NPR 2012-12-29

　　From NPR News in Washington, I am Jeanine Herbst.

 

　　A meeting is underway at the White House between Senate and House leaders at this hour, it’s a final step at trying to find a solution to avoid the looming¹ fiscal² cliff of automatic tax hikes and spending cuts. The president plans to offer a scaled-down package that would prevent tax increases on income of 400,000 dollars or less. Some Senators are optimistic about a deal. Democratic Senator Charles Schumer says he thinks it can be reached. Republican Senator Bob Corker agrees, but

 

　　Probably the worst-case scenario⁴ will come out of this meeting today,that is, we will kick the can down the road, Jeff, we will do some small deal, and we will create another fiscal cliff to deal with this fiscal cliff.”

 

　　Clarke was interviewed on CBS's "This Morning".

 

　　A threatened port strike that would have crippled the East and Gulf⁵ Coast has offered at least a month, a federal mediator⁶ says a contract for more than 14,000 longshoremen has been extended for 30 days. Economists⁷ had feared the strike would have crippled the US retail⁸ and manufacturing parts of the economy. Johnathon Gold with the National Retail Federation⁹, he says the extension takes some of the pressure off both sides.

 

　　The pressure is gone, but at least the hope is that they can get a final deal worked out within the next 30 days, so we don’t have to worry about another strike or shutdown towards the end of January.”

 

　　The sticking point between the union and the dork workers has been over royalty¹⁰ payments to union workers based on cargo¹¹ weight. Mediators say both parties have reached an agreement in principle over that issue, but not giving details.

 

　　The 23-year-old student, who was the victim of a gang-rape¹² in India’s Capital is fighting for her life, according to doctors at a Singapore hospital where she is being treated. From New Delhi, NPR’s Julie McCarthy reports young woman remains¹³ on life-support and her condition is worsening.

 

　　The patient is just currently struggling against the odds¹⁴, said Kevin Lou, the CEO of Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore. He said that a multidisciplinary team of specialists have been working tirelessly to treat the young woman. Doctors are quoted saying, she has suffered significant brain injury, and that she has an infection in her lung and abdomen¹⁵. Delhi police say the young student was beaten with iron rod, gang raped¹⁶ and thrown from a bus on December,16th. Her brutal¹⁷ case has ignited rage in the country, then boiled over into violence protests in the capital. The government has tried to stem rising public anger by promising¹⁸ safer streets, speeder trials of sexual crimes and the consideration of the death penalty for the crime of rape. Julie McCarthy, NPR news, New Delhi.

 

　　President Obama says he was an American original.

 

　　General Norman Schwarzkopf died yesterday from complications of pneumonia¹⁹ after a lung illness. Dubbed²⁰ Stormin Norman, he led the successful US ejection of Iraqi forces from Kuwait which had invaded that country in 1990. It’s also a highly decorated Vietnam vet²¹. General Schwarzkopf was 78.

 

　　On Wall Street at this hour, the Dow is down 92 points at 13,004; the NASAQ down 12; the S&P 500 is down nine. This is NPR .

 

　　Security is a top concern in the capital of Central African Republic. After the US ambassador and its diplomatic team were evacuated²² on fears rebels could try to take the capital. The president of Central African Republic is calling for international help to fend²³ off those rebels who are quickly seizing territory in the country.

 

　　Russia has acquitted²⁴ the only official charged in the death of Sergei Magnitsky. Jessica Gallaher reports from Moscow that the 37-year-old lawyer who died in jail pending³ corruption²⁵ charges.

 

　　Jailed doctor Dmitry Kratov was found not guilty of negligence²⁶ in causing the death of Magnitsky who passed away in jail in 2009 after his pancreatitis went untreated. An investigation²⁷ by Russia’s Presidential Human Rights Council found that Magnitsky was denied treatment and severely²⁸ beaten. The lawyer worked for Russia’s largest investment firm allegedly uncovered a plan by Russian officials to reclaim²⁹ more than $ 200 million in taxes paid by that company. Magnitsky was later arrested by the same officials he accused of fraud. The case was widely criticized around the world. As a result, the United States Congress passed the so-called Magnitsky Act, which bars Russians' entry into the United States, if they are accused of violating human rights. In a tit-for-tat response, Putin signed a law banning Americans from adopting Russian children. From NPR news, I am Jessica Gallaher in Moscow.

 

　　The number of pending home sales rose to its highest level in 2.5 years last month. The National Association of Realtors says that seasonally³⁰ adjusted index rose 1.7% in November from October. That is the highest since April of  2010 when the home buyer tax credit caused a spike³¹ in sales. Pending sales on houses under contract usually takes one to two months for a signing contract to close.

 

　　I am Jeanine Herbst, NPR news, in Washington.

1 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

2 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。

3 pending   

prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的

参考例句：

• The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。
• He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

4 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

5 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

6 mediator   

n.调解人，中介人

参考例句：

• He always takes the role of a mediator in any dispute.他总是在争论中充当调停人的角色。
• He will appear in the role of mediator.他将出演调停者。

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 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

9 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

10 royalty   

n.皇家，皇族

参考例句：

• She claims to be descended from royalty.她声称她是皇室后裔。
• I waited on tables，and even catered to royalty at the Royal Albert Hall.我做过服务生， 甚至在皇家阿伯特大厅侍奉过皇室的人。

11 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

12 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。

13 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。

14 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？

15 abdomen   

n.腹，下腹(胸部到腿部的部分)

参考例句：

• How to know to there is ascarid inside abdomen?怎样知道肚子里面有蛔虫？
• He was anxious about an off-and-on pain the abdomen.他因时隐时现的腹痛而焦虑。

16 raped   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的过去式和过去分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• A young woman was brutally raped in her own home. 一名年轻女子在自己家中惨遭强暴。 来自辞典例句
• We got stick together, or we will be having our women raped. 我们得团结一致，不然我们的妻女就会遭到蹂躏。 来自辞典例句

17 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。

18 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

19 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

20 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

22 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。

23 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

24 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

25 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

26 negligence   

n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意

参考例句：

• They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
• The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

27 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

28 severely   

adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地

参考例句：

• He was severely criticized and removed from his post.他受到了严厉的批评并且被撤了职。
• He is severely put down for his careless work.他因工作上的粗心大意而受到了严厉的批评。

29 reclaim   

v.要求归还，收回；开垦

参考例句：

• I have tried to reclaim my money without success.我没能把钱取回来。
• You must present this ticket when you reclaim your luggage.当你要取回行李时，必须出示这张票子。

30 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

31 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。