NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-03-27

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

 

　　U.S. Supreme¹ Court justices are weighing landmark² cases on same-sex marriage and questioning whether they took up the issues too soon. NPR's Nina Totenberg says the first of two days arguments focused on California's Proposition 8, the ballot³ initiative banning same-sex marriage.

 

　　With a back-and-forth between is this a denial of equal protection of the law since there is no really great reason that the opponents of same-sex marriage can cite and there are 37,000 children in California who live in same-sex households. On the other side, the Conservative justices were saying this is incredibly new, let's let the Democratic process play out and then there was a third strain which is why are we getting into this at all at this point when the city of California no longer supports the ban on same-sex marriage. NPR's Nina Totenberg at the U.S. Supreme Court.

 

　　Tomorrow justices will examine the Defense⁴ of Marriage Act, which gay rights advocates say unfairly denies homosexual spouses⁵ benefits that are afforded married heterosexuals. Now while the justices were hearing arguments today, thousands of people were rallying outside the Supreme Court. NPR's Craig Windham reports demonstrators jammed sidewalks and street in front of the building.

 

　　Bob Borger was marching with this group, calling on the justices to keep marriage reserved for heterosexual couples.

 

　　This is not about expanding the bubble for other people, this is about bursting the bubble for the rest of society.

 

　　But Julin Russel says she liked the justices to use the California case to rule that all people have a constitutional right to marriage.

 

　　You know I'm hoping that the fact that they chose to hear it, means that they are willing to make a stand. Craig Windham, NPR News, outside the Supreme Court in Washington.

 

　　President Obama is naming Julia Pierson to head the Secret Service, the first woman to oversee⁶ the agency. Pierson is a 30-year veteran, she does not need Senate confirmation⁷.

 

　　Home prices accelerated in January. All 20 cities in the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index showed increases during the month. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports prices are rising at a faster rate in most of those cities.

 

　　The markets that had been the hardest hit are the ones posting the biggest gains. Phoenix⁸ logged the biggest year-over-year price increase at 23%. Las Vegas was up 15%. In all compared to last year, the price index for the 20 cities is up 8.1%, higher than analysts⁹ expected. Greater demand, lower foreclosure rates and tighter inventory¹⁰ in many markets is buoying¹¹ prices. The medium price for a home nationally in February was nearly 247,000 dollars, which is almost 3% more than last year. Taking together, the report indicates the highest increase in prices since the housing bubble burst. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Before the close, Dow was up 112 points.

 

　　This is NPR.

 

　　Cyprus's banks are staying closed through at least Thursday to avoid a run on banks in the Mediterranean¹² island nation. The decision was announced today after lawmakers reached a deal to shrink Cyprus's banking¹³ system and impose heavy losses on big depositors in troubled banks, in return, Cyprus secured the equivalent of a $13 billion EU bailout.

 

　　North Korea is putting its military on its highest alert level as a protest to recent UN sanctions and joint¹⁴ U.S.-South Korea military exercises. Latest threat from North Korea came as its southern neighbor was observing the third anniversary of the sinking of a warship¹⁵ in which 46  South Korean sailors were killed.

 

　　Motown producer and song writer Deke Richards has died. The cause of death was esophageal cancer. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports Richards' career  went within a few years from the pinnacle¹⁶ of music industry success to near complete obscurity.

 

　　Deke Richards cowrote and produced songs for Diana Ross, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, and the Jackson 5's first three chart-toppers.

 

　　When I had you to myself, I didn't want you around. Those pretty faces…

 

　　Richards was part of the corporation, a group of Motown song writers and producers that included Berry Gordy Junior. They hoped to rescue the label when it was shedding talent in late 1960s. After Richards' Motown contract expired, he helped Fleetwood Mac with its first U.S. top 40 hits.

 

　　I'm over my head.

 

　　But Deke Richards wound up suing the band over the album Rumors¹⁷. His career of music faltered¹⁸ and he switched to selling film posters. He died Sunday at a hospice in Bellingham, Washington. He was 68 years old. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

 

　　This is NPR.

1 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。

2 landmark   

n.陆标，划时代的事，地界标

参考例句：

• The Russian Revolution represents a landmark in world history.俄国革命是世界历史上的一个里程碑。
• The tower was once a landmark for ships.这座塔曾是船只的陆标。

3 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

4 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。

5 spouses   

n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Jobs are available for spouses on campus and in the community. 校园里和社区里有配偶可做的工作。 来自辞典例句
• An astonishing number of spouses-most particularly in the upper-income brackets-have no close notion of their husbands'paychecks. 相当大一部分妇女——特别在高收入阶层——并不很了解他们丈夫的薪金。 来自辞典例句

6 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

7 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

8 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

9 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

10 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

11 buoying   

v.使浮起( buoy的现在分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神

参考例句：

• For years, the government has been buoying up cotton prices. 多年来政府一直保持棉花高价格。 来自互联网
• He is buoying the channel. 他在用浮标指示航道。 来自互联网

12 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

13 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

14 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。

15 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

16 pinnacle   

n.尖塔，尖顶，山峰；(喻)顶峰

参考例句：

• Now he is at the very pinnacle of his career.现在他正值事业中的顶峰时期。
• It represents the pinnacle of intellectual capability.它代表了智能的顶峰。

17 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 faltered   

（嗓音）颤抖( falter的过去式和过去分词 )； 支吾其词； 蹒跚； 摇晃

参考例句：

• He faltered out a few words. 他支吾地说出了几句。
• "Er - but he has such a longhead!" the man faltered. 他不好意思似的嚅嗫着：“这孩子脑袋真长。”