NPR 2010-05-31

New plans to try to contain BP's massive oil spill are in place. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports the company's managing director visited the Sunday news talk shows today to explain its latest containment¹ strategy.

It's clear that no long-term solution is yet in place. But Bob Dudley said that BP is hopeful that a new effort can help stanch² the oil that's now stretching 150 miles along the Gulf³ coastline, and he reminded "FOX News Sunday" the company has laid three million feet of absorbent barriers to protect the shore.

"This is almost an operation led with the oversight⁴ of the Coast Guard that is almost military now. The beaches in Louisiana, there are three beaches where there's oil. There's 800 people out there every day" working to clean them up.

Dudley said good weather has helped workers skimming oil off the water surface. He admitted the company had 760 safety violations⁵ over the past three years, the most of any oil company. The next highest offenders⁶ had only eight. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

The commander of NATO and US forces in Afghanistan is pointing a finger toward Iran. General Stanley McChrystal says there's clear evidence the Taliban have been getting weapons and some training in Afghanistan's western neighbor.

The revving⁷ and rumbling⁸ goes on in Washington as motorcyclists from around the country make their way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Ride organizers say they are honoring fallen troops as well as prisoners of war and those missing in action. NPR's Allison Keyes is watching the Memorial Day weekend tradition.

I am standing⁹ at 17th and Constitution Avenue, and as far as you can see at either direction there are motorcycles, men on motorcycles; men and women on motorcycles; men, women and children on motorcycles. It is the 23rd annual Rolling Thunder tributes to the nation's veterans.

NPR's Allison Keyes in downtown DC watching the 23rd annual Rolling Thunder Ride.

A lot of motorcycle tributes today to Dennis Hopper after the actor's death yesterday at age 74. The star and director of the cult¹⁰ classic "Easy Rider" once said the film was never a motorcycle movie to him but rather about what was going on in the country politically in 1969 when it came out. The movie about a cross-country motorcycle trip is getting a lot of play this weekend.

"All we represent to them, man, is somebody who needs a haircut."

"Oh no. What you represent to them is freedom."

"What the hell is wrong with freedom, man? That's what it's all about."

Hopper died at his home in Venice, California. He had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2009.

And the Indy 500 is underway in Indianapolis. Veteran driver Davey Hamilton's day didn't last long; he lost control of his car on the opening lap and spun¹¹ into the inside of the retaining wall.

You are listening to NPR News.

In Colombia, polls will be closing within the hours. Voters cast ballots¹² between two vastly different presidential candidates. NPR's Juan Forero is in Bogota. He says the Obama administration is keeping a close eye on the election.

Whoever wins power in this country of 45 million will be the caretaker of billions in US aid, assistance used to fight Marxist rebels and drug-trafficking. Voters are choosing from a crowded field, but there are two main candidates - a former Defense¹³ Minister Juan Manuel Santos who knows his way around Washington and Antanas Mockus, the son of Lithuanian immigrants who became famous for his quirky and creative ways of governing Bogota as mayor. Santos says he'll build on current President Alvaro Uribe's top security policies. Mockus says he'll fight corruption¹⁴ and improve education. Neither candidate though is likely to get the votes needed to avoid a runoff. That second round would take place on June 20th. Juan Forero, NPR News, Bogota.

The chairman of the Joint¹⁵ Chiefs of Staff says the legislation repealing¹⁶ the military's "Don't ask, don't tell" policy does give the Pentagon time to complete its review, but Admiral Mike Mullen tells CNN today he would have preferred that Congress had waited.

Second seed Venus Williams is out of the French Open. She was defeated by Nadia Petrova 6-4, 6-3 in the fourth round. It's a chilly¹⁷ windy day in Paris, and Williams says that was part of the problem.

"I feel like I had a day where I wanted to hit the ball crosscourt and it went down the line. And sometimes that happens; sometimes that it gets really cold too, it's hard to feel the racquet. It just wasn't a good day."

The women's event had been shaping up for another Williams sister's final. Now Venus will have to wait until next year.
 

1 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

2 stanch   

v.止住（血等）；adj.坚固的；坚定的

参考例句：

• Cuttlebone can be used as a medicine to stanch bleeding.海螵蛸可以入药，用来止血。
• I thought it my duty to help stanch these leaks.我认为帮助堵塞漏洞是我的职责。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

5 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

6 offenders   

n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 )；犯规者；罪犯；妨害…的人（或事物）

参考例句：

• Long prison sentences can be a very effective deterrent for offenders. 判处长期徒刑可对违法者起到强有力的威慑作用。
• Purposeful work is an important part of the regime for young offenders. 使从事有意义的劳动是管理少年犯的重要方法。

7 revving   

v.（使）加速( rev的现在分词 )；（数量、活动等）激增；（使发动机）快速旋转；（使）活跃起来

参考例句：

• The team are revving up for next week's game. 这个队伍对下周的比赛跃跃欲试。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Since the introduction of new techniques, the production has been revving up. 自从新技术的引进，产量一直都在增加。 来自互联网

8 rumbling   

n. 隆隆声, 辘辘声 adj. 隆隆响的 动词rumble的现在分词

参考例句：

• The earthquake began with a deep [low] rumbling sound. 地震开始时发出低沉的隆隆声。
• The crane made rumbling sound. 吊车发出隆隆的响声。

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

10 cult   

n.异教，邪教；时尚，狂热的崇拜

参考例句：

• Her books aren't bestsellers,but they have a certain cult following.她的书算不上畅销书，但有一定的崇拜者。
• The cult of sun worship is probably the most primitive one.太阳崇拜仪式或许是最为原始的一种。

11 spun   

v.纺，杜撰，急转身

参考例句：

• His grandmother spun him a yarn at the fire.他奶奶在火炉边给他讲故事。
• Her skilful fingers spun the wool out to a fine thread.她那灵巧的手指把羊毛纺成了细毛线。

12 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

16 repealing   

撤销，废除( repeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In addition, repealing the alternative minimum tax would also help. 此外，废除替代性最低税也会有所帮助。
• Repealing the investment tax credit. 取消投资税款扣除。

17 chilly   

adj.凉快的，寒冷的

参考例句：

• I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。
• I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。