NPR 2012-03-08

 From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

 

President Obama is talking about energy prices today on a visit to North Carolina. He toured the Daimler truck plant in Mount Holly¹ and made a pitch for affordable² fuel-efficient cars and for his administration's energy strategy.

 

“A key part of our energy strategy has been to increase safe, responsible oil production here at home. Un-under my administration, America is producing more oils today than any time in the last eight years.”

 

In Washington today, the Labor³ Department estimated US worker productivity rose nearly 1% in the final quarter of last year. NPR's Dave Mattingly has more.

 

Economists⁵ say a slowdown in worker productivity can signal the need for companies to hire that they’re squeezing out all they can from their current workforce⁶, a need to add employees. Chief economist⁴ Brian Wesbury at First Trust says advances in high-tech⁷ are allowing companies to work smarter.

 

“We’re seeing new nanotechnology, bio-techology, new production methods for pharmaceuticals⁸, you know. So all of these things keep coming online. But I kind of focus on the communications, the tablet, the smartphone with cloud because that can really lift productivity in every single area.”

 

Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

 

The wraps are off the latest Apple iPad featuring a sharper display, faster processor and 4G wireless⁹ capability¹⁰. As NPR's Craig Windham tells us, Apple CEO Tim Cook says even the company’s been surprised by the success of the iPad.

 

The new iPad has a Retina display that’s sharper than most high-definition TVs and also an iSight camera on the back of the new device. The latest iPads will run on Version and AT&T's 4G networks and can be used as a personnel hotspot. The latest iPad is a touch thicker than the previous version. The prices will remain the same when the iPads go on sale March 16th. Pre-orders kick off immediately. Cook says the iPad is part of what he calls “the post-PC revolution.” He says such portable devices made up more than three quarters of Apple's revenue last year. Craig Windham, NPR News.

 

The Indianapolis Colts are releasing football superstar Peyton Manning. NPR's Tom Goldman explained what happens.

 

They were bumping up against the deadline of the next few days of the Colts owing Peyton Manning 28 million dollars, a roster¹¹ bonus, if he remained on the roster. And because Peyton Manning's health has been in question – he’s had numerous neck surgeries over the past a year, a year and a half – because the Colts had a horrible season last year and are rebuilding, because the Colts have the first pick in the draft and there are some two great quarterbacks available, two great college quarterbacks, they felt like it was important to make this move now. 

 

NPR's Tom Goldman.

 

The Dow was up 66. 

 

This is NPR.

 

The European Union today said that EU member Hungary has not done enough to ease serious concerns that the country's backsliding on basic democratic rights and freedoms. As NPR's Eric Westervelt tells us, Hungary's new constitution is at the heart of the issue.

 

The EU's executive branch launched legal challenges against Hungary in January amid concern parts of the constitution undermined the independence of the judiciary, the central bank and the data protection agency. Today the European Commission told Hungary its written responses to their concerns were not adequate, especially for data protection and on what many fear is the politicized forced retirement¹² of nearly 300 judges and prosecutors¹³. Matthew Newman is spokesman for the EU's Justice Minister.

 

“We want European citizens, Hungarian citizens to enjoy independent institutions, and we want people in Europe not to face discrimination based on their age.”

 

The EU is now giving Hungary one month to address their concerns, or the country could be taken to the European Court of Justice. Eric Westervelt, NPR News.

 

A UN humanitarian¹⁴ relief group today got the first outside view of a Syrian neighborhood in the Syrian city of Homs since a military siege ended there. The team toured the district for almost an hour. Witnesses say the deadly month-long assault by the regime forces has left the city empty. Amid charges, he permitted the trafficking of heroin¹⁵ from Afghanistan through Iran. An Iranian general's US-based assets are now frozen. The US Treasury¹⁶ announced the sanctions against Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard General Gholamreza Baghbani.

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 holly   

n.[植]冬青属灌木

参考例句：

• I recently acquired some wood from a holly tree.最近我从一棵冬青树上弄了些木料。
• People often decorate their houses with holly at Christmas.人们总是在圣诞节时用冬青来装饰房屋。

2 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

3 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。

4 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 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》

6 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

7 high-tech   

adj.高科技的

参考例句：

• The economy is in the upswing which makes high-tech services in more demand too.经济在蓬勃发展，这就使对高科技服务的需求量也在加大。
• The quest of a cure for disease with high-tech has never ceased. 人们希望运用高科技治疗疾病的追求从未停止过。

8 pharmaceuticals   

n.医药品；药物( pharmaceutical的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• the development of new pharmaceuticals 新药的开发
• The companies are pouring trillions of yen into biotechnology research,especially for pharmaceuticals and new seeds. 这些公司将大量资金投入生物工艺学研究，尤其是药品和新种子方面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 wireless   

adj.无线的；n.无线电

参考例句：

• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio.收音机里有许多无线电线路。
• Wireless messages tell us that the ship was sinking.无线电报告知我们那艘船正在下沉。

10 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

11 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

12 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

13 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

14 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

15 heroin   

n.海洛因

参考例句：

• Customs have made their biggest ever seizure of heroin.海关查获了有史以来最大的一批海洛因。
• Heroin has been smuggled out by sea.海洛因已从海上偷运出境。

16 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。