NPR 2012-06-02

 It's another sell-off on Wall Street today, the Dow currently down by 267 points, the reason, a dismal¹ jobs report from May. NPR's John Ydstie reports payroll² growth has snapped off and the jobless rate has ticked upward.

According to the government's monthly employment report, only 69,000 jobs were added to payrolls³ in May and adding to the disappointing news that job creation in March and April was also revised  down by 49,000. The number show a significant slow down in job creation since the first three months of the year when an average of 226,000 were added each month. Job creation in the past two months is about 1/3 that pace. In addition, the unemployment rate unexpectedly moved up from 8.1% to 8.2%. That's because the number of people in the labor⁴ force looking for work increased by almost 650,000. John Ydstie, NPR News, Washington.

 

 

As the shelling continues in the Syrian city of Homs, the UN's top human rights official is warning the country could descend⁵ into an all-out civil war unless countries that have backed UN Envoy⁶ Kofi Annan's peace plan  rally around calls for an independent probe into last week's massacre⁷ of more than 100 civilians⁸ in Houla, 29 were children. Speaking to reporters in Beirut, Annan says Syrian President Bashar al-Assad must implement⁹ the UN-brokered plan to show he is determined¹⁰ to move ahead in search of peace.

 

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no signs of bending his strongly support for the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad. Putin is visiting Berlin. NPR's Eric Westervelt has the details. 

For months, Russia and China have led efforts to block the UN Security Council from adopting stronger measures against Syria. Western nations in many Arab States have pressed the Security Council to do more to stop the bloodshed that many are calling a civil war. In Berlin today, there was no sign Putin was changing his stands. At a joint¹¹ press conference with  Chancellor Angela Merkel, Putin claimed Russia doesn't support any side in the Syria conflict. We have a good long standing¹² relationship with Syria, he said, but we don't back any side from which the threat of civil war may emerge. Putin now travels to Paris for a meeting with the new French President. Germany and France joined other western nations this week in joint expulsions of Syrian ambassadors, following the massacre of more than 100 civilians including many children, in Homs province. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, Berlin. 

 

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is down 261 points at 12,130; the NASDAQ Composite down 75 at 2,752; the S&P 500 down 31 at 1,279.

 

 

This is NPR News.

 

 

Former President Bill Clinton is rallying Democrats¹³ in Milwaukee on behalf of the city's mayor Tom Barrett, who's locked in a close race with Republican Governor Scott Walker in a nationally watched recall election. Speaking to a crowd at a downtown riverfront park this afternoon, the former president attacked Walker's campaign tactics.

Whether you want to support laws that make it hard for young people and minorities and pull people to vote. That's what this is about, that's what he did. And he did it to keep the electric narrow, hoping you wouldn't show up.

He says people nationwide are looking to Wisconsin as American battle ground, Clinton says states that are recovering economically  have embraced creative cooperation, not constant conflict.  A reference to Walker's move to eliminate collective bargaining from most public employees. Walker will campaign tomorrow with South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley.

 

 

The trial of a former Pen State coach accused of sexually abusing children likely will begin next week as scheduled. NPR's Jeff Brady reports Jerry Sandusky has lost an appeal that could have delayed jury selection.

Earlier this week, a lower court judge denied Sandusky's request to delay the trial, so his lawyers could have more time to prepare defense¹⁴. Sandusky's attorneys filed an appeal with the Pennsylvania superior  court, details of that appeal were kept secret. The appeals court denied the emergency petition for review without issuing an opinion. Sandusky faces 52 counts for allegedly sexually abusing ten boys, charges he denies. Barring an appeal to the state's supreme¹⁵ court, jury selection is scheduled to begin Tuesday in Bellefonte , Pennsylvania. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

1 dismal   

adj.阴沉的，凄凉的，令人忧郁的，差劲的

参考例句：

• That is a rather dismal melody.那是一支相当忧郁的歌曲。
• My prospects of returning to a suitable job are dismal.我重新找到一个合适的工作岗位的希望很渺茫。

2 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。

3 payrolls   

n.（公司员工的）工资名单( payroll的名词复数 )；（公司的）工资总支出，工薪总额

参考例句：

• Indices of employment, payrolls, and production steadied in February 1931931年2月，就业、工资额和生产指数稳定。 来自辞典例句
• Wall Street responded to the payrolls figures with gusto. 华尔街对就业数据作出了积极的反应。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。

6 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。

7 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！

8 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

9 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

11 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

12 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

13 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

15 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。