NPR 2009-09-21

President Obama says his effort to overhaul¹ the nation's health care system is not a radical² plan and can be accomplished³ without breaking his campaign promise not to raise the tax burden on the middle class. He also said it can be accomplished without significant Republican support in Congress although he would like a bipartisan approach.

"Let me put it this way, you know I'd love to get Republican votes, but I don't count on them. And I'm confident that we're gonna get health care passed."

Mr. Obama in an interview on the Spanish-language network Univision today, one of five television networks he appeared on this morning as he presses Congress to move ahead on health care legislation. GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina made light of Mr. Obama's media blitz.

"The president is selling something that people, quite frankly⁴, are not buying. He's been on everything but the Food Channel"

Graham was on NBC's “Meet the Press”.

On other issues the president dismissed criticism that his change in missile defense⁵ strategy was influenced in part by Russia's strong opposition⁶ to the European-based defense system proposed by the Bush administration.

"My task here was not to negotiate with the Russians. The Russians don't make determinations about what our defense posture⁷ is."

Mr. Obama was speaking there on CBS's “Face the Nation”.

Iran supreme⁸ leader says the United States knows it's wrong when it accuses Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons. Those were the first comments from Iran since the White House decided⁹ last week to scrap¹⁰ European-based missile defense system reportedly because of intelligence indicating that Iran is currently focusing on short-and medium-range missile development. The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley has more.

In a speech to mark the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that the American officials who accused Iran of intending to build a nuclear bomb knew that their words were wrong. “It’s part of the phobia policy that controls behavior of these arrogant¹² governments
today,” he said, “we fundamentally reject nuclear weapons and prohibit the production and use of nuclear weapons.” He demanded the western governments revise their policy. “They must correct this, the Iranian nation is alert,” he said. The BBC's Humphrey Hawksley reporting there from Tehran.

New York governor David Paterson says he is not dropping his reelection bid despite reports that the White House has urged him to withdraw over concern that his low popularity ratings could weigh on other Democratic candidates in the state next year.

"I have said time and time again that I am running for governor next year. I am not going to discuss confidential¹³ conversations. Right now my focus is we have the most unprecedented¹⁴ deficit¹⁵ in the history of the state and the fewest means to fight back. And that's where my focus is."

Paterson was speaking to reporters at a parade in Manhattan today. When pressed, he said he would not discuss any conversations he's had with the White House or any administration officials.

This is NPR News from Washington.

A Colorado man, his farther and an accused accomplice¹⁶ are scheduled to appear in federal court tomorrow. They're facing charges of lying to federal agents about an alleged¹⁷ plot to blow up targets in the United States.   

A US helicopter crashed at the base north of Baghdad this weekend. One American soldier was killed, and a dozen others were injured. US military says the Black Hawk¹¹ copter went down on a night of high winds and sand storms in the area. The cause of the crash is under investigation¹⁸. 

Canada's government is attempting to dampen outrage²⁰ in the country's aboriginal²¹ community when flu kits²² containing body bags were delivered to tribes in Manitoba. More from NPR's Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

There was widespread outrage across Canada when flu kits delivered to isolated²³ reserves in northern Manitoba included body bags. Native leaders were horrified²⁴ saying the move was culturally insensitive. The government said it was a misunderstanding. Those reserves were already hit hard by the swine flu earlier this year, and hand sanitizers were delayed because health officials feared the alcohol content in the sanitizers would be too tempting¹⁹. In a rare weekend news conference, the Federal Health Administrator²⁵ Leona Aglukkaq announced a new flu virus communication plan for aboriginal communities, adding it will prevent episodes such as the body bag uproar²⁶. The plan includes a virtual summit to take place early next month that a commitment to share critical health information with native communities and meet regularly with native leaders. The plan was also approved by the National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations. For NPR News I'm Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

Police in Berlin say they are investigating a doctor who has acknowledged giving various drugs to participants during a marathon group therapy session this weekend. Two of the people died and ten others were hospitalized, the doctor is in custody²⁷.

I'm Craig Windham. NPR News in Washington.

1 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。

2 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

3 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

4 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

5 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。

6 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。

7 posture   

n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势

参考例句：

• The government adopted an uncompromising posture on the issue of independence.政府在独立这一问题上采取了毫不妥协的态度。
• He tore off his coat and assumed a fighting posture.他脱掉上衣，摆出一副打架的架势。

8 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

11 hawk   

n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员

参考例句：

• The hawk swooped down on the rabbit and killed it.鹰猛地朝兔子扑下来,并把它杀死。
• The hawk snatched the chicken and flew away.老鹰叼了小鸡就飞走了。

12 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

13 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

14 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

15 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。

16 accomplice   

n.从犯，帮凶，同谋

参考例句：

• She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
• He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

17 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

18 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

19 tempting   

a.诱人的, 吸引人的

参考例句：

• It is tempting to idealize the past. 人都爱把过去的日子说得那么美好。
• It was a tempting offer. 这是个诱人的提议。

20 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

21 aboriginal   

adj.（指动植物）土生的，原产地的，土著的

参考例句：

• They managed to wipe out the entire aboriginal population.他们终于把那些土著人全部消灭了。
• The lndians are the aboriginal Americans.印第安人是美国的土著人。

22 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

23 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

24 horrified   

a.(表现出)恐惧的

参考例句：

• The whole country was horrified by the killings. 全国都对这些凶杀案感到大为震惊。
• We were horrified at the conditions prevailing in local prisons. 地方监狱的普遍状况让我们震惊。

25 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

26 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。

27 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。