NPR 2010-06-29

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

Supreme¹ Court nominee² Elena Kagan's Senate confirmation³ hearing is underway, beginning with a swearing-in by Senator Patrick Leahy.

"Do you solemnly swear the testimony⁴ you are about to give in this matter shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?"

"I do."

Kagan being sworn in moments ago before delivering her opening statement, pledging impartiality⁵ if confirmed to the high court, she was nominated to succeed retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.

In a 5-4 ruling, the US Supreme Court deals a blow to Chicago's handgun ban ruling. The Constitution's right to keep and bear arms applies nationwide. Here's NPR's Cheryl Corley.

City officials expected Chicago's 28-year-old ban on handguns might be in trouble when the high court invalidated a similar ban in Washington, D.C. two years ago. At the time, that ruling applied⁶ only to federal laws, but with today's decision, the high court ruled that the efforts by state and local governments to put substantial limits on gun ownership face the same constitutional restraint. It's a decision that Chicago Mayor Richard Daley, a strong proponent⁷ of gun control, anticipated earlier.

"We will of course, abide⁸ by the court rulings — that's a key — but also continue to look for new ways to adhere to our basic commitment to keep guns off our streets and prevent gun violence."

In its 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court signaled that less severe restrictions⁹ could survive legal challenges. Cheryl Corley, NPR News, Chicago.

Congressional members are mourning the death of a highly-respected colleague, Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. He died early this morning at a northern Virginia hospital. At 92, Byrd was the longest-serving member of Congress, casting thousands of votes on issues that help shape the nation, but in lighter¹⁰ moments, no doubt, Byrd could play. Byrd from his 1978 album "Mountain Fiddler".

The State Department says the sinking of a South Korean ship was a provocative¹¹ act by North Korea, not enough to put Pyongyang back on a terrorism list. Here's NPR's Michele Kelemen.

State Department spokesman PJ Crowley says the sinking of a South Korean frigate¹² was the act of one state's military, North Korea's, against another, so he says it did not constitute an act of terrorism.

"The sinking of the Cheonan is not an act of international terrorism and by itself would not trigger placing North Korea on the state sponsors of terrorism list."

North Korea was taken off that list in 2008 in a bid to move ahead talks on North Korea's nuclear disarmament. That process has since stalled. Crowley says the US will not hesitate to put North Korea back on the list if the US has information that North Korea is supporting terrorism. He says the US is constantly reviewing North Korea's behavior. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

After a day of gains, US stocks now down; last check, Dow was down five points at 10,139.

This is NPR.

In an unusually public manner, Pope Benedict is taking to task a leading cardinal¹³. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports from Rome it's a cardinal who criticized a former Pope's No.2 official for his handling of clerical sex abuse cases.

The Pope's admonishment¹⁴ followed his meeting with Vienna Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn. Schoenborn had accused Cardinal Angelo Sodano, former Vatican secretary of state under Pope John Paul II, of having blocked investigations¹⁵ of clerical sex abuse allegations. He also accused Sodano of causing massive harm to victims when on Easter Sunday he dismissed claims of clerical sex abuse as "petty gossip". The Vatican statement says only the Pope has the competence¹⁶ to deal with accusations¹⁷ against a cardinal. It also sought to clarify Sodano's "petty gossip" remark, noting that a week earlier, the Pope himself had talked about the courage to not be intimidated¹⁸ by the petty gossip of dominant¹⁹ opinions. The remark was widely criticized as a sign of the church's dismissal of the entire scandal. That was an erroneous interpretation²⁰, the statement said, but did not explain what was meant by the phrase. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

The cost of capping and cleaning the oil spill in the Gulf²¹ of Mexico keeps rising. BP says it has shelled out nearly three billion dollars. In an SEC filing, the company reports expenses skyrocketed $100 million a day over the weekend as engineers tracked a tropical storm. It's expected to miss the spill area but may still generate tough weather conditions.

More than 100 people are reported to be buried in a rain-triggered landslide²² in southwestern China. It's the latest in a series of storm-related tragedies in the region that have left nearly 400 dead in recent weeks.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.
 

1 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。

2 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

3 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

4 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

5 impartiality   

n. 公平, 无私, 不偏

参考例句：

• He shows impartiality and detachment. 他表现得不偏不倚，超然事外。
• Impartiality is essential to a judge. 公平是当法官所必需的。

6 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

7 proponent   

n.建议者；支持者；adj.建议的

参考例句：

• Stapp became a strong early proponent of automobile seat belts.斯塔普是力主在汽车上采用座椅安全带的早期倡导者。
• Halsey was identified as a leading proponent of the values of progressive education.哈尔西被认为是进步教育价值观的主要支持者。

8 abide   

vi.遵守；坚持；vt.忍受

参考例句：

• You must abide by the results of your mistakes.你必须承担你的错误所造成的后果。
• If you join the club,you have to abide by its rules.如果你参加俱乐部，你就得遵守它的规章。

9 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

10 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

11 provocative   

adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的

参考例句：

• She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。
• His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

12 frigate   

n.护航舰，大型驱逐舰

参考例句：

• An enemy frigate bore down on the sloop.一艘敌驱逐舰向这只护航舰逼过来。
• I declare we could fight frigate.我敢说我们简直可以和一艘战舰交战。

13 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。

14 admonishment   

n.警告

参考例句：

• Moreover, but also has some taunts and the admonishment sound. 另外，还有一些嘲讽和规劝的声音。 来自互联网
• He chains them together with the admonishment as for the first woman. 他把他们锁在一起想警告第一个女士那样警告了他们。 来自互联网

15 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

16 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

17 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

18 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 dominant   

adj.支配的，统治的；占优势的；显性的；n.主因，要素，主要的人(或物)；显性基因

参考例句：

• The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
• She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。

20 interpretation   

n.解释，说明，描述；艺术处理

参考例句：

• His statement admits of one interpretation only.他的话只有一种解释。
• Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing.分析与说明是个很主观的事情。

21 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。

22 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。