has produced a dramatic confession⁸ by one of the alleged¹⁰ masterminds. Iraqi state television broadcast a short statement from one man. He said he was a high-ranking member of the Baath Party in Saddam's regime. He said his cell members bribe¹¹ security guards outside the Foreign Ministry¹² to get close enough to set off the bombs. Iraq's chief military spokesman said the entire cell that planned the attacks had been arrested. Small segments of the confession will be played over the evening. A holy month of Ramadan began this week, the dawn-to-dust fast means that Iraqi families are gathered around the television at the evening hours. Deborah Amos, NPR News, Baghdad.
 
Greek firefighters appeared to have broken the back of a massive fire that continues to burn just east of the capital Athens. But they are not out of the woods yet, as we hear from John Psaropoulos.
 
Firefighters finally seemed to be winning against most of the major fronts they faced during the second 24 hours of a massive forest fire. It has taken enormous resources and international assistance. The fire service reports 162 firetrucks, 70 tankertrucks, 14 waterbombing aeroplanes and seven helitankers in operation in this fire alone on Sunday. It filled in 650 men, the army and police hundreds more. But as night fell on the capital, fires were still burning and the chances of flare-ups where fires have been put out were high. Thousands of acres of pristine¹³ pine forest have been lost along a 25-mile swath of countryside which can only further choke the smoke-infested city of five million. For NPR News, I'm John Psaropoulos, East of Athens.
 
A 54 year-old man died in rough surf caused by Hurricane Bill off the coast of Florida today. Authorities say the Orlando man washed ashore¹⁴ on Smyrna Beach this afternoon, he was unconscious. Strong rip currents and tempered waves were poured off Florida. The storm has moved north toward Canada and is now about 60 miles east of Halifax.
 
This is NPR.
 
Switzerland is in an uproar¹⁵ over the government's decision to apologize to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi for the arrest of his son Hannibal and daughter-in-law last year in Geneva for abusing their domestic servants. Libya had demanded an apology as the price of re-establishing normal relations. Lisa Schlein has details from Geneva.
 
Libya was quick to retaliate¹⁶ against Switzerland. It arrested two Swiss businessmen and imposed a series of economic sanctions. Switzerland resisted Gadhafi's demand for an apology for more than a year but finally gave in. Swiss Member of Parliament Luza Strom accuses the government of giving in to blackmail¹⁷. "The country should not do that because if the country starts to do this, any terrorist in the world could start hijacking¹⁸ somebody and then, um... our country would be forced to make concessions¹⁹." Critics in Switzerland accused the government of caving in to Gadhafi because its interest in Libyan oil. Similar charges are being made against Scotland in the wake of its decision to release the Lockerbie bomber²⁰. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.
 
The quirky fantasy war film, by Quentin Tarantino, starring Brad Pitt came in NO.1 at the box office this weekend, Inglorious Bastards²¹ earned 37.6 million dollars in its debut²². That's Tarantino's best opening ever. Coming in NO.2 was the film District 9, at 18.9 million dollars and G.I. Joe was third place taking in 12.5 million dollars.
 
The man, who penned the novel of Good Old Boy that was later made into a TV movie starring Tommy Lee Jones, has died. Elmer Kelton died yesterday of natural causes, according to a spokesman in Texas. Kelton was 83.

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 stabilized   

v.（使）稳定， （使）稳固( stabilize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The patient's condition stabilized. 患者的病情稳定下来。
• His blood pressure has stabilized. 他的血压已经稳定下来了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

3 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

4 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

5 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

6 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

7 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

8 confession   

n.自白，供认，承认

参考例句：

• Her confession was simply tantamount to a casual explanation.她的自白简直等于一篇即席说明。
• The police used torture to extort a confession from him.警察对他用刑逼供。

9 confessions   

n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔

参考例句：

• It is strictly forbidden to obtain confessions and to give them credence. 严禁逼供信。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions. 既不诱供也不逼供。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

11 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

12 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。

13 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

14 ashore   

adv.在(向)岸上，上岸

参考例句：

• The children got ashore before the tide came in.涨潮前，孩子们就上岸了。
• He laid hold of the rope and pulled the boat ashore.他抓住绳子拉船靠岸。

15 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

16 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

17 blackmail   

n.讹诈，敲诈，勒索，胁迫，恫吓

参考例句：

• She demanded ＄1000 blackmail from him.她向他敲诈了1000美元。
• The journalist used blackmail to make the lawyer give him the documents.记者讹诈那名律师交给他文件。

18 hijacking   

n. 劫持, 抢劫 动词hijack的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• I have been told about the hijacking . 我已听说了那次劫机事件。 来自英汉 - 翻译样例 - 口语
• They are taking measures to guarantee against the occurrence of hijacking. 他们正采取措施防止劫机事件的发生。

19 concessions   

n.（尤指由政府或雇主给予的）特许权( concession的名词复数 )；承认；减价；（在某地的）特许经营权

参考例句：

• The firm will be forced to make concessions if it wants to avoid a strike. 要想避免罢工，公司将不得不作出一些让步。
• The concessions did little to placate the students. 让步根本未能平息学生的愤怒。

20 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

21 bastards   

私生子( bastard的名词复数 )； 坏蛋； 讨厌的事物； 麻烦事 （认为别人走运或不幸时说）家伙

参考例句：

• Those bastards don't care a damn about the welfare of the factory! 这批狗养的，不顾大局！ 来自子夜部分
• Let the first bastards to find out be the goddam Germans. 就让那些混账的德国佬去做最先发现的倒霉鬼吧。 来自演讲部分

22 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。