NPR 2012-12-24

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Raum.

 

　　The National Rifle Association is defending the idea that the best response to the Newtown's school massacre¹ is to place armed guards in all schools. Executive Vice² President Wayne LaPierre made that suggestion last week. This morning, he told NBC's Meet the Press the American people support this, in his words, they think it would be crazy not to do it. LaPierre also said the answer to school violence is not to reinstate a ban on assault weapons as proposed by Senator Feinstein.

 

　　You could ban all, Dianne Feinstein, as she could do whatever she wants to with magazines. It's not going to make any kids safer. We've got to get to the real problem, the real causes and that's what the NRA is trying to do.

 

　　He says the NRA will develop a plan to recruit volunteers to be armed guards in schools.

 

　　The last of the 26 people who died at the Sandy Hook School shooting were laid to rest yesterday. NPR's Margot Adler reports the Connecticut governor has issued an order for flags to be returned to full staff. Flags were lowered to half-staff on December 14th in honor of the 20 children and six adults killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School. All around Newtown and Sandy Hook, there are memorials to those who died. Stuffed animals, angels, flowers these can be seen in many different locations. According to the Newtown Bee, the local newspaper, Town Selectman Pat Llodra  held a town-wide call on Saturday. She said the town Highway Department would begin the process of removing the temporary memorials next week after the Christmas holidays. She said the materials from these monuments will be processed into soil that will be used to form the foundation of a permanent memorial. Margot Adler, NPR News, Danbury, Connecticut.

 

　　Planning for your taxes next year will be more difficult whether or not Congress is able to avoid the fiscal³ cliff. NPR's Barbara Klein reports.

 

　　As negotiations⁴ drag on, the Internal Revenue Service is holding off on releasing income tax withholding⁶ tables for 2013. The American Payroll⁷ Association's Michael O'Toole Says employers are likely to withhold⁵ income taxes at this year's rate.

 

　　They may have to make a decision if IRS does not issue some guides by the time they process that first payroll for next year. They have to make a decision that they are going to use the tables that are currently in effect for 2012.

 

　　So workers could be in for a surprise like higher than expected bills and possibly penalties when they filed 2013 returns. Barbara Klein, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　In about an hour, memorial service is to begin in Honolulu for the late Senator Daniel Inouye who died last week at the age of 88. Inouye represented Hawaii in Congress for more than 50 years since Hawaii became a state. He was a senior at high school when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and later volunteered to fight in World War II. He lost his right arm fighting the Germans in Italy.

 

　　This is NPR News.

 

　　International Envoy⁸ Lakhdar Brahimi is heading to Damascus for talks on ending the Syrian civil war. The United Nations and the Arab League appointed him in September to try to negotiate a settlement. Since then, the rebels have expanded their control in the North and near the capital. In fact, Brahimi isn't flying into Damascus because of fighting near the airport. He flew into Beirut and he is going into Syria by car. Meanwhile, activists⁹ say there was an air strike in a town in central Syria today that killed dozens of people.

 

　　The Taliban has silenced another of its critics in Pakistan. NPR's Dina Temple-Raston reports from Islamabad.

 

　　This's been a month of brazen¹⁰ attacks by the Pakistani Taliban. The latest was a suicide bombing in the northern city of Peshawar that took the life of a senior minister named Bashir Ahmed Bilour. He was a leader in the Awami National Party or ANP and was a vocal¹¹ critic of the Taliban. Eight others were killed in the attack, and 17 were injured. There have been at least two previous attempts on his life. The assassination¹² comes just a week after an attack on the military section of the Peshawar airport and just days after several health care workers administering polio vaccines¹³ in Peshawar were also gunned down. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News, Islamabad.

 

　　Violence erupted for a second day in New Delhi during demonstrations¹⁴ demanding the Indian government do more to protect women from violence. Police used tear gas and batons¹⁵ to keep protesters from marching on the President's Palace. The unrest began in response to the brutal¹⁶ rape¹⁷ and beating of a 23-year-old woman on a bus last weekend. Six men have been arrested.

 

　　I'm Nora Raum, NPR News, in Washington.

1 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

2 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。

3 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

4 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。

5 withhold   

v.拒绝，不给；使停止，阻挡

参考例句：

• It was unscrupulous of their lawyer to withhold evidence.他们的律师隐瞒证据是不道德的。
• I couldn't withhold giving some loose to my indignation.我忍不住要发泄一点我的愤怒。

6 withholding   

扣缴税款

参考例句：

• She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
• The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。

7 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。

8 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

9 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》

10 brazen   

adj.厚脸皮的，无耻的，坚硬的

参考例句：

• The brazen woman laughed loudly at the judge who sentenced her.那无耻的女子冲着给她判刑的法官高声大笑。
• Some people prefer to brazen a thing out rather than admit defeat.有的人不愿承认失败，而是宁肯厚着脸皮干下去。

11 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

12 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

13 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

14 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。

15 batons   

n.（警察武器）警棍( baton的名词复数 )；（乐队指挥用的）指挥棒；接力棒

参考例句：

• There were many riot policemen with batons. 有许多带警棍的防暴警察。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Chinese police fight? Number one is a person with batons to fight! 满街飘的中国国旗，是一个老华侨在事发时那出来分给大家的，很感动，真的，从来一向多一事不如少一事的中国人今天团结到一起站出来反抗。 来自互联网

16 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

17 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。