NPR 2009-09-27

The Obama administration reportedly plans to tell Iran's government in multinational¹ talks next week that it has three months to open its nuclear facilities to inspectors² and answer detailed³ questions about its disputed nuclear program. The New York Times quotes administration officials as saying Iran will also be told to make its nuclear scientists available to be interviewed by the inspectors. President Obama says the international community is ready to insist on compliance⁴.

"I stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our European allies in condemning⁵ Iran's program. In our meetings and public statements, President Medvedev of Russia and I agreed that Iran must pursue a new course or face consequences. All of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and Germany have made it clear that Iran must fulfill⁶ its responsibilities."

Mr. Obama speaking in his weekly radio and Internet address today.

The head of Iran's nuclear program says UN inspectors can visit its previously⁷ secret new uranium enrichment facility but he did not say when. And a close aide to Iran's supreme⁸ leader said today the site will be operational soon and will in his words “blind the eyes of the enemies”. Britain's government says it's committed to a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue but will not categorically rule out possible military action. Larry Miller⁹ has more from London.

Foreign Secretary David Miliband said no sane¹⁰ person would attack Iran, then qualified¹¹ it by adding “without real concern”. Pressed by the BBC, Miliband refused to say whether military action was inconceivable. He said diplomatic pressure over Iran's nuclear program led by the US needs to have an opportunity to work. Miliband said that it’s essential that when Iran sits down with the UN Security Council and Germany next week, it takes concrete steps to address concerns and accept the offers on the table to prevent further action including sanctions. Meanwhile, Iranian state news agencies report the second uranium processing plant will begin operation soon. Israel's foreign minister called for an unequivocal response from western leaders. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez is hosting a two-day summit of more than two dozen leaders from South America and Africa, looking for ways to strengthen their economic and political ties. The BBC's Will Grand reports.

Amid very tight security, more than 50 heads of state and government have descended¹² on the island, bringing with them hundreds of members of their entourages and local business leaders, all of them hosted by Washington's most out-spoken regional critic Hugo Chavez. But President Chavez says this meeting will be more than what he calls just another summit. “We want to mark the path for the next ten years”, he said, referring to intercontinental dialogue on poverty eradication¹³, mining and energy resources, trade and agriculture.

The BBC's Will Grand on Margarita Island, Venezuela.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is characterizing as extremely productive her talks with representatives of Arab nations on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting. Clinton has been urging the nations to take steps toward normalizing relations with Israel while supporting the Palestinians.

A medical transport helicopter crashed late last night in South Carolina, killing¹⁴ all three people aboard. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. NPR's Russell Louis has the story.

The pilot, paramedic and flight nurse all died in the accident. The crew had just dropped off a patient in Charleston and it was returning to Conway South, Carolina when it crashed near Georgetown. Texas-based Omniflight owned the helicopter and confirmed details of the accident to NPR. The crash comes amid heightened scrutiny¹⁵ of the industry by the National Transportation Safety Board and Congress following nine accidents which killed 29 people last year. Earlier this month, the NTSB issued a series of sweeping¹⁶ recommendations to try to make the emergency helicopter industry safer. Those included requiring night-vision goggles¹⁷ and training pilots to be better prepared when inadvertently flying into bad weather. Russell Louis, NPR News.

Heavy rains are drenching¹⁸ parts of Georgia today, even as volunteers and residents struggled to clean up from widespread flooding this week. Matt Sena is a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. He says the region is prone¹⁹ to more flooding.

"It’s not gonna take very much, additional rain for anywhere to start seeing at least some minor²⁰ flood issues, the ground is still very, very wet."

Georgia's insurance commissioner²¹ has raised the estimated cost of damage from the flooding this week in the state to 500 million dollars.

1 multinational   

adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司

参考例句：

• The firm was taken over by a multinational consulting firm.这家公司被一个跨国咨询公司收购。
• He analyzed the relationship between multinational corporations and under-developed countries.他分析了跨国公司和不发达国家之间的关系。

2 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

4 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

5 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

6 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

7 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

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 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

10 sane   

adj.心智健全的，神志清醒的，明智的，稳健的

参考例句：

• He was sane at the time of the murder.在凶杀案发生时他的神志是清醒的。
• He is a very sane person.他是一个很有头脑的人。

11 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

12 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

13 eradication   

n.根除

参考例句：

• The eradication of an established infestation is not easy. 根除昆虫蔓延是不容易的。
• This is often required for intelligent control and eradication. 这经常需要灵巧的控制与消除。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

16 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

17 goggles   

n.护目镜

参考例句：

• Skiers wear goggles to protect their eyes from the sun.滑雪者都戴上护目镜使眼睛不受阳光伤害。
• My swimming goggles keep steaming up so I can't see.我的护目镜一直有水雾，所以我看不见。

18 drenching   

n.湿透v.使湿透( drench的现在分词 )；在某人（某物）上大量使用（某液体）

参考例句：

• A black cloudburst was drenching Siena at midday. 中午，一场天昏地暗的暴风雨在锡耶纳上空倒下来。 来自辞典例句
• A drenching rain poured down and the rising hurricane drove it in sheets along the ground. 一阵倾盆大雨泼下来了，越来越大的狂风把它顺着地面刮成了一片一片的雨幕。 来自辞典例句

19 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

20 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

21 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。