NPR 2012-02-19

 Syrian forces fired on mourners at a funeral procession in Damascus today. Activists¹ say at least one person was killed. Thousands had turned out for the funeral for three people killed by security forces yesterday. Activists say it was one of the largest anti-government gatherings² in Damascus since the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad began last March. 

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says she’ll travel to Tunisia next week to take part in a Friends of Syria meeting. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports pressure is mounting on the Syrian president to step aside.

 

After meeting Secretary Clinton at the State Department, the European Union's foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had some tough words for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad. 

 

“We are absolutely clear that President Assad should stand aside. You cannot kill your own people, you cannot be a leader and call this leadership.”

 

Secretary Clinton says a recent UN General Assembly resolution shows how isolated³ Assad is. She says she’ll be talking with other so-called Friends of Syria to find ways to strengthen the opposition⁴. Clinton acknowledges there are not many good options. As she puts it, this takes a large dose of humility⁵. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington. 

 

A Moroccan man is in custody⁶, accused of plotting to blow himself up at the US Capitol building. The FBI arrested Amine El Khalifi at the Capitol yesterday. Officials say he was wearing a suicide vest and carrying a gun and explosives that he obtained from people he fought were with al-Qaeda. Officials say he was actually dealing⁷ with FBI agents, who'd been monitoring him for nearly a year. They say the gun and explosives would not have worked and no one was in danger. According to an affidavit⁸, the man had told acquaintances that the US had declared a war on Muslims. 

 

A funeral is underway in Newark, New Jersey⁹ for Whitney Houston. NPR's Allison Keyes reports the pop superstar being honored in words and in song. 

 

“After you’ve done all you can, you just stand...”

 

Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin brought the mourners at New Hope Baptist Church to their feet with a stirring rendition of the song "Stand". Houston's cousin, singer Dionne Warwick, thanked him. 

 

“This song means a lot to Cissy and meant a great deal to Whitney.” 

 

This church is where Houston began her 30-year musical career, and she sang in the choir¹⁰ with her mother Cissy. The Rev¹¹. Joe Carter began the service by reminding mouners that Whitney Houston is the only one who could have brought the people here together. 

 

“With God's strength, we celebrate the life of Whitney Houston.”

 

Allison Keyes, NPR News. 

 

She was found dead last Saturday in a hotel room in Beverly Hills. She was 48. The cause has not yet been announced. 

 

This is NPR News. 

 

The Afghan government is reportedly using a new counter-infiltration strategy to read out rogue¹² soldiers and protect coalition¹³ troops. From Kabul, Teri Schultz reports NATO's top military commander in Afghanistan is calling the measure unprecedented¹⁴.

 

General John Allen, commander of NATO security force in Afghanistan, says while there are tens of thousands of cooperative interactions every day, more must be done to stop those few deadly occasions where Afghan soldiers attack their coalition partners. Now Allen says some 300 special agencts have been dispatched throughout the Afghan National Army and 500 more will follow.

 

“The intended course is to provide as much witness as possible as to what’s going on inside the ranks, but they are also training the Afghan troops to be looking for difficulties that may be emergent inside the ranks.”

 

Allen also wants Afghan military officials to start interviewing soldiers when they come back from home leave, about where they were, who they were with, procedures followed in the US armed services. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Kabul. 

 

Pope Benedict XVI welcomed 22 new cardinals¹⁵ of the Roman Catholic Church today at a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. This brings to 125, the number of cardinals under the age of 80, who’re eligible¹⁶ to select the next pope. 

 

State television in Iran reports a trial began in Tehran today in the biggest financial scam in the country's history. Thirty-two people are accused of using forged documents and bribes¹⁷ to acquire billions of dollars. The television report says the top defendant¹⁸ has been charged of being "corrupt¹⁹ on earth", meaning he’s an enemy of God, a charge that carries the death penalty.

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 gatherings   

聚集( gathering的名词复数 )； 收集； 采集； 搜集

参考例句：

• His conduct at social gatherings created a lot of comment. 他在社交聚会上的表现引起许多闲话。
• During one of these gatherings a pupil caught stealing. 有一次，其中一名弟子偷窃被抓住。

3 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

4 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。

5 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

6 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

7 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

8 affidavit   

n.宣誓书

参考例句：

• I gave an affidavit to the judge about the accident I witnessed.我向法官提交了一份关于我目击的事故的证词。
• The affidavit was formally read to the court.书面证词正式向出席法庭的人宣读了。

9 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

10 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

11 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

12 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

14 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

15 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

16 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

17 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

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。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

18 defendant   

n.被告；adj.处于被告地位的

参考例句：

• The judge rejected a bribe from the defendant's family.法官拒收被告家属的贿赂。
• The defendant was borne down by the weight of evidence.有力的证据使被告认输了。

19 corrupt   

v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的

参考例句：

• The newspaper alleged the mayor's corrupt practices.那家报纸断言市长有舞弊行为。
• This judge is corrupt.这个法官贪污。