NPR 2009-04-16

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Barbara Klein.

Iran's president says he'll soon present a plan to end the international standoff with the West over his country's nuclear program. He also reiterated¹ the program will continue. Teri Schultz has more from Brussels.

Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says he'll be presenting a package of proposals to help facilitate dialogue with the international community over his nuclear pursuits. But in the same speech, Ahmadinejad says that US and other nuclear power should give up their own programs and also withdraw their military forces from around the world. The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the US, Britain, China, France and Russia plus Germany last week asked European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana to set up a meeting with Tehran to discuss the nuclear dispute. A spokeswoman for Solana says Ahmadinejad’s announcement is consistent with what Iran's nuclear negotiator previewed in a phone call with him earlier this week and that Solana is waiting for a formal response from the Iranian government. For NPR News, I'm Teri Schultz in Brussels.

In response to Ahmadinejad’s comment, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the US welcomes dialogue with Iran over its nuclear program. She also said that US has not dropped its demand that Tehran stop enriching uranium. Clinton also announced new steps to combat piracy² off the coast of Somalia. She says the US is sending an envoy³ to a Somali donors⁴ conference next week to coordinate⁵ an international response and look for ways to disband pirate bases in Somalia. Clinton says officials are also looking to freeze pirate assets.

Meanwhile, word came that Somali pirates attacked another US freighter Tuesday but failed to hijack⁶ it. NPR's Gwen Tompkins has that story.

The Liberty Sun cargo⁷ ship was off the coast of Somalia yesterday when the pirates attacked. The vessel⁸ sustained bulkhead damage and there was reportedly a small fire on board. But still, the Liberty Sun managed to get away. The ship is now headed for the original destination at the Port Mombasa on the Kenyan coast. Pirates have vowed⁹ to target US ships specifically following Sunday's US Navy rescue of the Maersk Alabama's captain, Richard Philips. Since Sunday, Somali pirates have taken four other ships, including the MV Sea Horse which was en route to Mumbai to pick up food relief for Somalia. Gwen Tompkins, NPR News, Mombasa.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced former federal prosecutor¹⁰ Ellen Bursin will serve as the nation's new so-called Drug Czar.

We are going to make sure that those who come and seek to violate our laws by entering our country illegally or bringing contraband¹¹ into our country or those who seek going south to carry illegal guns and cash south that they are apprehended¹² and prosecuted¹³.

President Obama heads to Mexico tomorrow.

On Wall Street today, the Dow ended up 109 points to close at 8,029; the NASDAQ picked up one point to close at 1,626.

This is NPR News.

For the first time in more than half a century, consumers are paying less on average for goods and services than they were a year ago. The Labor¹⁴ Department reports the consumer price index fell by four tenths of a percent over the last 12 months.

Meanwhile, the Treasury¹⁵ Department says lending by many of the nation's biggest banks declined in February despite a massive government infusion¹⁶.

In case you need to be reminded, today is the deadline to file federal income tax returns as NPR's Trina Williams reports the Internal Revenue Services is urging last minute filers not to panic.

The IRS is expecting to receive more than 20 million tax filings this week. Advice for procrastinators and all those concern that they can't afford to pay if they owe  the government, meet today's deadline anyway. If filing a return is out of the question then an extension should be filed by today. IRS commissioner¹⁷ Doug Shulman: “The most important thing for them to know is they should send in their return. If they don't send the return, interest and penalties will stack up.” With record jobless numbers and the economy in a recession, some leniency¹⁸ is being allowed for on time filers. The agency is offering to reduce late penalties, negotiating new payment plans and to postpone¹⁹ asset's seizures²⁰ for delinquent²¹ tax payers who make good faith efforts to settle their debts. Trina Williams, NPR News, Washington.

The Thai government has revoked²² the passport of deposed²³ Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, saying he had instigated²⁴ a political unrest. The move comes a day after Thaksin’s supporters were forced to end their demonstrations²⁵ in Bangkok. Thaksin went into exile last year after being convicted on corruption²⁶ charges.

1 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

2 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

3 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

4 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 coordinate   

adj.同等的，协调的；n.同等者；vt.协作，协调

参考例句：

• You must coordinate what you said with what you did.你必须使你的言行一致。
• Maybe we can coordinate the relation of them.或许我们可以调和他们之间的关系。

6 hijack   

v.劫持，劫机，拦路抢劫

参考例句：

• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。
• The hijack take place just after the plane take off.劫持是飞机刚起飞后发生的。

7 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

8 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。

9 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。

10 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

11 contraband   

n.违禁品，走私品

参考例句：

• Most of the city markets were flooded with contraband goods.大多数的城市市场上都充斥着走私货。
• The customs officers rummaged the ship suspected to have contraband goods.海关人员仔细搜查了一艘有走私嫌疑的海轮。

12 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

13 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

14 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。

15 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

16 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。

17 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

18 leniency   

n.宽大（不严厉）

参考例句：

• udges are advised to show greater leniency towards first-time offenders.建议法官对初犯者宽大处理。
• Police offer leniency to criminals in return for information.警方给罪犯宽大处理以换取情报。

19 postpone   

v.延期，推迟

参考例句：

• I shall postpone making a decision till I learn full particulars.在未获悉详情之前我得从缓作出决定。
• She decided to postpone the converastion for that evening.她决定当天晚上把谈话搁一搁。

20 seizures   

n.起获( seizure的名词复数 )；没收；充公；起获的赃物

参考例句：

• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year. 今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Other causes of unconsciousness predisposing to aspiration lung abscess are convulsive seizures. 造成吸入性肺脓肿昏迷的其他原因，有惊厥发作。 来自辞典例句

21 delinquent   

adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者

参考例句：

• Most delinquent children have deprived backgrounds.多数少年犯都有未受教育的背景。
• He is delinquent in paying his rent.他拖欠房租。

22 revoked   

adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付，结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
• A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句

23 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 instigated   

v.使（某事物）开始或发生，鼓动( instigate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government has instigated a programme of economic reform. 政府已实施了经济改革方案。
• He instigated the revolt. 他策动了这次叛乱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

25 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。

26 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。