NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2015-04-21

 Following reports that some 700 migrants capsized off the Libyan coast overnight, Pope Francis appealed to the international community to take “speedy and decisive” action to prevent such tragedies. Twenty-four bodies have been recovered; twenty-eight people rescued. NPR’s Sylvia Poggioli reports if confirmed, this would be the worst disaster in the surging migrant crisis in the Mediterranean¹.

In his Sunday message, Pope Francis said these are men and women like us seeking a better life, starving, persecuted², wounded, exploited victims of war. Francis spoke³ after the Italian news agency ANSA reported that the Italian coast guard has conducted a search and rescue operation. An estimated 700 people had been on board the rickety boat, but only 28 were rescued. The latest tragedy comes as the migrant influx⁴ is surging. In just the last week, Italy rescued and gave shelter to 11,000 people. Aid agencies believe 900 have died at sea this year, a large increase over the same period in 2014. Italy has repeatedly asked its EU partners to do more to tackle a continent-wide crisis. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome. 

 

Yemen’s Houthi leader vowed⁵ in a televised speech that his group will not surrender. NPR’s Leila Fadel reports the speech comes some three weeks into a Saudi-led air campaign targeting Houthi rebels. 

In his televised speech, Abdel-Malek al-Houthi yelled with anger as he accused the United States of allowing and directing what he calls Saudi’s aggression⁶ against Yemen. He accused Saudi Arabia of supporting the extremist group al-Qaeda and said Yemenis have the right to resist. His angry comments indicate just how distant the possibility of the ceasefire remains⁷ as Yemenis run out of fuel, water and food. Saudi Arabia accuses the Houthi rebels of being an Iranian proxy⁸. The Houthis denied the allegation and accused Saudi Arabia of trying to empower al-Qaeda and destroy Yemen. Meanwhile, hundreds of civilians⁹ have been killed in both airstrikes and street fighting between rival factions¹⁰. Leila Fadel, NPR News, Riyadh. 

 

Around 1,000 people gathered at the memorial ceremony in Oklahoma City this morning on the 20th anniversary of the bombing at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building that killed 168 people. Former president Bill Clinton was there. He says Oklahoma City has done something good out of something evil.

“You had to choose far-sighted love over blind hatred¹¹. You had to choose to redeem¹² your terrible losses by beginning again.” 

The bomber¹³ Timothy McVeigh was executed in 2001. His accomplice¹⁴ Terry Nichols is serving a life sentence. 

 

Widespread power outages in parts of Texas and Oklahoma today after severe storms with winds up to 90 miles an hour hit that area. 

 

This is NPR News. 

 

The killing¹⁵ of a teenager in Indian-administered Kashmir triggered demonstrations¹⁶ in the valley yesterday claimed by both India and Pakistan. NPR’s Julie McCarthy reports tensions have been running high in the disputed area following the arrest of a separatist leader who allegedly hoisted¹⁷ the Pakistani flag at a rally last week.

Central Kashmir remained shut down Sunday but the area around the capital Srinagar is reported to be calm. That following the arrest of two policemen who were booked for the murder of the young Kashmiri killed Saturday. He’s identified as 15-year-old Suhail Ahmad Sofi. Local media quote his family saying police shot him at close range. Police said crowd-control procedures restrain security forces from using live ammunition¹⁸ and admitted that the rules had been violated. The swift arrest of the two policemen is seen as a bid to keep anger from spinning out of control in disputed Kashmir. In 2010 more than 100 civilians were killed in firings during demonstrations. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, New Delhi. 

 

Residents near a wildfire in southern California are being allowed to go home. The Riverside Fire Department lifting evacuation orders that covered around 300 houses. Captain Mike Mohler with the CalFire tells KNBCTV it will take time to get the fire under control. 

“We’ve brought in additional resources both ground and air. We are going to hit it really hard today. But people have to remember this is a difficult access and it’s a very difficult fire fight.”

The fire was reported last night around the Prado Dam flood-controlled basin and grew to 980 acres by this morning. 

1 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

2 persecuted   

（尤指宗教或政治信仰的）迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 )； 烦扰，困扰或骚扰某人

参考例句：

• Throughout history, people have been persecuted for their religious beliefs. 人们因宗教信仰而受迫害的情况贯穿了整个历史。
• Members of these sects are ruthlessly persecuted and suppressed. 这些教派的成员遭到了残酷的迫害和镇压。

3 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。

4 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

5 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

6 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

7 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。

8 proxy   

n.代理权，代表权；（对代理人的）委托书；代理人

参考例句：

• You may appoint a proxy to vote for you.你可以委托他人代你投票。
• We enclose a form of proxy for use at the Annual General Meeting.我们附上委任年度大会代表的表格。

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 factions   

组织中的小派别，派系( faction的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gens also lives on in the "factions." 氏族此外还继续存在于“factions〔“帮”〕中。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• rival factions within the administration 政府中的对立派别

11 hatred   

n.憎恶，憎恨，仇恨

参考例句：

• He looked at me with hatred in his eyes.他以憎恨的眼光望着我。
• The old man was seized with burning hatred for the fascists.老人对法西斯主义者充满了仇恨。

12 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

13 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

14 accomplice   

n.从犯，帮凶，同谋

参考例句：

• She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
• He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

16 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

17 hoisted   

把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He hoisted himself onto a high stool. 他抬身坐上了一张高凳子。
• The sailors hoisted the cargo onto the deck. 水手们把货物吊到甲板上。

18 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。