NPR 2010-12-25

The EPA is announcing it'll propose new standards for power plants in July and for oil refineries¹ next December. The Obama administration is moving unilaterally to clamp down on greenhouse gas emissions² after Congress did not act on climate change legislation this year. EPA administrator³ Lisa Jackson says emissions from power plants and refineries constitute about 40 percent of the greenhouse gas pollution in this country.

Wintry weather is causing more travel problems at a number of airports in Europe today. The BBC's Matthew Price says Belgium has been especially hard hit.

Shoveling and skidding⁴, a two sounds you'll hear today in Brussels. The capital city's main airport had about ten inches of snow overnight. It's struggling to cope. Aircraft are being diverted elsewhere, and many have been delayed from taking off.

The BBC's Matthew Price.

Richard and Kathy Broughton are among the passengers stranded⁵ in Brussels. They say they were sent from London to Brussels in the hope of getting on a flight to Washington, DC.

"Our kids are over there. All the rest of the family are there."

"Yeah."

"But not us this time. So, anyway."

"Oh, well."

"Merry Christmas."

"The Christmas that wasn't."

A spokesman for the Brussels Airport is warning travelers to prepare to spend the night.

The lower house of Russia's parliament's given preliminary approval to the New START nuclear arms agreement with the US. From Moscow, Peter Van Dyk reports lawmakers are expected to give final approval in the New Year, but not before studying it closely.

The State Duma voted overwhelmingly for the treaty. The ratification⁶ bill will now have second and third readings next year, with lawmakers taking time to fully⁷ consider the significance of the Senate resolution. Russia's foreign minister told the parliament that the treaty ensured Russia's security, but he criticized the Senate for painting Russia as the bad guy. The Russian parliament's final document may include language laying out Moscow's position on aspects of the treaty, particularly the link between strategic offensive capabilities⁸ and missile defense⁹. The issue was one of the biggest sticking points in the negotiations¹⁰, and Russian officials have threatened to withdraw from the treaty, if they feel threatened by US missile defense capabilities. For NPR News, I'm Peter Van Dyk in Moscow.

Meanwhile, Russia is agreeing to buy at least two helicopter carriers from a France-led consortium. A statement out today does not put a price on the deal, but it's being dubbed¹¹ one of the largest military deals ever to take place between Russia and a NATO country. The French warships¹² will boost Moscow's deployment¹³ abilities. Worrying some of Russia's neighbors, especially after its brief war with Georgia in 2008.

More setbacks today for the man refusing to concede defeat after Ivory Coast's presidential elections. Officials cut off incumbent¹⁴ Laurent Gbagbo's access to the state funds used to pay soldiers, and state TV remains¹⁵ off the air.

This is NPR News.

The Obama administration's main foreclosure prevention program once aimed at keeping three to four million people in their homes is slated¹⁶ to fall short. As NPR's Nathan Rott tells us, Florida and California lead the nation in foreclosure activity.

In the waning¹⁷ weeks of this year, just over half a million homeowners have received permanent help from the mortgage aid program, help that should allow them to keep their homes. Still, that was hardly the impact hoped for when the program launched in 2009. More than 1.4 million people had applied¹⁸ for the program, but over half have since dropped out. That's according to numbers released by the Treasury¹⁹ Department Wednesday. November's foreclosure filings fell to their lowest points since 2005, but the government has warned the drop is likely temporary. Nathan Rott, NPR News, Washington.

No talk about politics or the president. Republicans are using their weekly address to ask Americans to remember those in the military serving overseas. Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Pitts recorded the address. USO President Sloan Gibson is also making a similar call today. He's reminding Americans there are many ways to help deployed²⁰ service members.

"Make it possible to send a care package over. Make it possible to deliver that phone call and allow the family to connect with their deployed loved one. Let them know that they are okay."

Some soldiers are able to be home for the holidays. Massachusetts is among states welcoming home National Guard soldiers who had been serving in Iraq. Belmont welcomed home National Guard members this week after their service in Afghanistan.

It's been a long time since Atlanta's seen any measurable snowfall on Christmas Day, not since 1882, but it could happen this year.

1 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

2 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

3 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

4 skidding   

n.曳出，集材v.（通常指车辆） 侧滑( skid的现在分词 )；打滑；滑行；（住在）贫民区

参考例句：

• All the wheels of the truck were tied up with iron chains to avoid skidding on the ice road. 大卡车的所有轮子上都捆上了铁链，以防止在结冰的路面上打滑。 来自《用法词典》
• I saw the motorcycle skidding and its rider spilling in dust. 我看到摩托车打滑，骑车人跌落在地。 来自互联网

5 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

6 ratification   

n.批准，认可

参考例句：

• The treaty is awaiting ratification.条约正等待批准。
• The treaty is subject to ratification.此条约经批准后才能生效。

7 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。

8 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

9 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。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。

13 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

14 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

15 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。

16 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。

17 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

19 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

20 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。