NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-01-23

　　From NPR news in Washington, I am Lakshimi Singh.

 

　　The Lone¹ Star College near Houston Texas remains² on lockdown after a shooting on campus. It’s uncertain how many people were injured. There is a word that at least one suspect is in custody³. Jack⁴ Williams, news director of member station KUHF in Houston says students are describing the first moments of the ordeal⁵.

 

　　Several students have described an altercation⁶ involving the shooter and possibly another student. There was obviously chaos⁷ there on the scene as the shootings took place with soft stretchers being loaded; and ambulances and helicopters flying around the scene, students leaving the campus. Some of students were actually allowed to leave the campus said that they saw the gunman shooting another man and possibly accidentally shooting several other people nearby. They said it was a chaotic⁸ scene and they try to get away as soon they could.

 

　　KUHF news director Jack Williams. The shooting comes at a politically sensitive time for the Obama administration which enters the second term for more gun control. The president presented proposals more than a month after a mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school.

 

　　Nebraska’s governor has told the Obama administration that he is now in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline⁹. NPR’s Richard Harris reports the governor had originally objected to the Canadian pipeline because it would cut through sensitive lands.

 

　　“The Keystone XL pipeline would carry thick Canadian oil from Alberta to refineries¹⁰ along the Texas coast. But in 2001, Nebraska’s governor Dave Heineman tried to block the pipeline because it would run through the state’s fragile Sandhills region. As a result, the Canadian companies picked a new route for the pipeline. The governor, a Republican, has now told the Obama administration the new route is okay. He wants to create those pipeline construction jobs in his state. President Obama will ultimately have to decide whether the pipeline fits into his all-of-the-above energy strategy or if he would side with climate activists¹¹ who say this oil should remain in the ground just slow global warming. Richard Harris, NPR news.”

 

　　So, the National Association of Realtors is saying existing home sales in December slipped a bit. NPR’s Yuki Noguchi reports sales are curtailed¹² by low inventory¹³ and stricter mortgage underwriting standards.

 

　　“Sales of existing homes fell 1% in November, a slight decline that the Realtors Association attributed them part the fact that fewer homes are on the market. Inventory which had skyrocketed a few years ago fell again in December and it is now at a 4.5 months’ supply, lower than the 6 months that is standard in a normal market. Still, low interest rates and an improved job market increased demand in 2012 and made the most active year for existing home sales in 5 years. Home prices also continue to increase. They rose 6.3% last year over 2011. Yuki Noguchi, NPR news, Washington.”

 

　　Dow is up 45 points. This is NPR news.

 

　　Activists on the both sides of the abortion¹⁴ debate marking this 40th anniversary of Roe¹⁵ versus¹⁶ Wade¹⁷, the Supreme¹⁸ Court decision on women’s right to abortion. Opponents are holding prayers, workshops, and rallies against termination of pregnancy¹⁹. In Kansas, hundreds of people gather to listen to Republican governor Sam Brownback who is calling for further restrictions²⁰. Meanwhile the National Organization for Women plans a candle light vigil at the Supreme Court.

 

　　The director best known for the Death Wish movies has died. NPR’s Neda Ulaby reports he died yesterday at his home in London after a long illness.

 

　　“World to the muggers, rapists, and carjackers who messed with Charles Bronson in the Death Wish series.”

 

　　“It’s my car.” “Are you going dead?!”

 

　　“The five Death Wish movies made over 60 million dollars in the US alone. Critics revile²¹ the gory²² violence and prove vigilante message. Winner who has educated at a Quaker school described in this ‘a puddle²³ of blood’. The director was flamboyant²⁴, political conservative, and last year was voted among the annoying people in Britain. He annoyed plenty of restaurant tours in his side career as a food critic for the Sunday times. Michael Winner was 77 years old. Neda Ulaby, NPR news.”

 

　　Stocks waivered in an early trading today on Wall Street as companies turned in a mix-batch of earnings²⁵ report. du Pont, for example rose after reporting incoming that beat Wall Street’s forecast. Johnson & Johnson beat most expectations for the final quarter of the year. Last check, Dow was up more than 40 points at 13,693.

 

　　This is NPR.

1 lone   

adj.孤寂的，单独的；唯一的

参考例句：

• A lone sea gull flew across the sky.一只孤独的海鸥在空中飞过。
• She could see a lone figure on the deserted beach.她在空旷的海滩上能看到一个孤独的身影。

2 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。

3 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

4 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

5 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

6 altercation   

n.争吵，争论

参考例句：

• Throughout the entire altercation,not one sensible word was uttered.争了半天，没有一句话是切合实际的。
• The boys had an altercation over the umpire's decision.男孩子们对裁判的判决颇有争议。

7 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

8 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

9 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

10 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。

11 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》

12 curtailed   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。
• Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

15 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

16 versus   

prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下

参考例句：

• The big match tonight is England versus Spain.今晚的大赛是英格兰对西班牙。
• The most exciting game was Harvard versus Yale.最富紧张刺激的球赛是哈佛队对耶鲁队。

17 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

18 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。

19 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

20 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

21 revile   

v.辱骂，谩骂

参考例句：

• No man should reproach,revile,or slander another man.人们不应羞辱，辱骂或诽谤他人。|||Some Muslim communities in East Africa revile dogs because they believe that canines ate the body of the Prophet Muhammad.一些东非的穆斯林团体会辱骂狗，因为他们相信是它们吃了先知穆罕默德的尸体。

22 gory   

adj.流血的；残酷的

参考例句：

• I shuddered when I heard the gory details.我听到血淋淋的详情，战栗不已。
• The newspaper account of the accident gave all the gory details.报纸上报道了这次事故中所有骇人听闻的细节。

23 puddle   

n.(雨)水坑，泥潭

参考例句：

• The boy hopped the mud puddle and ran down the walk.这个男孩跳过泥坑，沿着人行道跑了。
• She tripped over and landed in a puddle.她绊了一下，跌在水坑里。

24 flamboyant   

adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的

参考例句：

• His clothes were rather flamboyant for such a serious occasion.他的衣着在这种严肃场合太浮夸了。
• The King's flamboyant lifestyle is well known.国王的奢华生活方式是人尽皆知的。

25 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。