NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-01-05

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Windsor Johnston.

 

　　More than two months after Superstorm Sandy devastated¹ parts of the Northeast, the Senate has passed a $9.7 billion bill, providing aid to storm victims. The bill cleared the House earlier today. New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer says there is no question that the passage of the measure was long overdue².

 

　　We really had no choice but to pass this provision, because the federal government is obligated to reimburse³ when people have floods if they have paid in their flood insurance. So while this bill is important, it's something we were almost obligated to do, and we should not have parades down the street because this bill has passed.

 

　　A vote on another $51 billion in recovery aid is expected later this month.

 

　　The Food and Drug Administration is releasing a set of proposed regulations today for farms that grow fruits and vegetables as well as food processors. As NPR's Dan Charles reports the regulations have been in the works for two years.

 

　　In 2010, Congress passed the Food Safety Modernization⁴ Act. It gave the FDA more power to regulate operations at large vegetable farms, such as the farm in Colorado that sold contaminated cantaloupes in 2011. Thirty-three people died from eating them. The new draft regulations call for practices that many private companies are doing already. They try to block every possible way that harmful bacteria might get on fresh food from stray animals leaving droppings in fields to farm workers not washing their hands. Congress exempted⁵ the smallest farms from these regulations, but many small farmers still worry that they will in fact have to follow them raising their costs. Farmers and consumers now have four months to study the rules and propose changes. Dan Charles, NPR News.

 

　　Stocks open slightly higher following this morning's jobs report. It shows the pace of hiring eased slightly in December, while the unemployment rate held steady at 7.8%. NPR's Dave Mattingly has more.

 

　　Despite uncertainty⁶ about the fiscal⁷ cliff, employers added 155,000 jobs in December. The Labor⁸ Department says construction added 30,000, the most in 15 months. Much of that gain tied to rebuilding in the Northeast after Hurricane Sandy. Economist⁹ Joe Johnson.

 

　　You can say these are good numbers, we did add 1.8 million jobs in the year. I suppose that's good news, but at the same time, when you compare to other recoveries in the postwar period it's not particularly strong.

 

　　The job gains for 2012 roughly equal those seen in 2011. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 23 points at 13,415; the NASDAQ Composite up two points at 3,103; the S&P 500 up five at 1,464.

 

　　This is NPR.

 

　　Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez remains¹⁰ hospitalized in Cuba after complications following a fourth cancer surgery last month. NPR's Juan Forero reports the president's condition is raising questions over whether he will be able to return to office.

 

　　The president is now suffering from respiratory deficiency, as Venezuela's minister of information put it in a statement. But there is little more information about the 58-year-old populist. Chavez hasn't been seen since his December 11th operation in Havana. Before leaving, he anointed a successor, his vice¹¹ president to take over should he die or become unable to resume as president. In October, Chavez won reelection. But with his delicate condition, many in Venezuela questioned whether he would be back home to be sworn in on Thursday. Opposition¹² leaders have been calling for more information about Chavez's health, which has been a state secret. The government has shot back, accusing its opponents of psychological  warfare. Juan Forero, NPR News.

 

　　A 15-year-old Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban for  promoting girls' education, has been released from a British hospital. Shaista Gohir of the Muslim Women's Network, says the story of Malala Yousafzai is a valuable teaching tool for girls no matter their faith or nationality.

 

　　She was speaking out for her rights in the context where she probably knew that she could be subjected to violence and obviously, her family supported her pretty well and she is an inspiration to women and girls across the world.

 

　　Malala will live with her family in the UK while she continues to receive treatment.

 

　　I'm Windsor Johnston, NPR News, in Washington.

1 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

2 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

3 reimburse   

v.补偿，付还

参考例句：

• We'll reimburse you for your travelling expenses.我们将付还你旅费。
• The funds are supposed to reimburse policyholders in the event of insurer failure.这项基金将在保险公司不能偿付的情况下对投保人进行赔付。

4 modernization   

n.现代化，现代化的事物

参考例句：

• This will help us achieve modernization.这有助于我们实现现代化。
• The Chinese people are sure to realize the modernization of their country.中国人民必将实现国家现代化。

5 exempted   

使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His bad eyesight exempted him from military service. 他因视力不好而免服兵役。
• Her illness exempted her from the examination. 她因病而免试。

6 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

7 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。

8 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。

9 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。

10 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。

11 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。