NPR 2011-03-19

The US will not go it alone in Libya, but President Obama says it will join the international community in enforcing a UN resolution aimed at stopping the Libyan regime's attacks on demonstrators.

"It authorizes¹ the use of force with an explicit² commitment to pursue all necessary measures to stop the killing³, to include the enforcement of a no-fly zone over Libya. It also strengthens our sanctions and the enforcement of an arms embargo⁴ against the Gaddafi regime."

Mr. Obama said the terms are not open to negotiation⁵, and the resolution will be enforced with military action.

Four New York Times journalists who disappeared while covering the conflict in Libya have been found. The Times said on its website the four were captured by forces loyal to Muammar Gaddafi and will be released today.

The first radiation levels from the vicinity of the heavily damaged Japanese power plant show there may not be significant health risks. NPR's Richard Knox says while this is reassuring⁶, things could change.

Monitoring of radioactivity from 12 to 37 miles away from the disabled power plant largely reveals very low levels, not much higher perhaps than normal background radiation from rock outcroppings, cosmic rays and other natural sources. There is one spot about 20 miles northwest of the plant, where radiation levels are somewhat elevated. But radiation scientist Evan Douple, who studies the health of atom bomb survivors⁷, says it's not enough to pose an immediate⁸ or long-term health risk.

"These levels so far, I don't think that a study would be able to measure and be able to determine that there would be health effects."

Experts say health risks could go up if plant emissions⁹ increase. Nearly 200,000 residents have been evacuated¹⁰ within a 12-mile radius¹¹ of the plant. Richard Knox, NPR News.

The political and legal juggling¹² over Wisconsin's new collective bargaining law continues. Wisconsin Public Radio's Shawn Johnson reports a state judge has temporarily blocked implementation¹³ of the law.

The order by Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi means that at least temporarily, Wisconsin's recently signed collective bargaining law can't be published. And as long as it's on hold, unions retain their collective bargaining rights. A complaint before the judge alleged¹⁴ lawmakers broke the open meetings law when they called the special committee to vote on this bill and then passed it less than two hours later. Judge Sumi said it was likely the complaint had merit, and that if the court didn't act, there would be irreparable harm.

"This was something that would and did catch the public unaware¹⁵."

Attorneys representing the state may appeal the case. For NPR News, I'm Shawn Johnson in Madison.

The captain who starred in some raunchy videos shown to sailors abroad the aircraft carrier Enterprise has gotten a censure¹⁶ letter from the Navy secretary.

Near the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 86 points, NASDAQ was ahead eight and the S&P was up five.

This is NPR.

The US and Chile have quietly signed a nuclear energy accord even as Japan continues to grapple with its earthquake-triggered nuclear disaster. The signing was supposed to be a high-profile moment in President Obama's meeting with the Chilean president in Chile on Monday, but it was signed by the US ambassador and Chile's foreign minister.

US diplomatic posts shut down in Pakistan today amid protests over the release of the CIA contractor¹⁷ who was accused of murdering two Pakistanis. In Islamabad, NPR's Julie McCarthy says the government declared a high alert during protests that also denounced US drone missile attacks.

One of the biggest demonstrations¹⁸ was in Islamabad. Former cricketer turned politician Imran Khan condemned¹⁹ the government for the release of Raymond Davis. The deaths of three Pakistanis in the Davis affair have inflamed²⁰ anti-American passions that coincide with public outrage²¹ over civilian²² casualties caused by US drone attacks. Pakistan summoned the US ambassador in protest over a drone strike yesterday. It killed dozens of people, reportedly many civilians²³. Imran Khan told demonstrators: "We should decide that whenever any Pakistani is killed in a drone strike, the entire nation will take to the street." Similar demonstrations were held in Lahore and Karachi. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Islamabad.

The owner of a central North Carolina convenience store is charged with felony larceny²⁴ after allegedly trying to cash a customer's winning 90,000-dollar lottery²⁵ ticket. Police say the man told Kecia Parker her ticket was not a winner. Parker has played the same five numbers since the state's education lottery opened.

1 authorizes   

授权，批准，委托( authorize的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings 'traveler' and 'traveller'. 字典裁定traveler和traveller两种拼法都对。
• The dictionary authorizes the two spellings "honor" and "honour.". 字典裁定 honor 及 honour 两种拼法均可。

2 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

3 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。

4 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

5 negotiation   

n.谈判，协商

参考例句：

• They closed the deal in sugar after a week of negotiation.经过一星期的谈判，他们的食糖生意成交了。
• The negotiation dragged on until July.谈判一直拖到7月份。

6 reassuring   

a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的，使人放心的

参考例句：

• He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
• With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。

7 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

10 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

11 radius   

n.半径，半径范围；有效航程，范围，界限

参考例句：

• He has visited every shop within a radius of two miles.周围两英里以内的店铺他都去过。
• We are measuring the radius of the circle.我们正在测量圆的半径。

12 juggling   

n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was charged with some dishonest juggling with the accounts. 他被指控用欺骗手段窜改账目。
• The accountant went to prison for juggling his firm's accounts. 会计因涂改公司的帐目而入狱。

13 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

14 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

15 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。

16 censure   

v./n.责备；非难；责难

参考例句：

• You must not censure him until you know the whole story.在弄清全部事实真相前不要谴责他。
• His dishonest behaviour came under severe censure.他的不诚实行为受到了严厉指责。

17 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

18 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

19 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

20 inflamed   

adj.发炎的，红肿的v.（使）变红，发怒，过热( inflame的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His comments have inflamed teachers all over the country. 他的评论激怒了全国教师。
• Her joints are severely inflamed. 她的关节严重发炎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

22 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

23 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

24 larceny   

n.盗窃（罪）

参考例句：

• The man was put in jail for grand larceny.人因重大盗窃案而被监禁。
• It was an essential of the common law crime of larceny.它是构成普通法中的盗窃罪的必要条件。

25 lottery   

n.抽彩；碰运气的事，难于算计的事

参考例句：

• He won no less than ￡5000 in the lottery.他居然中了5000英镑的奖券。
• They thought themselves lucky in the lottery of life.他们认为自己是变幻莫测的人生中的幸运者。