NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-05-21

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

　　The White House says the president's counsel  Kathryn Ruemmler alerted some senior staff members after she learned in late April. The inspector¹ general of the Internal Revenue Service was looking into special scrutiny² of conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status. But NPR's Craig Windham says Ruemmler decided³ not to tell President Obama about the audit⁴ before a final report was released.

 

　　White House Press Secretary Jay Carney says Ruemmler had only very general information about the then incomplete audit which she passed on to the White House Chief of Staff and some other senior staffers.

 

　　She also made clear that it was her view and another shared this view that there was not a need in a situation like this with an ongoing⁵ investigation⁶ or audit that the president should be notified.

 

　　Carney says it would have been improper⁷ for Obama to act until the audit was finished because the preliminary findings of such probes are subjected to change.

 

　　There was nothing we could have or should have done about it.

 

　　Carney says Obama did act quickly once the audit was released. Several congressional panels have begun their own investigations⁸ of the IRS actions. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　For a second day, the National Weather Service has issued a tornado⁹ watch for a large portion of Oklahoma. Kurt Gwartney with member station KGOU reports authorities are concerned about the increased danger with schools in session and people at work.

 

　　Sunday's fatal tornados¹⁰ hit at a time when many Oklahomans were home, monitoring the weather and seeking close to storm shelters. Rick Smith with the National Weather Service says the current situation is different.

 

　　We are on a Monday and we do have schools in session and people driving home from work and that is a big big concern for us.

 

　　Smith says conditions across Oklahoma may even be more volatile¹¹ against bonding life threatening tornados. Forecasters say the storm system will push east, bringing an increased risk of tornados Tuesday to parts of Texas Arkansas and Louisiana. For NPR News, I'm Kurt Gwartney, in Oklahoma City.

 

　　And now there is a signing of tornado near Newcastle, Oklahoma.

 

　　Secretary of State John Kerry is returning to the Middle East this week to press his case for peace talks between Syria's Assad regime and the opposition¹². This is U.S. efforts to end Syrian conflict are further complicated by Russia's decision to give Syria advanced anti-ship cruise missiles. Earlier, Kerry addressed State Department trainees¹³ about beefing up security for diplomats¹⁴. He pledged the administration would spare no expense to protect its people overseas.

 

　　We are bringing on more security personnel, we are enhancing our training, we are putting more marines at our high threat diplomatic posts.

 

　　Kerry also said he was committed to implementing¹⁵ and expanding on the proposals of an independent review board that investigated last September's deadly attack on a U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya.

 

　　Yahoo is acquiring online blogging forum¹⁶ Tumblr for just over $1 billion cash. It's been widely described as a bold move by CEO Marissa Mayer to breathe new life into the struggling Internet giant.

 

　　Before the closing bell, Dow was down 19 at 15,335.

 

　　This is NPR.

 

　　Gay rights advocates in New York have organized a march and rally tonight. They're responding to an attack in Manhattan over the weekend that police are calling a hate crime. NPR's Joel Rose has more.

 

　　Police say  Elliot Morales yelled homophobic slurs¹⁷ at a gay man on the street before shooting him once in the head. The victim, 32-year-old Mark Carson was walking with a companion in  Greenwich Village on Saturday night. The shooting took place just blocks from the Stonewall Inn, a site of riots in 1969 that helped give rise to the movement for gay rights. Morales is charged with murder as a hate crime and several other counts. Police say the shooting follows a spate¹⁸ of other recent attacks gay man in New York. But none of those were deadly. Joel Rose, NPR News, in New York.

 

　　Russia's Counter Terrorism Agency says it has foiled a terrorism plot in Moscow. The national anti-terrorism committee says special forces killed two militants¹⁹ and detainees and detained rather a third person during a raid in a town on the outskirts²⁰ of Moscow.

 

　　United Airlines is flying its 787s again four months after the planes were grounded because of smoldering²¹ batteries. Similar problems on other 787s forced other airlines to ground their aircraft as well. United says it plans to its 787 international flights June 10th.

 

　　At last check on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 19 points at 15,335; NASDAQ off three at 3,495; and the S&P 500 down slightly 1,668.

 

　　This is NPR News.

1 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

2 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

3 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

4 audit   

v.审计；查帐；核对；旁听

参考例句：

• Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair.他们每年对我们进行账务审核，以确保其真实无误。
• As usual,the yearly audit will take place in December.跟往常一样，年度审计将在十二月份进行。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 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。

7 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

8 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

9 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

10 tornados   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• And the national weather service reports several tornados touch down. 国家气象中心报告预测龙卷风将来袭。 来自互联网
• They had stock footage of lightning, tornados, and hurricanes. 他们存有关于闪电、龙卷风和飓风的电影胶片。 来自互联网

11 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

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。

13 trainees   

新兵( trainee的名词复数 )； 练习生； 接受训练的人； 训练中的动物

参考例句：

• We've taken on our full complement of new trainees. 我们招收的新学员已经满额了。
• The trainees were put through an assault course. 受训人员接受了突击训练课程。

14 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

16 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

17 slurs   

含糊的发音( slur的名词复数 )； 玷污； 连奏线； 连唱线

参考例句：

• One should keep one's reputation free from all slurs. 人应该保持名誉不受责备。
• Racial slurs, racial jokes, all having to do with being Asian. 种族主义辱骂，种族笑话，都是跟亚裔有关的。

18 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

19 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

20 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

21 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句