NPR 2008-05-06

Democratic presidential contenders Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama squared off over a proposed gas tax holiday ahead of primaries tomorrow in North Carolina and Indiana. More from NPR’s David Welna.

 On ABC’s “This Week”, an Obama supporter in the politically mixed studio audience told Hillary Clinton she makes under 25,000 dollars a year and feels pain at the gas pump. But she added she felt pandered¹ to by Clinton’s proposal for a gas tax holiday and wanted to know whether it contradicted Clinton’s aim to curb² global warming. “I’m glad you asked this question because I want to make it very clear that we’re talking about short-term relief and a long-term plan.” On NBC’s “Meet the Press”, Barack Obama pointedly³ noted⁴ that unlike him, Clinton had voted against raising fuel efficiency standards. “Let’s get serious about reducing consumption of oil, which is the only way that over the long term we’re gonna reduce, er, we’re gonna reduce gas prices.” Obama dismissed the gas tax holiday as a gimmick⁵. David Welna, NPR News, Washington.

 Iran says it has refused an invitation to attend another round of talks with US officials in Iraq. Over the past year, Iran and the United States have held several rounds of trilateral negotiations⁶ with the Iraqi government. NPR’s Ivan Watson reports from Baghdad.

 In a statement to an Iranian news agency, an unnamed Iranian official, described as a senior member of Iran’s negotiating team, announced Iran would not hold a fourth round of talks with American officials in Baghdad until the US stops “its savage⁷ attacks against the Iraqi people”. For weeks, American troops have been bogged⁸ down in daily battles with the Iraqi cleric Muqtada Sadr’s Mahdi Army. The US and the Iraqi government have repeatedly accused Iran of training and arming Sadr’s Shiite fighters. Last week, an Iraqi government delegation⁹ traveled to Teheran to tell the Iranians to cut ties with Sadr’s militia¹⁰. Since the Teheran visit, Iraqi officials have made contradictory¹¹ statements, questioning whether or not they have evidence to prove that Iran is in fact arming the Mahdi Army. Ivan Watson, NPR News, Baghdad.

 No relief is in sight at the gas pumps for drivers. Lundberg Survey author, Trilby Lundberg, says prices soared about 15 cents during the last two weeks, reaching a record high. The survey looked at 7,000 gas stations. “In this metro¹² survey, Cheyenne, Wyoming has the lowest average ($)3.39 and San Francisco has the highest ($)3.95 for regular.” The average cost for drivers across the nation was ($) 3.62 for regular as of Friday. Mid-grade was ($) 3.74; premium¹³ ($)3.85. Lundberg says prices are up 55 cents since the beginning of the year.

 Oil prices are higher in European trading. US light crude rose 58 cents to $116.90 a barrel.

 This is NPR News.

 Separatist forces in the former Soviet¹⁴ Republic of Georgia say they have shot down two unmanned Georgian spy planes. Georgia denies the claim, saying that there had been no flights in the region. NPR’s Gregory Feifer reports.

 The authorities in the breakaway Georgian region of Abkhazia made the claim Sunday, two weeks after Georgia said a Russian Mig fighter jet had violated international law by shooting down a Georgian spy drone over the pro-Moscow separatist province. Tensions in the region are running high with fears of a possible military conflict. Last week, Moscow sent more than 1,000 troops to Abkhazia to boost a Russian peace-keeping force there. Washington and the European Union condemned¹⁵ the move. Tbilisi says Moscow wants to annex¹⁶ Abkhazia and another separatist province, South Ossetia, which have ruled themselves since a bloody¹⁷ civil war in the 1990s. Pro-western Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili has vowed¹⁸ to bring both regions back under Tbilisi’s control. Gregory Feifer, NPR News, Moscow.

 According to weather forecasters, at least eight tornadoes²⁰ caused the destruction last week that killed seven people and damaged hundreds of homes across Arkansas. The National Weather Service plans to do a survey by air today. One tornado¹⁹ may have traveled 45 miles. Its path made a number of odd jogs which could indicate the end of one tornado and the beginning of another. The deadly storms on Friday damaged or destroyed about 400 homes across Arkansas and knocked out electric and telephone service in nearly 20 counties. In February, tornadoes killed 13 Arkansas residents.

1 pandered   

v.迎合（他人的低级趣味或淫欲）( pander的过去式和过去分词 )；纵容某人；迁就某事物

参考例句：

• The newspaper here pandered to people's interest in sex scandals. 这里的报纸迎合了人们对桃色新闻的兴趣。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His films never pandered to public taste. 他的电影从不迎合公众的口味。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 pointedly   

adv.尖地，明显地

参考例句：

• She yawned and looked pointedly at her watch. 她打了个哈欠，又刻意地看了看手表。
• The demand for an apology was pointedly refused. 让对方道歉的要求遭到了断然拒绝。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 gimmick   

n.(为引人注意而搞的)小革新，小发明

参考例句：

• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。
• It is just a public relations gimmick.这只不过是一种公关伎俩。

6 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

7 savage   

adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人

参考例句：

• The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。
• He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

8 bogged   

adj.陷于泥沼的v.（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境( bog的过去式和过去分词 )；妨碍，阻碍

参考例句：

• The professor bogged down in the middle of his speech. 教授的演讲只说了一半便讲不下去了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The tractor is bogged down in the mud. 拖拉机陷入了泥沼。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

10 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

11 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

12 metro   

n.地铁；adj.大都市的；(METRO)麦德隆(财富500强公司之一总部所在地德国，主要经营零售)

参考例句：

• Can you reach the park by metro?你可以乘地铁到达那个公园吗？
• The metro flood gate system is a disaster prevention equipment.地铁防淹门系统是一种防灾设备。

13 premium   

n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的

参考例句：

• You have to pay a premium for express delivery.寄快递你得付额外费用。
• Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.在水库被污染之后，清水便因稀而贵了。

14 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

15 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

16 annex   

vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物

参考例句：

• It plans to annex an England company in order to enlarge the market.它计划兼并一家英国公司以扩大市场。
• The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

17 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

18 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。

19 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。

20 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网