NPR 2010-04-07

The Obama administration has released its Nuclear Posture¹ Review, the guideline for how nuclear weapons fit into the nation’s defense² plans. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says it’s designed to make clear states like Iran and North Korea all options are on the table in dealing³ with them. NPR’s Tom Bowman has more.

 

Defense Secretary Gates told reporters at the Pentagon that the Nuclear Posture Review sends a very clear message to states like Iran and North Korea, as well as terrorist groups who might acquire nuclear weapons. Gates says the review is very explicit⁴ that the fundamental role of the US nuclear weapons arsenal⁵ is for deterrence⁶. Still, he says, the US will not square off first use of nuclear weapons as long as control of those weapons around the world is uncertain. President Obama released a statement, saying the new strategy will maintain a safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent⁷. But the president pledged not to conduct nuclear testing or develop new warheads. Tom Bowman, NPR News, Washington.

 

In the past several days, over 100 people have been killed and scores wounded from attacks around Iraq’s capital. As NPR’s Jonathon Blakeley reports from Baghdad, the latest bombing happened today, leaving nearly 50 people dead.

 

There were at least seven bombings around the city, targeting apartment buildings, a restaurant and a market. Rescue workers picked through rubble⁸ for hours, looking for victims. Iraqi security forces are leading the investigation⁹ with some support from US forces. Both are blaming al-Qaeda-backed groups for the latest spate¹⁰ of bloodshed. US military spokesman Lieutenant¹¹ Colonel Eric Bloom says there’s been no real pattern to the attacks.

 

“Others then saying: hey, you know, we’re still around. We don’t see any specific targets from the other day's to today’s.”

 

Monday, six members of a Shiite family were shot and killed in a home just outside Baghdad. On Sunday, three car bombs targeted foreign embassies, leaving 40 people dead. And on Friday, 24 Sunnis were executed in a village just south of the capital. Jonathon Blakeley, NPR News, Baghdad.

 

Rescuers cannot yet reach a West Virginian mine where 25 miners died in an accident yesterday. Poison gas is keeping them back. Crews are trying to locate four missing miners. They need to drill holes into the mine to properly vent¹² the gas, making it safe for rescuers to go in. It’s not clear what triggered the explosion, but Kevin Stricklin of the US Mine Safety and Health Administration says investigators¹³ will find it.

 

“It’s quite evident that something went very wrong here for us to have the magnitude of this explosion. So it’s apparent that something was wrong. And I would just ask to give us an opportunity to conduct a full investigation, and we’ll leave no stone unturned to get to the bottom and tell you exactly what was not going right here when this explosion did occur.”

 

The CEO of the mine told the Associated Press the first hint of trouble occurred when alarms signaled problems with carbon monoxide.

 

On Wall Street before the close, the Dow was down five points at 10,968.

 

This is NPR.

 

Federal agents have arrested a Washington state man and charged him with threatening Washington Senator Paddy Murray. Sixty-four-year-old Charles Wilson is accused of phoning Murray’s office several times and threatening to kill her.

 

“One more go.” That is what the University of Connecticut women’s basketball fans are saying. The Huskies play Stanford in tonight’s NCAA Championship Game. A UConn victory makes Connecticut the first women’s team in history to go undefeated in two straight seasons. NPR’s Tom Goldman reports.

 

There’s an old sports cliché about the unpredictability of outcomes. “That’s why they play the games,” the saying goes. Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer is banking¹⁴ on that cliché as her team prepares for the steamroller that is UConn women’s basketball. VanDerveer knows the Huskies have won 77 straight games. She also knows Stanford has gotten close, close in UConn terms. Last December, Stanford lost by 12 points after leading by two at halftime, while the coach says she’s focused on how that game got away. She also knows getting off to a fast start is important tonight. “We gotta stay in contact with them,” she says, “We’re not a super athletic¹⁵ team that can come back from being down 15.” UConn again will look to star players Tina Charles and Maya Moore, and a smothering¹⁶ defense that's held tournament opponents to an average of 42 points a game. Tom Goldman, NPR News.

 

The first woman to lead the Cherokee Nation has died. Chief Wilma Mankiller was 64. She led for a decade between 1985 and 1995. Mankiller worked to triple the tribe's enrollment¹⁷ during her tenure¹⁸, worked to increase employment and widen health programs. Oklahoma Governor Brad Henry says Mankiller also improved life for her tribe, state and nation. A memorial service is scheduled for Saturday.
 

1 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。

2 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。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

5 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

6 deterrence   

威慑，制止； 制止物，制止因素； 挽留的事物； 核威慑

参考例句：

• An extreme school of "disarmers" pronounced stable deterrence was a dangerous deception. “裁军论者”中的极端派声称，稳定的威摄是一种危险的骗局。
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。

7 deterrent   

n.阻碍物，制止物；adj.威慑的，遏制的

参考例句：

• Large fines act as a deterrent to motorists.高额罚款是对开车的人的制约。
• I put a net over my strawberries as a deterrent to the birds.我在草莓上罩了网，免得鸟歇上去。

8 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

9 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。

10 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

11 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

12 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

13 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

15 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。

16 smothering   

（使）窒息， （使）透不过气( smother的现在分词 )； 覆盖； 忍住； 抑制

参考例句：

• He laughed triumphantly, and silenced her by manly smothering. 他胜利地微笑着，以男人咄咄逼人的气势使她哑口无言。
• He wrapped the coat around her head, smothering the flames. 他用上衣包住她的头，熄灭了火。

17 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。

18 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。