NPR 2010-07-25

What's left of tropical depression Bonnie is weakening as it makes its way through the Gulf¹ of Mexico. Authorities in the Gulf are now sending ships back to the site of BP's damaged rig. NPR's Carrie Kahn says the operation is starting with one of the largest drilling vessels³ being used to permanently⁴ seal the well.

The DD3, the larger of two drilling vessels, is making its way back to the site of the blown-out well. Deepwater Horizon Response spokesman Robert Donaldson says the rig is large enough to withstand the winds of what's left of the tropical storm, which has been downgraded to a depression. The DD3 and another smaller vessel² had been drilling two relief wells at the site, but were disengaged yesterday as Bonnie approached. Spokesman Donaldson says the storm was not as bad as originally anticipated, so the drilling rig is being returned. He says it will take a week or so to reset⁵ the rig and resume drilling. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has declared a state of emergency in anticipation⁶ of damage from the storm. Carrie Kahn, NPR News, New Orleans.

At least 15 people are dead after a stampede at a music festival in Germany. Police say the stampede happened inside a crowded tunnel. Thousands of other people kept partying, unaware⁷ of what was happening. The chaos⁸ started when police tried to block people from entering an already packed parade ground. The famed techno music festival called Love Parade was taking place in Duisburg in western Germany.

In Afghanistan, a search is under way for two US soldiers who have gone missing from their base in Kabul. The BBC's David Loyn reports the Taliban claims it has captured the men.

Precise details of how two Americans fell into the hands of the Taliban have not yet emerged, but a spokesman for the governor of Logar province said that the two men ignored warnings and set out on their own from a US base on Friday evening into a known Taliban-held area. After an exchange of gunfire, the two were captured. Taliban sources say the two are soldiers. The US military have appealed for the return of the two men, offering a reward on local radio.

The BBC's David Loyn in Kabul.

Meanwhile, another deadly day in Afghanistan, at least four Americans were killed in the southern part of the country today. More than 70 international service members have been killed in Afghanistan this month including at least 55 Americans.

The president's weekly address takes aim at a House Republican economic recovery plan. President Obama says the proposal from Minority Leader John Boehner would take tax credits from small business owners. Mr. Obama characterizes it as taking the country backward at a time when it needs to keep moving forward.

"This is our economic plan—smart investments in America's small businesses, America's clean energy industry and America's middle class."

Boehner says the president's attacking the GOP plan because he can't sell his own.

You're listening to NPR News from Washington.

Joint⁹ US and South Korean military exercises are again provoking warnings of a nuclear response from North Korea. The North routinely makes war threats when the US holds joint drills with the South. This latest one comes amid growing tensions over the sinking of a South Korean warship¹⁰ blamed on North Korea.

The UN High Commissioner¹¹ for Human Rights accuses security forces in Kyrgyzstan of arbitrarily detaining and torturing many people, mainly young Uzbek men. In Geneva, Lisa Schlein reports he warns these illegal acts are threatening the fragile peace in southern Kyrgyzstan.

Navi Pillay, the high commissioner, says the increasing climate of fear in Kyrgyzstan doesn't bode¹² well for reconciliation¹³ between the two ethnic¹⁴ groups. Her spokesman Rupert Colville says local authorities routinely turn a blind eye to illegal arrest, torture and ill-treatment of detainees.

"Victims, lawyers, families and human rights defenders¹⁵ are also being threatened and intimidated¹⁶ to an alarming degree. We also have information that suggests more than 1,000 people in all have been detained in Osh and Jalalabad since the June violence."

Colville says detainees are forced to make false confessions¹⁷. High Commissioner Pillay is calling for an international investigation¹⁸ into the ethnic violence that erupted in June. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague says there's no evidence the Lockerbie bomber¹⁹ was returned to Libya in order to facilitate oil deals for BP. Hague wrote a letter to US officials and calls the Scottish decision to release the man 'wrong and misguided'.

I'm Renita Jablonski, NPR News from Washington

1 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。

2 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

3 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

5 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

6 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

7 unaware   

a.不知道的，未意识到的

参考例句：

• They were unaware that war was near. 他们不知道战争即将爆发。
• I was unaware of the man's presence. 我没有察觉到那人在场。

8 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

9 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。

10 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

11 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

12 bode   

v.预示

参考例句：

• These figures do not bode well for the company's future.这些数字显示出公司的前景不妙。
• His careful habits bode well for his future.他那认真的习惯预示著他会有好的前途。

13 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。

14 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

15 defenders   

n.防御者( defender的名词复数 )；守卫者；保护者；辩护者

参考例句：

• The defenders were outnumbered and had to give in. 抵抗者寡不敌众，只能投降。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• After hard fighting,the defenders were still masters of the city. 守军经过奋战仍然控制着城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 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》

17 confessions   

n.承认( confession的名词复数 )；自首；声明；（向神父的）忏悔

参考例句：

• It is strictly forbidden to obtain confessions and to give them credence. 严禁逼供信。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Neither trickery nor coercion is used to secure confessions. 既不诱供也不逼供。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 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。

19 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。