NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2015-05-10

 The family of Freddie Gray is welcoming of the announcement of a federal probe into the Baltimore Police Department. Kenneth Burns from member station WYPR reports the police union also supports the investigation¹, but suggests it be widen to include city officials. 

Attorney Billy Murphy says the Gray family is gratified that an investigation of police pattern and practices will focus on the city police force. But police union President Gene² Ryan says the probe should include Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake because she leads all city agencies including the Police Department. Gray family attorney Murphy calls Ryan’s statement odd and reckless.

“It would seem to me that the FOP would have an interest in building harmony instead of sowing the seeds of discord³ even further.”

Murphy adds the union should seize the opportunity to unite against police brutality⁴. For NPR News, I’m Kenneth Burns in Baltimore. 

 

A senior United Nations official says only a lasting⁵ ceasefire in Yemen will enable aid workers to fully⁶ address what he termed the country’s monumental humanitarian⁷ challenge after six weeks of airstrikes and conflict. Saudi Arabia has offered a five-day pause in hostilities⁸ there to begin next week on the condition that Houthi rebels stop fighting. U.N. officials say a military pause would allow U.N. agencies to increase relief for tens of thousands of displaced people. 

 

A law meant to help Illinois ease out of its status as having the nation’s worst-funded pension system has been found unconstitutional. Amanda Vinicky of WUIS reports from Chicago. 

In a unanimous opinion, Illinois Supreme⁹ Court Justices struck down the pension overhaul¹⁰. The reason? The law would have reduced public workers’ benefits despite a clause in the state constitution that says retirement¹¹ benefits shall not be diminished or impaired¹². Lawyers for the state had tried to argue that Illinois should be able to break that promise because it’s in a fiscal¹³ emergency. But in its ruling, the court says, given that Illinois allowed the bulk of an income tax hike to expire this year, it cannot be said there are no alternative remedies available. The opinion says lawmakers have affectively forced retirees to bear alone burdens which should be borne by the state as a whole. For NPR News, I’m Amanda Vinicky in Chicago. 

 

Labor¹⁴ Department is reporting the April figure showed the U.S. economy added 223,000 non-farm payroll¹⁵ jobs. In the meantime, the unemployment rate compiled through a separate survey was down 0.1% to 5.4%. Most analysts¹⁶ view the number positively¹⁷; however, economist¹⁸ Diane Swonk at Mesirow Financial says employers are still being conscious. 

“The recovery still being lumpy and that it’s been a bumpy¹⁹ road with titles. And I think that’s important for employers because without certain consistency²⁰, they don’t want to hire up and have to fire again.”

The latest drop in the unemployment rate shows the economy near what the Fed considers to be full employment 5 to 5.2%. 

 

Wall Street likes the jobs numbers. The Dow up 267 points today to close at 18,191. The Nasdaq rose 58 points. 

 

You are listening to NPR. 

 

Secretary of State John Kerry says the House should pass the Senate version of the Iran nuclear bill without any changes. Kerry today calling the measure which received overwhelming approval in the Senate a reasonable and acceptable compromise. Speaking alongside Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister, Kerry noted²¹ how 150 members of Congress signed a letter supporting Obama’s efforts and said they should be able to negotiate without interference.  

 

Former Guantanamo inmate²² Canadian Omar Khadr tasting his first day of freedom. He’s released on bail²³ from an Alberta prison where he’d been serving sentences for war crimes. Dan Karpenchuk reports that freedom comes through strict conditions though. 

Despite an unsuccessful appeal by the Canadian government to keep him behind bars, Omar Khadr is now free on bail while he fights his U.S. conviction for war crimes. In his first public comments, Khadr renounced²⁴ violence and asked for a new start so that people can see who he is as a person and not as a name. He also apologized for the pain he caused to the families of his victims. He was captured in Afghanistan in 2002 after a firefight, in which a U.S. soldier was killed. Khadr then spent ten years in Guantanamo before being repatriated²⁵ to Canada. The conditions of his new freedom include a curfew, living at the home of his lawyer, no travel outside Alberta and wearing an electronic bracelet²⁶. For NPR News, I’m Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto. 

 

In the past the unusual four-year-old dog named Benno says his pet has consumed socks, magnets and marbles, (-- the newsreader seems to have made a mistake here) but this was apparently²⁷ a whole new level. Owner Larry Brassfield says the Belgium Malinois gobbled down nearly two dozen rounds of live ammunition²⁸. Benno had to be rushed to the vet²⁹ and he threw up several rounds of the ammunition. Seventeen of the rounds were surgically³⁰ removed. The rest apparently came out on their own. 

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

3 discord   

n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐

参考例句：

• These two answers are in discord.这两个答案不一样。
• The discord of his music was hard on the ear.他演奏的不和谐音很刺耳。

4 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

5 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

6 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。

7 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。

8 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

9 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。

10 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

11 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。

12 impaired   

adj.受损的；出毛病的；有（身体或智力）缺陷的v.损害，削弱( impair的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Much reading has impaired his vision. 大量读书损害了他的视力。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His hearing is somewhat impaired. 他的听觉已受到一定程度的损害。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

14 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。

15 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。

16 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。

17 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

18 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。

19 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

20 consistency   

n.一贯性，前后一致，稳定性；(液体的)浓度

参考例句：

• Your behaviour lacks consistency.你的行为缺乏一贯性。
• We appreciate the consistency and stability in China and in Chinese politics.我们赞赏中国及其政策的连续性和稳定性。

21 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

22 inmate   

n.被收容者；(房屋等的)居住人；住院人

参考例句：

• I am an inmate of that hospital.我住在那家医院。
• The prisoner is his inmate.那个囚犯和他同住一起。

23 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

24 renounced   

v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• We have renounced the use of force to settle our disputes. 我们已再次宣布放弃使用武力来解决争端。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Andrew renounced his claim to the property. 安德鲁放弃了财产的所有权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

25 repatriated   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The refugees were forcibly repatriated. 难民被强制遣送回国。
• Ancient artworks were repatriated from the US to Greece. 古代艺术品从美国遣送回希腊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

26 bracelet   

n.手镯，臂镯

参考例句：

• The jeweler charges lots of money to set diamonds in a bracelet.珠宝匠要很多钱才肯把钻石镶在手镯上。
• She left her gold bracelet as a pledge.她留下她的金手镯作抵押品。

27 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。

28 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

29 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

30 surgically   

adv. 外科手术上, 外科手术一般地

参考例句：

• Unsightly moles can be removed surgically. 不雅观的痣可以手术去除。
• To bypass this impediment an almost mature egg cell is removed surgically. 为了克服这一障碍，通过手术，取出一个差不多成熟的卵细胞。