CNN 2009-08-23

Hurricane Bill whips up powerful waves. Look at this, actually some dangerous rip currents, passing between Bermuda and the east coast of the mainland US. Although it's not going to hit the mainland , we're told though, it is bringing 150-mph winds and offshore¹ waves up to 20 feet high. There are warnings out there today to boaters. Um, also US beaches are a little of jam this weekend because it's one of the last weekends of the summer vacation before a lot of kiddos head back to school and many are being told stay out of the water.

President Obama trying to clear the air on his overhaul² of health care laws. And in his radio and Web address today, the president called all the chatter³ about death panels “offensive and phony”.

Every credible⁴ person who has looked into it has said, there are no so-called death panels--an offensive notion to me and to the American people. These are phony claims meant to divide us.

In about 3 months the Guantanamo Bay prison is set to close and some of the detainees will likely be moved here to the US . Right now though, two facilities on the shortlists. One is in Leavenworth, Kansas, the other in Standish, Michigan which is a small town about 150 miles outside of Detroit. But the population about 1500. Now, what, most people that you saw at this town hall meeting really don't want the detainees at their prison.

We are all for any other state winding⁵ their prisoners here. We do not want the terrorists in our backyard.

This is such a talker especially when you see the video and you are trying to decide for yourself. She trounced the competition, blew them away to win the 800-meter-race at the World Athletic⁶ Championship in Berlin. But is the 18-year-old a woman? That's the question that a lot of people are asking.

Yeah, the debate going on and how what painful things to have to go through. I mean , you know, people just look at the build, and that's what they have to base it on. And also how much that athlete, she was able to blow out her female competitions.

After Caster Semenya posted a world best time of African Junior Championships 3 weeks ago, track's governing body, the IAAF, asked the South African Athletic Federation⁷ to administer a gender⁸ test. Then on Wednesday, the 18-year-old, unheard of until the summer, pulled off a stunning⁹ win in the Women's 800 Meters at the World Championships, further fueling speculation¹⁰. The IAAF confirmed there are currently two investigations¹¹ underway, one in South Africa and one in Berlin where the World Championships are taking place.

You know quite frankly¹², for this, uh this young lady again, no reason to believe her. Her daddy says she is his little girl. So nobody has a reason to believe otherwise no matter what she may appear to be. But, I mean, your heart has to go out for her to be going through this right now.

Well, her family is consistent in saying this is how God made her and she qualifies under any kind of testing or any kind of scrutiny¹³, in family's position, South Africa's position. Bottom line, though, is as far as the testing is concerned, you know, it was discontinued in 1999 because scientifically it's hard to identify unequivocally. There are some sexual ambiguity¹⁴ issues.

 

1 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

2 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。

3 chatter   

vi.／n.喋喋不休；短促尖叫；(牙齿)打战

参考例句：

• Her continuous chatter vexes me.她的喋喋不休使我烦透了。
• I've had enough of their continual chatter.我已厌烦了他们喋喋不休的闲谈。

4 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

5 winding   

n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈

参考例句：

• A winding lane led down towards the river.一条弯弯曲曲的小路通向河边。
• The winding trail caused us to lose our orientation.迂回曲折的小道使我们迷失了方向。

6 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

7 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

8 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

9 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

10 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

11 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

12 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。

13 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。

14 ambiguity   

n.模棱两可；意义不明确

参考例句：

• The telegram was misunderstood because of its ambiguity.由于电文意义不明确而造成了误解。
• Her answer was above all ambiguity.她的回答毫不含糊。