NPR 2009-07-12

President Obama has wrapped up his visit to Ghana where he told lawmakers they are proving that democracy can work in Africa. He also said Africa's future is up to Africans. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.

 Mr. Obama said Africa has an important role to play in shaping the 21st century, but he warned the continent won't meet its full potential unless Africans themselves embrace good government. Mr. Obama complained too many other parts of Africa have been hamstrung by corruption¹ and autocratic rule. "No person wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of brutality² and bribery³."

Thousands of people lined in the streets of Ghana to welcome Mr. Obama, many wearing shirts and waving flags emblazoned with his likeness⁴. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Accra, Ghana.

Taliban bomb attacks have left eight British soldiers dead over the past 24 hours in Afghanistan. The British deaths there now outnumbered those suffered by British troops in Iraq. Larry Miller⁵ has more from London.

With the sudden, sharp rise in British battle deaths, Britain's Prime Minister and its Defense⁶ and Foreign Secretaries have each broadcast their commitment to keeping UK forces in Afghanistan until the war is won. The latest to do so was the head of the military Sir Jock Stirrup. "It's tough going. And it's tough going because the Taliban have rightly identified Helmand as their vital ground. If they lose there, they lose everywhere. And they are throwing everything they have into it." With the increase in battle deaths, some leading lawmakers and the media have begun questioning Britain's role in the war, much of that due to widespread concern that its forces have not been supplied with sufficient resources to protect themselves. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Tonight's scheduled launch of the space shuttle Endeavor was scrubbed after at least 11 lightning strikes were observed near the launch pad. NASA engineers want to make sure no critical systems were damaged. Pat Duggins of member station WMFE reports.

NASA is checking space shuttle Endeavor and its solid rocket boosters from lightning damage. The shuttle contains sensitive electronics and the boosters use explosive charges to safely push the rocket free of the shuttle after lift-off. NASA's Mike Moses says technicians will spend the coming hours trying to make sure the shuttle is ready to go. "We're gonna go and make sure that all the critical systems can be either checked physically⁷ or cleared through analysis. So before we launch, we will know 100% that even the stuff is not powered, we're confident it's good." Seven astronauts are waiting to begin NASA's latest mission to the International Space Station. The crew will deliver and install the final section of Japan's Kibo laboratory. For NPR News, I'm Pat Duggins in Orlando.

A car bomb exploded at a busy marketplace in northern Iraq today. At least four people were killed and more than three dozen others injured. And in Baghdad, a US army sergeant⁸ was sentenced to three years in jail in the accidental shooting death of a fellow solider. The sergeant pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Vacationers in northern France were bracing⁹ for gigantic traffic jams today, a tradition in the summer there known as black Saturdays. Frank Browning has more from Paris.

Black Saturdays have become an annual habit in France reflective of the rigid¹⁰ summer vacation schedules that send the French and their northern neighbors scurrying¹¹ to the fantasy of deluxe¹² Côte d'Azur vacations. Normally, traffic jams today and again on the first of August, stretch from 400 to 500 miles long. But road authorities say it could be even worse this year as recession-anxious travelers give up foreign travel for a seaside and mountain camping. Still more worrisome, recent drops in highway accidents have been reversed across France. Highway fatalities¹³ in June were reported as 30% up from a year ago. Most reserved trains are also fully¹⁴ booked. For NPR News, I'm Frank Browning in Paris.

The sound of funeral services today for a former NFL quarterback Steve McNair at the stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi. Nearly every resident of his hometown of Mount Olive arrived on buses provided by the McNair family. Among the speakers at the service was Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young, who says McNair was his idol¹⁵ when he was growing up. "I used to walk, talk and I tried to be like Steve like everyday. Steve was like, you know, a hero, a hero to me, and you know, heroes are not supposed to die." The 36-year-old McNair was shot and killed on the fourth of July by his girlfriend who then killed herself. He was buried at a private gravesite service following the funeral.

1 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。

2 brutality   

n.野蛮的行为，残忍，野蛮

参考例句：

• The brutality of the crime has appalled the public. 罪行之残暴使公众大为震惊。
• a general who was infamous for his brutality 因残忍而恶名昭彰的将军

3 bribery   

n.贿络行为，行贿，受贿

参考例句：

• FBI found out that the senator committed bribery.美国联邦调查局查明这个参议员有受贿行为。
• He was charged with bribery.他被指控受贿。

4 likeness   

n.相像，相似（之处）

参考例句：

• I think the painter has produced a very true likeness.我认为这位画家画得非常逼真。
• She treasured the painted likeness of her son.她珍藏她儿子的画像。

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

6 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

9 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

10 rigid   

adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的

参考例句：

• She became as rigid as adamant.她变得如顽石般的固执。
• The examination was so rigid that nearly all aspirants were ruled out.考试很严，几乎所有的考生都被淘汰了。

11 scurrying   

v.急匆匆地走( scurry的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We could hear the mice scurrying about in the walls. 我们能听见老鼠在墙里乱跑。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We were scurrying about until the last minute before the party. 聚会开始前我们一直不停地忙忙碌碌。 来自辞典例句

12 deluxe   

adj.华美的，豪华的，高级的

参考例句：

• This system puts the top hotels in a special deluxe category.这种分类法把最高级的旅馆列为特殊豪华级。
• I liked the deluxe edition,but I could afford only a second best.我喜欢精装版，但我只买得起一本稍差一点的。

13 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

15 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。