NPR 2011-08-25

 Hurricane Irene is gaining strength over the Bahamas as it makes its way straight for the Eastern US. Though still a Category 3, the storm's top winds are now at around 120 miles per hour. Evacuations are already underway on one of the tiny islands off the North Carolina coast. Forecasters warned the storm could get to Category 4, and wreak¹ havoc² across the Eastern Seaboard later this week. FEMA Administrator³ Craig Fugate says people better get ready for more else.

 

"Those that wait till the last minute will find the shelves empty and bare. Those that wait to evacuate⁴ the last minute are gonna find traffic jams grave. And those that had a place to go may find themselves on the road without a clear destination, wondering how far that storm is behind them."

 

The storm could reach the US by the weekend.

 

Four Italian journalists are missing in Libya. The Italian government says the group was kidnapped earlier today while they were headed to Tripoli. Their driver was killed. The attack is suspected to have been carried out by Moammar Gadhafi loyalists struggling to keep the regime from being toppled. It came hours or within hours of news that Western journalists held by armed gunmen were released from hotel in the capital. Meanwhile the battle for Tripoli continues. 

 

Gadhafi is in hiding but he says he will not surrender. In a message aired by local Libyan TV, the Libyan leader tells supporters to keep fighting for Tripoli.

 

In Paris today, French President Nicolas Sarkozy met with a senior member of Libya’s rebel government. Eleanor Beardsley reports the two leaders spoke⁵ to reporters about plans for a post-Gaddafi Libya.

 

Mahmoud Jibril stood at the podium and thanked Sarkozy for his courageous⁶ position in leading international efforts to help the Libyan people throw off Gadhafi's dictatorship. The two leaders then announced that representatives from more than 30 nations would gather in Paris on September 1st to talk about rebuilding Libya. Jibril, speaking through a translator, said that day was important.

 

"It was on September 1st that Gadhafi came to power 41 years ago. This will be a new symbol of the reconstruction⁷ of Libya on the basis of democracy, justice, equality."

 

Jibril said the new Libyan leaders would not seek revenge and the government would be inclusive. For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

 

Syria is a target of new Western calls for tougher sanctions as government troops keep up their attacks on anti-government activists⁸. Reuters news service is reporting Arab ministers plan to hold an emergency session this Saturday to discuss the bloodshed in Syria. The United Nations estimates 2,200 people have been killed since Syria's uprising began five months ago.

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 144 points or 1.2% at 11,321, and NASDAQ was up nearly 1% at 2,468.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The Obama administration is fighting Alabama's controversial new immigration law in Birmingham Federal Court. NPR'a Debbie Elliot reports the US district judge is considering whether to block the law from going into effect in September.

 

The Justice Department's William Orrick argues that Alabama has overstepped federal authority with a new law that makes it a crime to be in the state illegally, and also criminalizes transporting, housing or entering into a contract with unauthorized residents. Orrick says Congress intended that the country speak with one voice on immigration policy. He says Alabama's strict new law would hinder foreign policy, erode⁹ the reputation of the US, and invite retaliation¹⁰ from other governments. US District Judge Sharon Blackburn says she is leaning toward the argument that federal law preempts¹¹ part of Alabama's immigration crackdown. Debbie Elliot, NPR News, Birmingham.

 

A US monitoring group says satellite imagery reveals two more mass graves in a disputed area of Sudan, bringing their total to eight so far. The group known as the Satellite Sentinel Project also says members of Sudan's Red Crescent Society were present during some of the burials. Sudan's UN envoy¹² is dismissing the group's claims.

 

Higher demand for planes and automobiles¹³ are the main factors behind the overall 4% increase in orders for durable¹⁴ goods in July. But the Commerce Department says that orders in most other major categories including computers, machinery¹⁵ and electronic goods dropped last month.

 

At last check on Wall Street, Dow was up 144 points before the close at 11,321, This is NPR News.

1 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

2 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

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 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

7 reconstruction   

n.重建，再现，复原

参考例句：

• The country faces a huge task of national reconstruction following the war.战后，该国面临着重建家园的艰巨任务。
• In the period of reconstruction,technique decides everything.在重建时期，技术决定一切。

8 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 erode   

v.侵蚀，腐蚀，使...减少、减弱或消失

参考例句：

• Once exposed,soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain.一旦暴露在外，土壤很快就会被风雨侵蚀。
• Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.金融市场的竞争降低了利润。

10 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》

11 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

12 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

13 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

14 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

15 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。