NPR 2011-01-23

Two days of negotiations¹ with Iran are over without any sort of agreement on nuclear issues. Officials from six world powers tried to persuade Tehran to reconsider its refusal to stop enriching uranium. The European Union's foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, says Iran kept making unrealistic demands concerning sanctions.

"This is not the conclusion I had hoped for. We have hoped to embark² on a discussion of practical ways forwards and have made every effort to make that happen. I'm disappointed to say that this has not been possible."

The summit ended without even an agreement to meet again.

In eastern Afghanistan, a bomb has killed two NATO soldiers. And as NPR's Quil Lawrence reports, a standoff between the Afghan president and the parliament appears to be resolved.

Heavy fighting continues in the south and east of the country, and NATO officials said that several insurgents³ were killed. President Hamid Karzai appears to have bent⁴ to the demands of the parliament that was elected four months ago, but is not yet convened⁵. Even after officials'd certified⁶ the results, Karzai created a special tribunal to review complaints. Critics say Karzai wanted more seats for his fellow ethnic⁷ Pashtuns, who did poorly at the polls because insurgents' threats kept their turnout low. Observers fear the delay might be indefinite, leading Karzai to rule by decree. This weekend, MPs vowed⁸ to inaugurate the parliament with or without Karzai, possibly with UN and American support. After hours of negotiations at the presidential palace, Karzai told MPs they can finally take their seats on Wednesday. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Kabul.

Hundreds of people attended today's funeral Mass for Sargent Shriver in Potomac, Maryland. The founding Peace Corps⁹ director and member of the Kennedy clan¹⁰ died this week at the age of 95. NPR's Pam Fessler has this look at today's rememberance.

Singer Wyclef Jean was among the many notable performers and guests who gathered at the suburban¹¹ Washington DC church. Former President Bill Clinton and First Lady Michelle Obama joined friends and members of the Shriver and Kennedy families to pay their respects to Shriver and his long life of public service. Vice¹² President Joe Biden said Shriver's great optimism was contagious¹³.

"That vigorous mind, that heart full of grace, that love, that energy, optimism. It helped serve so many who had so little for so long."

Shriver started the Peace Corps for his brother-in-law President Kennedy. He also led the Johnson administration's War on Poverty and helped run the Special Olympics with his wife Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Pam Fessler, NPR News, Washington.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords is in the intensive care unit of a rehabilitation¹⁴ hospital in Houston after a successful trip from Arizona. Doctors say she has great rehabilitation potential.

This is NPR News.

The director of human rights at the United Nations is urging the Mexican government to investigate if the kidnapping of 40 Central American migrants was done with the collusion of officials. James Blears in Mexico has more about the still unsolved abductions.

UN Human Rights Chief Navi Pillay wants to discover if there's any connection which links two incidents concerning a train, which was last month traveling through the southern Mexican state Oaxaca. It was initially¹⁵ halted by police and migration¹⁶ officials, who detained 92 of 250 migrants. But soon after the train resumed its trip, it was forced to stop by gunmen, who then abducted¹⁷ 40 people. They haven't been seen since. Mr. Pillay says this happened in highly questionable¹⁸ circumstances. The Mexican Institute of Migration confirms it's still investigating the incident. For NPR News, I'm James Blears in Mexico City.

President Obama, in marking today's 38th anniversary of the Supreme¹⁹ Court's decision on abortion²⁰, calls the procedure a constitutional right that he will protect. In a statement today, he says he remains²¹ committed to policies designed to prevent unintended pregnancies²². And he called on Americans to recommit themselves to ensuring that, in his words, our daughters have the same rights, the same freedoms and the same opportunities as our sons to fulfill²³ their dreams. Anti-abortion activists²⁴ will participate in an annual event called "March for Life" in Washington on Monday.

Holly²⁵ Lahti, the recent winner of $190 million in the Mega Millions jackpot has not been seen or heard from since the drawing on January 4th, but an old mugshot of her sporting a black eye has surfaced. Court records indicate she and her husband had a history of violent disputes. He could now lay claim to some of the money.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 embark   

vi.乘船，着手，从事，上飞机

参考例句：

• He is about to embark on a new business venture.他就要开始新的商业冒险活动。
• Many people embark for Europe at New York harbor.许多人在纽约港乘船去欧洲。

3 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

4 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

5 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

6 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

7 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。

8 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

9 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

10 clan   

n.氏族，部落，宗族，家族，宗派

参考例句：

• She ranks as my junior in the clan.她的辈分比我小。
• The Chinese Christians,therefore,practically excommunicate themselves from their own clan.所以，中国的基督徒简直是被逐出了自己的家族了。

11 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

12 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

13 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

14 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

15 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

16 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

17 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

18 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

19 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。

20 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

21 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

22 pregnancies   

怀孕，妊娠( pregnancy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Since the wartime population needed replenishment, pregnancies were a good sign. 最后一桩倒不失为好现象，战时人口正该补充。
• She's had three pregnancies in four years. 她在四年中怀孕叁次。

23 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

24 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。