NPR NEWS 2008-02-04

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Korva Coleman.

France has begun evacuating¹ foreigners from the Chadian capital N'Djamena after a rebel offensive on the city that began yesterday. Chad's president appears to have rejected an offer of safe passage out of the city. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

Chadian government troops are reported to have put up a resistance to a concerted attack by rebel forces who poured into N'Djamena aboard pickup² trucks. That's much the same way beleaguered³ President Idriss Deby and his turbaned warrior⁴ rebels swept into the capital 17 years ago seizing control. Just like the rebels this time round, Deby charged across the oil-producing desert nation from the east with the backing of neighboring Sudan. Now Deby accuses his erstwhile ally, Sudanese President Omar el-Bashir of financing the Chadian rebels to oust⁵ him and prevent the arrival of European peacekeepers. The European force was poised⁶ to deploy⁷ at Chad and Central African Republics' border with volatile⁸ Darfur in Sudan, a move Khartoum has opposed. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Nairobi.

The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake has been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the news agency reports at least 21 people have been killed. A police chief there says rescue efforts are underway. The quake's tremor⁹ has been initially¹⁰ recorded with the magnitude of five.

Kenya's opposition¹¹ leader has called on the African Union to send peacekeepers to help stop violence in his country. Opposition leader Raila Odinga is from western Kenya where a lot of post-election violence has broken out. Odinga claims President Mwai Kibaki fraudulently won last December's presidential election. The violence is so severe. Former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan is in Kenya hoping to broker¹² a political accord and solve the deadlock¹³.

Police near Chicago were still looking for a gunman who killed 5 people in a woman's clothing store yesterday. Chicago Public Radio's Robert Wildeboer reports.

Police think the gunman was trying to rob the Lane Bryant store in Tinley Park Illinois about 30 miles southwest of Chicago. The store is part of the busy shopping area and nearby stores were locked down while police searched for the shooter. They think he got away the store is right of a major interstate. But they have the description and the manhunt continues. Police say the victims were found at the back of the store. All five were female and none of them were children. For NPR News, I'm Robert Wildeboer in Chicago.

Serbian voters are at the polls of a run-off election today. They are choosing a new leader. Candidates include the hardliner Tomislav Nikolic who was ruled with late leader Slobodan Milosevic. Another candidate, western-leaning Boris Tadic. The voters consider too close to call. The result could also determine how Serbia could react to an explicit¹⁴ expected declaration of independence by its Kosovo Province. Both candidates oppose this but Tadic has ruled out the use of military force in Kosovo.

This is NPR.

The presidential candidates are criss-crossing the country trying to mobilize voters as Super Tuesday approaches. From member station KUAZ in Tucson, Buzz Conover reports.

In the last weekend before Super Tuesday, Hillary Clinton used a campaign stop at the University of Arizona to appeal to the undecided voter. 'The question that undecided voters have to ask themselves is who is most likely to change our country.' To point out one difference between herself and Barack Obama, she pledged to open up the Congressional Health Care Plan to all Americans. 'Over 250 options that you will be able to choose from. And we're gonna tell the Health Insurance Industry they can continue to provide health insurance, but they have to insure everybody; they can not deny you because of a preexisting condition.' More than 3,000 people waited in line for up to 5 hours to hear Clinton speak. For NPR News, I'm Buzz Conover in Tucson Arizona.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt¹⁵ Romney has won yesterday's GOP caucuses¹⁶ in Maine. He led John McCain, Ron Paul, and Mike Huckabee in the results. Romney is now focusing on southern and western states ahead of Super Tuesday.

An explosion has struck the capital of Sri Lanka, Colombo today. The blast occurred at the main railway station in the city. Initial reports say 6 people were killed and at least 90 have been taken to the hospital with injuries. At least 18 people died yesterday in a bomb attack on bus riders in Colombo. This weekend's violence comes ahead of tomorrow's celebrations marking 60 years of Sri Lankan independence from Britain.

I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News, in Washington.

1 evacuating   

撤离，疏散( evacuate的现在分词 )； 排空（胃肠），排泄（粪便）； （从危险的地方）撤出，搬出，撤空

参考例句：

• The solution is degassed by alternately freezing, evacuating and thawing. 通过交替的冻结、抽空和溶化来使溶液除气。
• Are we evacuating these potential targets? 能够在这些目标地域内进行疏散吗？

2 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

3 beleaguered   

adj.受到围困[围攻]的；包围的v.围攻( beleaguer的过去式和过去分词)；困扰；骚扰

参考例句：

• The beleaguered party leader was forced to resign. 那位饱受指责的政党领导人被迫辞职。
• We are beleaguered by problems. 我们被许多困难所困扰。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 warrior   

n.勇士，武士，斗士

参考例句：

• The young man is a bold warrior.这个年轻人是个很英勇的武士。
• A true warrior values glory and honor above life.一个真正的勇士珍视荣誉胜过生命。

5 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

6 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

7 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

8 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。

9 tremor   

n.震动，颤动，战栗，兴奋，地震

参考例句：

• There was a slight tremor in his voice.他的声音有点颤抖。
• A slight earth tremor was felt in California.加利福尼亚发生了轻微的地震。

10 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

11 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。

12 broker   

n.中间人，经纪人；v.作为中间人来安排

参考例句：

• He baited the broker by promises of higher commissions.他答应给更高的佣金来引诱那位经纪人。
• I'm a real estate broker.我是不动产经纪人。

13 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

14 explicit   

adj.详述的，明确的；坦率的；显然的

参考例句：

• She was quite explicit about why she left.她对自己离去的原因直言不讳。
• He avoids the explicit answer to us.他避免给我们明确的回答。

15 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

16 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网