NPR 2011-04-23

Pro-democracy activists¹ in Syria are reporting one of the deadliest days yet in the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. A prominent human rights group says at least 49 people were killed today when security forces fired live ammunition² and tear gas at the crowds of demonstrators across the country. Tracking developments from Beirut, NPR’s Deborah Amos reports that after a month of protests and despite warnings from Assad's regime, protesters keep flooding the streets.

It is remarkable³ that people go out on the streets in Syria, knowing that they will be facing live fire. There are young social media activists who are on Facebook and Twitter. They are uploading videos, videos that go to YouTube, to Arab satellite broadcast, to Western media outlets⁴. They are documenting what is happening in the country.

And as NPR's Deborah Amos found, this is the kind of audio turning up on YouTube, purportedly⁵ from amateur video of angry protests in Jasim, Syria.

We're also told that many Syrian Christians⁶ have chosen to stay home this Good Friday, a time when Christians worldwide say they commemorate⁷ Jesus's Crucifixion. NPR's Jackie Northam is seeing a much different scene in Jerusalem. She says Jerusalem's walled Old City is crowded with people of different churches and faiths marking Good Friday as the calendars of the Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches coincide this year.

Christians from all over the world wended their way through the crowded cobblestone streets of all Jerusalem, singing hymns⁸ in their native tongues and reading gospels. Many of the faithful carry crucifixes in their hands or heavy wooden crosses on their shoulders as they follow the route Jesus took down the Via Dolorosa, "Way of Suffering" in Latin. There was a heavy presence of Israeli security forces at many points along the route, which ends at the ancient church of the Holy Sepulcher⁹. A stone tomb in the church is believed to be where Jesus was buried, and it's from this church, where Christians will celebrate his resurrection two days from now on Easter Sunday. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Jerusalem.

Senator John McCain has been appealing for more military support for rebels in Libya. He's been meeting with them in Benghazi today. McCain is getting an up-close look at ground operations against Colonel Muammar Gaddafi's forces. He agrees with the opposition¹⁰, which complained that NATO's air strikes are virtually ineffective. Meanwhile, Admiral Mike Mullen says the US has not approved providing weapons to Libya's opposition. Speaking during a visit to Iraq, he said that the situation would continue to be monitored. He also said the time was running out for talks that would extend the American troop presence in Iraq.

US markets are closed for this Good Friday.

This is NPR.

President Obama is due back in Washington from his West Coast trip shortly. While he was away from the White House, NPR's Giles Snyder reports Mr. Obama never left the debate over how to spur economic growth.

Air Force One is due to touch down at Andrews Air Force Base after a swing through California and Nevada that included town hall style meetings and fundraisers had netted several million dollars for the president's re-election campaign, but how best to shepherd the nation's economy was never far away.

"The summit we want to reach is where America is more competitive than ever before; where our economy is growing and everybody is sharing in the prosperity. That's the summit we want to reach."

The economy has rebounded¹¹ since Mr. Obama was first elected, but although the labor¹² market is showing strength, the unemployment rate is still persistently¹³ high. Giles Snyder, NPR News, Washington.

Wildfire evacuees¹⁴ in central Texas are being allowed to temporarily return home today as long as they're under a police escort. They have several more hours to do so. Scores of homes have been evacuated¹⁵ in the Possum Kingdom Lake community, where fires have burned about 150,000 acres and are said to be about 25% contained. The PK Complex fire and others have scorched¹⁶ more than a million acres across Texas since fires broke out in January.

In Kenya, the government's warning of a possible terrorist attack over Easter. Officials say they received credible¹⁷ information that the Al-Shabab militia¹⁸ group plans to target places of worship. The group is accused of carrying out an attack last year during the World Cup final, where 76 people were killed.

1 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》

2 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

3 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

4 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 purportedly   

adv.据称

参考例句：

• This is purportedly the oldest tree in the world. 据称这是世界上最古老的一棵树。 来自互联网
• Mayor Oh Se-Hoon launched the campaign last year, purportedly to improve efficiency. 据悉，首尔市市长吴世勋于去年提出了这项旨在提高工作效率的计划。 来自互联网

6 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

7 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

8 hymns   

n.赞美诗，圣歌，颂歌( hymn的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At first, they played the hymns and marches familiar to them. 起初他们只吹奏自己熟悉的赞美诗和进行曲。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
• I like singing hymns. 我喜欢唱圣歌。 来自辞典例句

9 sepulcher   

n.坟墓

参考例句：

• He said softly,as if his voice were coming from a sepulcher.他幽幽说道，象是从坟墓里传来的声音。
• Let us bend before the venerated sepulcher.让我们在他神圣的墓前鞠躬致敬。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

11 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

12 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

13 persistently   

ad.坚持地；固执地

参考例句：

• He persistently asserted his right to a share in the heritage. 他始终声称他有分享那笔遗产的权利。
• She persistently asserted her opinions. 她果断地说出了自己的意见。

14 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

15 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。

16 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

17 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

18 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。