NPR 2008-03-17

Senator John McCain arrived in Baghdad today. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee¹ has been a strong supporter of the US invasion of Iraq.

 

About a thousand anti-war protestors marched in Hollywood yesterday to mark the 5th anniversary of the invasion. Kitty Felde of member station KPCC reports.

 

It was a diverse crowd. Mass transit² advocates joined hip-hop artists and even a group called Clowns for Peace, all calling for an end to the war in Iraq. This was the third year in a row high school student Nicole German has rallied against the war. She said she was inspired by anti-war protestors from an earlier generation. "If People think, er, protesting doesn't make a difference, then explain how the Vietnam War ended." Protestor Donald Rando says he wasn't disappointed in the relatively³ small crowd that turned out to march. "I think as long as you have people coming out here and showing their concern, whether it's a small group or a large group, it sends a message.." For NPR News, I'm Kitty Felde in Los Angeles.

 

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama yesterday decried⁴ what he called "the forces of division in the campaign", referring to critics of his former minister Jeremiah Wright. NPR's Wade⁵ Goodwyn has the story.

 

Senator Barack Obama has been forced on the defensive⁶ since the week before the Texas and Ohio primaries. This last week involved another body blow when a series of video clips appeared on the internet and on broadcast news, involving the former pastor⁷ of Obama's church. Among other things, the clip showed Rev⁸. Wright preaching that the American government invented HIV as a surreptitious attack on the black community. At a Town Hall meeting, Obama said the attacks were in an attempt to divide the multi-racial coalition⁹ that supports him. "This country wants to move beyond these kinds of things." Obama said. Wade Goodwyn, NPR News.

 

Obama picked up another nine delegates in Iowa yesterday. In county convention, some Democrats¹⁰ who supported John Edwards in the caucuses¹¹ switched. California Democrats also finalized¹² their delegate count. Senator Clinton has a total of 204; Obama now has 166.

 

This is NPR News.

 

The search continues in midtown Manhattan for people who may be trapped in rubble¹³, where a construction crane collapsed¹⁴ yesterday. It stood at least 19 stories high and had been attached to an apartment building under construction. Four people were killed believed to be construction workers.

 

A federal appeals court has dismissed a discrimination suit against Craigslist. The company was sued for allowing discriminatory housing ads on its website. From member station KPBS, Andrew Phelps reports.

 

San Francisco-based Craigslist lets anyone post classified ads on line, including ads like this one: "Looking for someone to share apartment. No gays, please!" A Chicago civil rights group sued, arguing Craigslist should be liable for those ads under the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968. The plaintiff argues Craigslist should be held to the same legal standards as the classified section of a newspaper. An appeals court rules Craigslist is not liable, because it's a carrier of information, not the publisher, the same way the postal¹⁵ service delivers letters, but doesn't write them. The court found it would be almost impossible for Craigslist to filter every ad for discrimination. For NPR News, I'm Andrew Phelps in San Diego.

 

Crews searching for an Australian ship lost during World War II found the German ship that sank it. Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said today the German vessel¹⁶ was spotted¹⁷ yesterday off Australia's western coast. It had been disguised as a Dutch merchant ship when it opened fire on the HMAS Sydney on November 19th 1941. All 645 men aboard the Sydney were lost. Most of the men on the German ship made it to shore before they were captured.

 

I'm Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.

1 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

2 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

3 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

4 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

5 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。

6 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

7 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

8 rev   

v.发动机旋转，加快速度

参考例句：

• It's his job to rev up the audience before the show starts.他要负责在表演开始前鼓动观众的热情。
• Don't rev the engine so hard.别让发动机转得太快。

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 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》

11 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

12 finalized   

vt.完成（finalize的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The draft of this article has been finalized [done]. 这篇文章已经定稿。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The draft was revised several times before it was finalized. 稿子几经删改才定下来。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

14 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

15 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

16 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

17 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。