NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-01-22

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

　　President Obama is preparing to rejoin a large number of supporters who have come from all over the country to the nation's capital to celebrate his second inauguration¹. They are standing² shoulder to shoulder along the parade route hoping to get a glimpse of president and first lady. They've just wrapped up a luncheon³ at Statuary Hall where he told audience of Democrats⁴ and Republicans that despite their differences, they share a common goal.

 

　　I recognize that democracy is not always easy and I recognize there are profound differences in this room, but I just want to say thank you for your service and I want to thank your families for their service, because regardless of our political persuasions⁵ and perspectives, I know that all of us serve because we believe that we can make America for future generations.

 

　　NPR's Pam Fessler recaps events earlier in the day as people prepare to watch President Obama publicly take the oath of office. She says inaugural⁶ activities have come relatively⁷ smoothly⁸ so far.

 

　　There was no Purple Tunnel of Doom⁹ this year. There wasn't 2009 that's when thousands would-be inaugural goers with purple tickets missed the swearing in because of security glitches¹⁰. This year spectators reported long lines at some security checkpoints, but for the most part, those who wanted to, got in. Still, some people said they couldn't see very well and spectators booed when Jumbotron screens near the Washington Monument failed to work properly. Traffic was heavy on the city's metro¹¹ rail system, especially as thousands left the mall right after the president's speech. Ridership was about 60% of what it was in 2009. Pam Fessler, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Well, the debt ceiling is one of the major issues confronting the president as he begins his second term. Republican leaders say a measure to increase the nation's borrowing authority will come up for a vote in the House on Wednesday. Lawmakers say the legislation will require the House and Democratic-led Senate to approve budgets that call for a deeper spending cuts if either chamber¹² fails to do so, congressional members pay will then be withheld¹³.

 

　　The State Department is confirming the deaths of three Americans killed in a terrorist attack in Algeria, they were among 38 foreign nationals killed in a standoff that began last week when Islamist militants¹⁴ raided a gas complex and ended when Algerian forces stormed the site. Britain also lost citizens in the assault. Prime Minister David Cameron warns the attack, it's further proof, he says, that North Africa is becoming increasingly vulnerable, not only to local insurgents¹⁵.

 

　　It's also becoming a magnet for jihadists from other countries who share this poisonous ideology¹⁶. Indeed there are already reports of non-Algerian nationals involved in this attack.

 

　　We are far to reports of a Canadian involve. Militants said they took hostages in retaliation¹⁷ for France's military offensive against insurgents in neighboring Mali where French forces reportedly have retaken control strategic town of Diabaly.

 

　　This is NPR News.

 

　　Eurozone finance ministers are meeting in Brussels where for the first time in years the central issue is not the debt crisis in Greece but in Cyprus and Spain. Teri Schultz reports the group of 17 nations is also about to get a new leader who says the euro is regaining¹⁸ credibility.

 

　　Dutch Finance Minister Jeroen Dijsselbloem has been tapped to chair the eurozone, taking over from Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker,who has headed the group the last eight years. Forty-six-year-old Dijsselbloem has only been a finance minister for three months and his government has been critical of the ever increasing list of countries needing to be rescued by fellow eurozone members. But Dijsselbloem is expected to be the  compromise choice. He says the euro is on its way up, too.

 

　　There seems to be a new basis for trust and we have to work to announce it, to strengthen it and to build new growth and jobs.

 

　　No decisions are likely yet on possible aid packages to Cyprus or Spain. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz, in Brussels.

 

　　The fate of crew members aboard a vessel¹⁹ that was apparently²⁰ hijacked²¹ off Ivory Coast last week, remains²² uncertain. And Reuters News Service is reporting the ship's whereabouts are still unknown. Ivorian authorities say gunmen seized a Nigerian-own tanker²³ off the port of Abidjan as it was preparing to unload fuel.

 

　　John and Jim Harbaugh, will be the first pair of brothers to coach against each other for the NFL title. People talking about it still today. The Baltimore Ravens²⁴ and the San Francisco 49ers won their respective AFC and NFC Championship games yesterday. They set up, the unprecedented²⁵ sibling²⁶ rivalry²⁷ at the Super Bowl in just under two weeks.

 

　　I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

1 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

2 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。

3 luncheon   

n.午宴，午餐，便宴

参考例句：

• We have luncheon at twelve o'clock.我们十二点钟用午餐。
• I have a luncheon engagement.我午饭有约。

4 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》

5 persuasions   

n.劝说，说服（力）( persuasion的名词复数 )；信仰

参考例句：

• To obtain more advertisting it needed readers of all political persuasions. 为获得更多的广告，它需要迎合各种政治见解的读者。 来自辞典例句
• She lingered, and resisted my persuasions to departure a tiresome while. 她踌躇不去，我好说歹说地劝她走，她就是不听。 来自辞典例句

6 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

7 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

8 smoothly   

adv.平滑地，顺利地，流利地，流畅地

参考例句：

• The workmen are very cooperative,so the work goes on smoothly.工人们十分合作，所以工作进展顺利。
• Just change one or two words and the sentence will read smoothly.这句话只要动一两个字就顺了。

9 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

10 glitches   

n.小过失，差错( glitch的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Manufacturing glitches have limited the factory's output. 生产中的故障影响了该厂的产量。 来自辞典例句
• Another kind of period variation,\"Glitches,\" are seen in several pulsars. 在几个脉冲星中还看到了周期的另一种变化，即“自转突快”现象。 来自辞典例句

11 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

12 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

13 withheld   

withhold过去式及过去分词

参考例句：

• I withheld payment until they had fulfilled the contract. 他们履行合同后，我才付款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• There was no school play because the principal withheld his consent. 由于校长没同意，学校里没有举行比赛。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

15 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

16 ideology   

n.意识形态，(政治或社会的)思想意识

参考例句：

• The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
• The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。

17 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

19 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

20 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

21 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

22 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。

23 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

24 ravens   

n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wheresoever the carcase is,there will the ravens be gathered together. 哪里有死尸，哪里就有乌鸦麇集。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A couple of ravens croaked above our boat. 两只乌鸦在我们小船的上空嘎嘎叫着。 来自辞典例句

25 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。

26 sibling   

n.同胞手足(指兄、弟、姐或妹)

参考例句：

• Many of us hate living in the shadows of a more successful sibling.我们很多人都讨厌活在更为成功的手足的阴影下。
• Sibling ravalry has been common in this family.这个家里，兄弟姊妹之间的矛盾很平常。

27 rivalry   

n.竞争，竞赛，对抗

参考例句：

• The quarrel originated in rivalry between the two families.这次争吵是两家不和引起的。
• He had a lot of rivalry with his brothers and sisters.他和兄弟姐妹间经常较劲。