NPR 2010-04-04

Several Afghan soldiers are dead as a result of friendly fire by German forces in Afghanistan. Brigadier-General Eric Tremblay says the troops were mistaken for insurgents². “A German patrol became under contact, probably under a very complex attack by the insurgent¹ and got fixed³ on the ground with the improvised⁴ explosive devices, small arms fire, and RPG fire.” Last September, German forces were heavily criticized for ordering an air strike on the Taliban that ended up killing⁵ more than 140 people, many of them civilians⁶.

 

A high school football player from Ohio, who was going to play for Notre Dame⁷, died yesterday in Florida. Maryanne Zeleznik from member station WVXU in Cincinnati says the up-and-coming athlete was on spring break in Panama City Beach when he died.

 

Matt James played football at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. School spokesman Mark Motz says James died after falling from a hotel balcony in Panama City Beach, Florida. Police told the television station the 17-year-old apparently⁸ died instantly after he fell from the third floor of the Days Inn Motel. A forensic⁹ investigator¹⁰ with the Florida State Medical Examiners District 14 Office says the fall was being investigated. And officials plan to do toxicology tests. James is not the first spring breaker to die from a balcony fall. A 19-year-old from Georgia died last month when he fell from a fifth-floor balcony at the Holiday Terrace Motel, also in Panama City Beach. More than 2,000 people have already signed on as fans to a Facebook page remembering James. For NPR News, I’m Maryanne Zeleznik.

 

NASA’s mission managers are giving the go-ahead for shuttle Discovery’s lift-off Monday for a 13-day mission in space. It’s heading back to the International Space Station.

 

A crowd counts down to an Apple store’s opening in Manhattan, waiting for the iPad. Apple stores across the country began selling the much-hyped tablet computer today. It’s calling it a revolutionary new category of device, but the jury’s still out on whether most consumers will really want it. NPR’s Laura Sydell reports.

 

The iPad looks like an oversized Ipod Touch. It brings movies, music, television and now e-books to its 9.7-inch screen. While the computer industry's tried to get consumers interested in this kind of tablet computer for decades, this is the first time that such a device has generated so much interest. Analysts¹¹ say Apple received hundreds of thousands of pre-orders for the iPad. But many analysts are uncertain that this new category of device, which in some ways mimics¹² a netbook, will really catch on, especially since it doesn’t have a physical keyboard. Reviews of the iPad have been generally positive, but with the extraordinary success of the iPhone and iPod, Apple has set a very high bar for itself. Laura Sydell, NPR News.

 

This is NPR.

 

In Iraq, authorities are reporting execution-style attacks on a Sunni village outside Baghdad. At least 25 people were killed. Authorities say gunmen dressed in military uniforms raided the village, apparently targeting Sunnis that revolted against al-Qaeda in Iraq.

 

The International Organization for Migration¹³ will assist some 650 vulnerable and needy¹⁴ women who suffered rape¹⁵ and other forms of sexual violence during Sierra Leone’s long-running civil war. The IOM program is part of a larger reparation effort recommended by the Sierra Leone Truth and Reconciliation¹⁶ Commission. Lisa Schlein has details from Geneva.

 

This is the first time that war reparations are specifically tailored to address the needs of victims of sexual violence. IOM legal officer Heike Niebergall says tens of thousands of women in Sierra Leone who were raped¹⁷ and forced into sexual slavery are stigmatized¹⁸ and often blamed for what happened to them. “They are abandoned by their families, by their husbands, and are often left totally to themselves, and are not integrated into the society.” Over the next six months, the 650 women in the program will receive training and cash allowance to help them set up small businesses or seek additional education. The women also will receive regular trauma¹⁹ counseling. For NPR New, I’m Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

 

Thousands of rescuers in China are still working to free more than 150 miners who've been trapped underground for more than five days. Yesterday, rescuers knocked on a pipe leading down to the flooded mine and they heard a response and cheered, however, today no new signs of life.

 

1 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

4 improvised   

a.即席而作的,即兴的

参考例句：

• He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
• We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。

5 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。

6 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

7 dame   

n.女士

参考例句：

• The dame tell of her experience as a wife and mother.这位年长妇女讲了她作妻子和母亲的经验。
• If you stick around,you'll have to marry that dame.如果再逗留多一会，你就要跟那个夫人结婚。

8 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

9 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

10 investigator   

n.研究者，调查者，审查者

参考例句：

• He was a special investigator for the FBI.他是联邦调查局的特别调查员。
• The investigator was able to deduce the crime and find the criminal.调查者能够推出犯罪过程并锁定罪犯。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 mimics   

n.模仿名人言行的娱乐演员，滑稽剧演员( mimic的名词复数 )；善于模仿的人或物v.（尤指为了逗乐而）模仿( mimic的第三人称单数 )；酷似

参考例句：

• Methods:Models were generate by CT scan,Mimics software and Abaqus software. 方法：采用CT扫描，Mimics软件和Abaqus软件的CAD进行三维有限元模型的创建。 来自互联网
• Relaxing the mind and body mimics the effect that some blood-pressure pills would have. 放松身心会产生某些降压药才能产生的效果。 来自辞典例句

13 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

14 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

15 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

16 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。

17 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

18 stigmatized   

v.使受耻辱，指责，污辱( stigmatize的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was stigmatized as an ex-convict. 他遭人污辱，说他给判过刑。 来自辞典例句
• Such a view has been stigmatized as mechanical jurisprudence. 蔑称这种观点为机械法学。 来自辞典例句

19 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。