NPR 2010-03-26

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Lakshmi Singh.

 

Leaders on Capitol Hill are condemning¹ threats and vandalism against lawmakers. Most of the threats have centered around those who voted for health care overhaul². NPR’s Sonari Glinton reports a prominent Republican is now saying that he is being targeted.

 

At least ten Democratic lawmakers have been targeted with a variety of menacing phone calls, faxes and vandalism. Now, Republicans say they’ve been victims also. Republican Congressman³ Eric Cantor says a gunshot was fired outside his Virginia campaign office. He says he refuses to make political hay out of the situation, unlike some Democrats⁴.

 

“It’s reckless to use these incidents as media vehicles for political gain.”

 

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says leaders need to be careful about their rhetoric⁵.

 

“I believe that words have power, they weigh a ton and they’re received differently by the people depending on their, shall we say, emotional state.”

 

Speaker Pelosi says the FBI is working with members of Congress to investigate the threats. Sonari Glinton, NPR News, the Capitol.

 

President Obama’s drumming up public support for the new law, reminding them that it extends coverage⁶ to millions more Americans and holds insurers more accountable.

 

“The days of the insurance industry running roughshod over the American people are over. So if you already have insurance, this reform will make it more secure and more affordable⁷.”

 

The president speaking this afternoon at the University of Iowa. Meanwhile, the Senate has passed reconciliation⁸ fixes to the legislation. The House is expected to hold a final vote on the changes tonight.

 

Survivors⁹ of sexual abuse in Wisconsin are demanding accountability from the Vatican. They accuse Pope Benedict of choosing not to protect them when he had the chance. The story first reported in the New York Times, Benedict is criticized for ignoring repeated warnings about an alleged¹⁰ sex offender¹¹ in the clergy¹². We have this update from Ann-Elise Henzl of member station WUWM.

 

A Catholic priest who taught at a school for deaf boys in a Milwaukee suburb is accused of molesting¹³ as many as 200 children from the 1950s to the 1970s. In the 1990s, Wisconsin bishops¹⁴ urged the Vatican to permit a church trial against priest. Cardinal¹⁵ Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, was head of the Vatican office that investigates abuse cases and prevented a trial from moving forward. Mark Salmon¹⁶ is with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. He wants answers from the Vatican.

 

“And I think it’s time that they step up and take responsibility and stop with these vacant apologies and start fessing up to this”

 

The Vatican has responded to the complaints, by saying they’re part of a campaign to smear¹⁷ the Pope. For NPR News. I’m Ann-Elise Henzl in Milwaukee.

 

Dow’s up five at 10,841.

 

This is NPR News.

 

In Pakistan, security forces are still pounding militant¹⁸ havens²⁰ in tribal²¹ areas, killing²² between 25 to 30 suspected extremists in operations in the district of Orakzai. The latest from NPR’s Julie McCarthy in Islamabad.

 

There are reports that a seminary where Taliban commanders were believed to have been meeting was hit in the latest onslaught. Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas says in the last several weeks intensified²³ air and ground assaults have killed some 80 to 90 militants²⁴ in the Orakzai area. Orakzai belongs to Pakistan’s restive²⁵ tribal belt near but not on the Afghan border. Military sources say that Orakzai became a haven¹⁹ for Taliban escaping Pakistan’s army offensive in the tribal area of South Waziristan. The recent capture in Pakistan of Afghan Taliban, including the second-in-command, have sown nervousness among the militants. The Afghan Taliban’s supreme²⁶ leader has reportedly replaced his detained top deputy with a relatively²⁷ young but hardened fighter. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

 

Defense²⁸ Secretary Robert Gates is putting his stamp on series of changes to the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. That's the law that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. Gates says it’ll now be tougher to discharge someone for violating that policy. Under the revisions, more senior officers will be in charge of proceedings²⁹ to discharge gay member of the military. The policy also places tougher rules on evidence.

 

Hare Krishnas are now banned from asking for donations outside Los Angeles International Airport. Today, the California Supreme Court ruled unanimously to end a long-running dispute between the city and the religious group. This could lead to similar actions at other airports.

 

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, Washington.
 

1 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》

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 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

6 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

8 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

9 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

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 offender   

n.冒犯者，违反者，犯罪者

参考例句：

• They all sued out a pardon for an offender.他们请求法院赦免一名罪犯。
• The authorities often know that sex offenders will attack again when they are released.当局一般都知道性犯罪者在获释后往往会再次犯案。

12 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

13 molesting   

v.骚扰( molest的现在分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• He was accused of sexually molesting a female colleague. 他被指控对一位女同事进行性骚扰。 来自辞典例句
• He was charged with molesting a woman. 他被指控调戏妇女。 来自辞典例句

14 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

15 cardinal   

n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的

参考例句：

• This is a matter of cardinal significance.这是非常重要的事。
• The Cardinal coloured with vexation. 红衣主教感到恼火，脸涨得通红。

16 salmon   

n.鲑，大马哈鱼，橙红色的

参考例句：

• We saw a salmon jumping in the waterfall there.我们看见一条大马哈鱼在那边瀑布中跳跃。
• Do you have any fresh salmon in at the moment?现在有新鲜大马哈鱼卖吗？

17 smear   

v.涂抹；诽谤，玷污；n.污点；诽谤，污蔑

参考例句：

• He has been spreading false stories in an attempt to smear us.他一直在散布谎言企图诽谤我们。
• There's a smear on your shirt.你衬衫上有个污点。

18 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

19 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

20 havens   

n.港口，安全地方( haven的名词复数 )v.港口，安全地方( haven的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Your twenty havens would back out at the last minute anyhow. 你那二十个避难所到了最后一分钟也要不认帐。 来自辞典例句
• Using offshore havens to avoid taxes and investor protections. 使用海面的港口避免税和投资者保护。 来自互联网

21 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

22 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。

23 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

25 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

26 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。

27 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

28 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。

29 proceedings   

n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
• to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼