NPR 2011-12-01

 From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

 

Penn State University is named along with former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky in the first civil lawsuit¹ to emerge in the sex abuse case. As NPR's Jeff Brady tells us, a 29-year-old man alleges² his abuse started when he was 10 years old.

 

The accuser's name is being kept secret. He’s called John Doe in the complaint. His lawyer, Jeff Anderson, says the man was sexually abused more than 100 times. A lawsuit names former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky the charity he started for at-risk kids and Pennsylvania State University. Anderson says his client claimed Sandusky abused him from age 10 to 14.

 

“And this is a burden that he carried from 1996 when it stopped to just days ago.”

 

Anderson says the lawsuit named Sandusky's charity in the university because people at those institutions should have done more to stop the abuse. Jeff Brady, NPR News, Philadelphia.

 

The prospects³ for a congressional extension of the payroll⁴ tax holiday are looking more positive. But as NPR's Tamara Keith reports, Senate Republicans and Democrats⁵ are at odds⁶ over how to pay for it.

 

This year, the payroll tax holiday means about 900 dollars in extra take-home pay for the typical family. Economists⁷ warned that if it's allowed to expire, there could be serious consequences. President Obama and Democrats in the Senate are pushing to extend and expand the tax holiday and pay for it with the tax on earnings⁸ over a million dollars a year. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says Republicans will back an extension, though they have different ideas about how to pay for it.

 

“Overwhelming majority Republicans think it should be extended, so we’ll have to figure out how to package that.”

 

McConnell and his Republican colleagues haven’t yet laid out specifics of how they would fund the 120-billion-dollar extension. Tamara Keith, NPR News, Washington.

 

The Dow gained more than 400 points at the open today after the Federal Reserve and European Central Bank’s move to avert⁹ a credit crunch¹⁰. Behind all of it, a coordinated¹¹ effort by the banks to ease access to dollars by reducing borrowing rates. Hugh Johnson with Hugh Johnson Advisers¹².

 

“Essentially what this involves is the injection or addition from liquidity¹³, called it money, if you meant, into the financial system in general. But Europe had been particular, and so what this does is it sort of greases the wheels of economic activity.”

 

At economic consulting firm IHS, Nariman Behravesh cautioned, “The reality, of course, this is a short-term fix. It doesn't fix the longer-term problems in Europe.”

 

Payroll processer APD is reporting US employers added 206,000 private sector¹⁴ jobs in November.

 

An encouraging sign on Wall Street where the Dow was up; the NASDAQ up 81. 

 

This is NPR News.

 

The Federal Reserve's Beige Book survey of US economic conditions finds the economy growing moderately, but hiring and housing activity are both still weak.

 

In Los Angeles, police cleared the Occupy Los Angeles encampment overnight. 

 

“Proceed out toward Main Street and our personnel will stick you out of the protest area. If you refused to leave, you are gonna, you will be subject to arrest.”

 

There was no violence, but there are about 200 arrests. There was a similar scene in Philadelphia. There was no violence in either city.

 

A group of independent scientists has taken a look at the idea of killing¹⁵ illicit¹⁶ drug crops by infecting them with plant diseases. As NPR's Dan Charles reports, the scientists say it could be risky¹⁷ and it might not work very well.

 

Marijuana, poppy and coca plants have some natural enemies. Each one can be infected by a different fungus¹⁸. Several members of Congress have pushed the government to consider spreading these fungi¹⁹ on coca-growing areas in Latin America or poppy fields in Afghanistan. The government asked the National Research Council to study the idea. The council's report though is unenthusiastic. The scientists say it's unlikely that disease would kill large numbers of plants quickly, and the fungi are likely to hang around in the environment, move to new areas, and they could infect other related plants. This could change ecosystems²⁰ in unexpected ways. Dan Charles, NPR News.

 

All Iranian diplomats²¹ have been ordered out of Great Britain after attacks on the British embassy in Tehran. The UK has withdrawn²² all of its diplomatic personnel from Iran.

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

2 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

3 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

4 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

7 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

9 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

10 crunch   

n.关键时刻；艰难局面；v.发出碎裂声

参考例句：

• If it comes to the crunch they'll support us.关键时刻他们是会支持我们的。
• People who crunch nuts at the movies can be very annoying.看电影时嘎吱作声地嚼干果的人会使人十分讨厌。

11 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

12 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

13 liquidity   

n.流动性，偿债能力，流动资产

参考例句：

• The bank has progressively increased its liquidity.银行逐渐地增加其流动资产。
• The demand for and the supply of credit is closely linked to changes in liquidity.信用的供求和流动资金的变化有密切关系。

14 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

16 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

17 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

18 fungus   

n.真菌，真菌类植物

参考例句：

• Mushrooms are a type of fungus.蘑菇是一种真菌。
• This fungus can just be detected by the unaided eye.这种真菌只用肉眼就能检查出。

19 fungi   

n.真菌，霉菌

参考例句：

• Students practice to apply the study of genetics to multicellular plants and fungi.学生们练习把基因学应用到多细胞植物和真菌中。
• The lawn was covered with fungi.草地上到处都是蘑菇。

20 ecosystems   

n.生态系统( ecosystem的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There are highly sensitive and delicately balanced ecosystems in the forest. 森林里有高度敏感、灵敏平衡的各种生态系统。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Madagascar's ecosystems range from rainforest to semi-desert. 马达加斯加生态系统类型多样，从雨林到半荒漠等不一而足。 来自辞典例句

21 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。