NPR 2012-07-05

 Frustration¹ is growing from Virginia to Indiana, where more than a million homes and businesses have been enduring a heat wave without electricity since last Friday’s thunderstorms. Utility companies say they’re working as fast as they can to get power fully² restored, and they’re getting help from other states. But in a sad reminder³ of the dangers these workers are facing, a utility worker from Milton, Florida reportedly has become the 25th casualty of the storms. Virginia authorities say the 57-year-old woman crashed her truck while helping⁴ with emergency repairs.

 

On this 4th of July, Americans are celebrating with picnics, cookouts and parades, even though they are enduring this heat wave. This evening, many people will be watching the fireworks. NPR’s Craig Windham reports one of the largest is the Macy’s “Ignite the Night” display over the Hudson River in New York City.

 

Amy Kule is executive director of the fireworks extravaganza. She says it has taken a year of planning and some intense work preparing the more than 40,000 aerial shells.

 

“We’re here for two full weeks with 40 technicians putting everything into place.”

 

Gary Souza is the designer of the fireworks display. He says one highlight will be a nearly mile-long stream of light and stars spawned⁵ by dozens of exploding shells.

 

“They’ll make this beautiful, beautiful golden cascade⁶ with silver sparkles at the end of each of the stars.”

 

Souza says the shells will be fired from motors positioned on several barges⁷ in the river on the west side of Manhattan. Craig Windham, NPR News.

 

The state Court of Appeals in California is upholding the legality of medical marijuana dispensaries under state law. NPR's Ina Jaffe reports the ruling strikes down the attempts of cities and counties to ban the pot shops outright⁸.

 

The three-judge panel ruled the state law legalizing medical marijuana preempts⁹ a Los Angeles county ordinance¹⁰ prohibiting medical marijuana dispensaries. The decision said the LA County’s ban “directly contradicts the legislature's intent.” Later this month, the city of Los Angeles was scheduled to vote on a ban similar to the county’s. The court of appeals still allows cities and counties to regulate the dispensaries like other businesses, determining whether they can locate and requiring them to have business licenses¹¹. While the state court upheld California’s medical marijuana law, the federal government still considers it illegal and has moved to cease the buildings where pot shops are operating. Ina Jaffe, NPR News.

 

France and Britain say they will push for tougher UN action against Syria if a transition plan doesn't bring a quick end to violence there. Frustration in some quarters is growing with a UN-brokered peace plan that could allow President Bashar al-Assad to take part in a transitional government.

 

US markets are closed for the holiday. 

 

This is NPR.

 

NGO workers in Egypt have had another day in court, but Kimberly Adams reports many of the defendants¹² were not in the room. 

 

An Egyptian court heard more testimony¹³ today against workers for several foreign pro-democracy groups. But only 16 of the 43 defendants showed up, according to state media. Earlier this year, the Egyptian government charged the workers with operating in the country illegally, souring relations between Egypt and Western governments. Many of the international workers, including the son of US Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood, left the country as soon as a court lifted their travel ban and have not returned for the trial. However, several Egyptian staffers are still in the country, facing charges. For NPR News, this is Kimberly Adams in Cairo. 

 

International debt inspectors¹⁴ are in Greece and the island nation of Cyprus this week. Joanna Kakissis reports from Athens that Greece wants the lenders to soften¹⁵ austerity measures, while Cyprus needs bailout loans to stay solvent¹⁶.

 

The debt inspectors are called the troika. They represent the European Union, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary¹⁷ Fund. The IMF’s Managing Director Christine Laggard¹⁸ says the troika is not in Athens to negotiate new terms but to check on the progress of reforms. The troika has consistently criticized Greece for failing to implement¹⁹ reforms in exchange for billions in bailout loans. Meanwhile, Cyprus says it may need more than 12 billion dollars in rescue loans to stay solvent. That’s more than half of its GDP. The tiny eurozone country is at risk of default because it’s heavily exposed to Greek debt. For NPR News, I’m Joanna Kakissis in Athens.

1 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

2 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

3 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 spawned   

（鱼、蛙等）大量产（卵）( spawn的过去式和过去分词 )； 大量生产

参考例句：

• The band's album spawned a string of hit singles. 这支乐队的专辑繁衍出一连串走红的单曲唱片。
• The computer industry has spawned a lot of new companies. 由于电脑工业的发展，许多新公司纷纷成立。

6 cascade   

n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下

参考例句：

• She watched the magnificent waterfall cascade down the mountainside.她看着壮观的瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls.她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。

7 barges   

驳船( barge的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The tug is towing three barges. 那只拖船正拖着三只驳船。
• There were plenty of barges dropping down with the tide. 有不少驳船顺流而下。

8 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

9 preempts   

先占

参考例句：

• The Clean Water Act expressly provides that it does not preempt more stringent state law. 《洁净水法案》明确规定，该法并不先占更为严格的州法律。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• They do not preempt the land surface that is useful for other purposes. 它们不预先占用对其它目的有用的地面。 来自辞典例句

10 ordinance   

n.法令；条令；条例

参考例句：

• The Ordinance of 1785 provided the first land grants for educational purposes.1785年法案为教育目的提供了第一批土地。
• The city passed an ordinance compelling all outdoor lighting to be switched off at 9.00 PM.该市通过一条法令强令晚上九点关闭一切室外照明。

11 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

12 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

13 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

14 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

16 solvent   

n.溶剂；adj.有偿付能力的

参考例句：

• Gasoline is a solvent liquid which removes grease spots.汽油是一种能去掉油污的有溶解力的液体。
• A bankrupt company is not solvent.一个破产的公司是没有偿还债务的能力的。

17 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

18 laggard   

n.落后者；adj.缓慢的，落后的

参考例句：

• In village,the laggard living condition must be improved.在乡村落后的生活条件必须被改善。
• Businesshas to some degree been a laggard in this process.商业在这个进程中已经慢了一拍。

19 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。