NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-02-08

 Another proposal to extend the benefits to the long-term unemployed¹ has failed in the senate. The extension would have lasted three months and cost 6.5 billion dollars. NPR’s Ailsa Chang reports the measure failed one vote short of six votes needed to pass.

 

Since the benefits for the long-term unemployed expired December 2008, the senate has voted on few different proposals on how to extend those payments. Republicans have been demanding that any extension be paid for by cuts elsewhere in the federal budgets. Democrats² have agreed to that but disputes focus on what that offset³ would be and how many amendments⁴ to the legislation Republicans can bring. Even if the senate is able to pass legislation to extend benefits, the fight in the house is likely to be more intense. House speaker John Boehner has said how only consider extension if it is paid for and if it comes with plan for job creation. Ailsa Chang, NPR News, the Capitol.

 

According to house speaker Boehner, the Republican controlled body has no intension of missing a late February deadline to up the government’s borrowing ability. The Ohio Republican says we are not going to default on our debt and he also hold up the possibility the house could consider so-called clean debt limit increase that includes no GOP add-ons.

 

We are in discussions with members about how we can move ahead. We have got time to do this. We are going to continue to work at it. No decisions, no decisions have been made.

 

Boehner is struggling to win enough support among Republicans to pass debt limit measure without any help from Democrats.

 

Obama administration officials think Russia might have been behind a leaked telephone conversation between two US diplomats⁵. Conversation was about Ukraine emplaced Russia’s complains about US meddling⁶. As NPR’s Michele Kelemen explains.

 

A recording⁷ posted on YouTube sounds like assistant Secretary of State for Europe, Victoria Nuland, talking with the US ambassador in Ukraine about which opposition⁸ figure should join in coalition⁹ government.  State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki did not raise any doubts about inauthenticity of the recording nor did she say who might bug¹⁰ to the diplomats but she points out Russian officials were the first to Twitter about it.

 

This is a new low in Russian tradecraft.

 

She says Nuland had to apologize to the European Union for a part of conversation when Nuland used coarse word to express frustration¹¹ with the EU’s approach to Ukraine. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, The State Department.

 

A private sector¹² job’s report appears to be painting a mixed picture of the labor¹³ market so far this year. The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas says after hitting a 13-year-low in December, it is on uptake in layoff¹⁴ last month. Or at least some of those lost made in seasonal¹⁵ with majority of layoff coming in retail¹⁶, and many companies said higher temporary employees during the busy holiday season.

 

Wall Street closed higher today, the Dow Jones Index Average up 188 points end session at 15,628 that was gain of more than 1%. The NASDAQ closed up 45 points. The S&P 500 was up 21 points today.

 

You are listening to the NPR news in Washington.

 

According to US research institute, an upgraded North Korea’s main rocket launch pad could be completed by spring. The official is saying that in turn could mean more testing by the north. US Korea Institute at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies citing new satellite imagery shows the modifications¹⁷ are underway at the site. North Korean watchers say it appears that site is being ready for the possible testing of larger rockets something the US feel worrisome since the country is continuing to try to develop ballistic missile technology.

 

A disgraced Catholic religious leader has apologized many victim of his late founder¹⁸, a probably who lived a double life as pedophilia, womanize and drug addict¹⁹. NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli reports the Legionaries of Christ accused the founder of reprehensible²⁰ and objectively moral behavior.

 

Delegates from around the world meeting in Roma to set a new direction for the legion denounce the magnitude of the evil and scandals cause by Father Marcial Maciel. He found the legion in 1941 and led it until the Vatican removed him in 2006. For decades, the Vatican has dismissed accusations²¹ by seminarians that Maciel has abused them. Former members say the order was ran like call to rule in secrecy²² while Macile led double life and fathered at least three children by two women. Delegates elected a new General Director Eduardo Robles Gil a longtime Macile aid. But in the sign of Vatican mistrust of the legion’s decisions, the Holy See appointed two reform-minded advisors²³ to serve on its governing council. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Roma.

 

Shows kick off the fashion week in New York, Designers including Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein telling their latest fashions. Fashion Week draws estimated 232,000 people to more than 500 shows. 

1 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

4 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

5 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》

6 meddling   

v.干涉，干预（他人事务）( meddle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He denounced all "meddling" attempts to promote a negotiation. 他斥责了一切“干预”促成谈判的企图。 来自辞典例句
• They liked this field because it was never visited by meddling strangers. 她们喜欢这块田野，因为好事的陌生人从来不到那里去。 来自辞典例句

7 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

8 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。

9 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

10 bug   

n.虫子；故障；窃听器；vt.纠缠；装窃听器

参考例句：

• There is a bug in the system.系统出了故障。
• The bird caught a bug on the fly.那鸟在飞行中捉住了一只昆虫。

11 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

13 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。

14 layoff   

n.临时解雇，操作停止，活动停止期间，失业期

参考例句：

• Finally, prepare an explanation about what led to your layoff.最后，要准备好一套说辞来解释你被解雇的原因。
• Workers were re-employed after the layoff.在暂时解雇不久后工人们又被再度雇用了。

15 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

16 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

17 modifications   

n.缓和( modification的名词复数 )；限制；更改；改变

参考例句：

• The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型，然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

19 addict   

v.使沉溺；使上瘾；n.沉溺于不良嗜好的人

参考例句：

• He became gambling addict,and lost all his possessions.他习染上了赌博，最终输掉了全部家产。
• He assisted a drug addict to escape from drug but failed firstly.一开始他帮助一个吸毒者戒毒但失败了。

20 reprehensible   

adj.该受责备的

参考例句：

• Lying is not seen as being morally reprehensible in any strong way.人们并不把撒谎当作一件应该大加谴责的事儿。
• It was reprehensible of him to be so disloyal.他如此不忠，应受谴责。

21 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

22 secrecy   

n.秘密，保密，隐蔽

参考例句：

• All the researchers on the project are sworn to secrecy.该项目的所有研究人员都按要求起誓保守秘密。
• Complete secrecy surrounded the meeting.会议在绝对机密的环境中进行。

23 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网