NPR 2010-05-05

An American has been formally charged with five criminal counts in connection with the failed car bombing last weekend in New York City. Attorney General Eric Holder¹ says charges involve terrorism and use of weapons of mass destruction. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston says the defendant², Faisal Shahzad, is apparently³ cooperating with investigators⁴.

Authorities have been really unclear about what he has admitted to exactly. They said that he has admitted to having a role in the plot, but it's really unclear what that role is. He said he worked alone in the plot, but authorities were careful not to say that they've certainly embraced that particular explanation on his part.

Shahzad, who became an American last year, was born in Pakistan. Pakistani authorities have detained eight people for questioning in connection with the plot. And in court documents today, Shahzad admits that he received explosives training in Pakistan.

Despite news of the attempted plot, Times Square is very busy today. NPR's Margot Adler reports.

In Bryant Park, two blocks from Times Square, every bench and chair was filled with lunch time crowds. Tina Doroodian, an optometric student at a college across the street, had this to say about the arrest of Shahzad.

"That's great that maybe they arrested someone who could have potentially hurt a lot of people. That's fantastic. But at the same time, there are a lot of people who can do the same thing. And like I said, you can't live based on fear, you have to just keep living your life."

Many tourists had the same view. Marlene Finger came with a group of friends from Germany to celebrate their 70th birthdays as for the failed attack.

"I forgot all about it. It could happen anytime, anywhere, so that's why we are not so afraid."

It was a lunch time as crowded as usual. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

Financial markets are upset today. Investors⁵ are worried about the bailout package for Greece. Stock prices around the world are down sharply. From Berlin, NPR's Jim Zarroli reports.

European officials had hoped that the announcement of a 140-billion-dollar rescue plan for Greece would stop the recent slide in the euro, but it fell today to a one-year low against the dollar. Meanwhile, the interest rate on Greek debt once again climbed and so did that of Portugal which has been swept under by the turmoil⁶. Spain was forced to deny rumors⁷ that it would soon ask for a bailout on its own. In the anxiety that gripped the markets, stocks tumbled across the continent. London was down 2.3% and Paris fell even more. As investors pulled their money out of stocks, the price of gold rose and so did US government debt which is traditionally seen as a safe haven⁸ in difficult times. Jim Zarroli, NPR News, Berlin.

And Wall Street is troubled to odd. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 224 points just before the close at 10,927.

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Residents in the Greater Boston area can drink the tap water again. (rather是口误修正) Two million people had been instructed to boil water after a huge main broke on Saturday. Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick lifted a state of emergency. He is now promising⁹ an investigation¹⁰ into what caused the rupture¹¹.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is responding to criticism that he's limiting press freedom. Putin has been included on a list of the 40 people or groups who have done the most to restrict journalists. Peter Van Dyk reports from Moscow.

The Russian prime minister's spokesman rejected the Annual Reporters Without Borders Report as absolutely wrong. Dmitry Peskov said the Russian government did not know the criteria¹² on which the international press freedom group based this list but suggested the mistake was due to deeply rooted stereotypes¹³ about Russia or a lack of information. The list of 40 predators¹⁴ of press freedom includes the leaders of China, Iran, North Korea and Libya. Reporters Without Borders says five journalists were murdered in Russia last year and 22 in the past decade. Accusing Putin of seeking to control the media along with political and economic life in Russia, it says that national TV channels speak with a single voice. Peskov, however, said Putin had made the Russian media freer and more economically independent. For NPR News, I'm Peter Van Dyk in Moscow.

Anti-government protestors in Thailand are considering an offer from the country's prime minister. He'd like to hold elections in November. It's an effort to end a political crisis that's left at least 27 people dead and cost the country hundreds of millions of dollars in tourism. It's not clear if the protest leaders will accept. They're just demanding the prime minister leave office.
 

1 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

2 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

3 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。

4 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》

5 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

6 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

7 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

10 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。

11 rupture   

n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂

参考例句：

• I can rupture a rule for a friend.我可以为朋友破一次例。
• The rupture of a blood vessel usually cause the mark of a bruise.血管的突然破裂往往会造成外伤的痕迹。

12 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

13 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》