NPR 2009-07-20

White House budget director Peter Orszag is defending President Obama's plan to overhaul¹ the nation's healthcare system and Mr. Obama's August target for passage of legislation by Congress. Some lawmakers from both parties are saying the bills are complex and should not be rushed. NPR's Andrea Seabrook reports.

At the end of last week, a group of moderate Democrats² released a letter asking the White House and congressional leaders to slow down the passage of a healthcare bill. They said they want more time to work on details, but Orszag said on CNN that the Obama administration is still pushing for passage of a House bill by the start of August. "We think we can make that, we're working towards that. And we have to remember there are some who are advocating delay simply because they don't have anything to put on the table. That is the typical Washington bureaucratic³ game of -"If you don't have a better alternative, just delay in the hope that that kills something is partly what's playing out here." President Obama wants to spend August and the autumn working on a final compromise between the House and Senate bills. Andrea Seabrook, NPR News, Washington.

A US military spokesman in Kabul is criticizing a video released showing an American soldier captured in Afghanistan. Colonel Greg Julian says the video which he called "Taliban propaganda" violates international law. The soldier is shown being told by his captors to call for the withdrawal⁴ of US troops.

A civilian⁵ transport helicopter crashed at NATO's largest base in southern Afghanistan today, killing⁶ at least 16 people. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has more from Kabul.

The nationality of those killed was not immediately known. NATO officials in Afghanistan say there were no military personnel on board the Russian MI-8 helicopter, which crashed upon take-off at Kandahar airbase.

The Russian news agency Interfax reports that the crew members and two passengers survived. The MI-8 helicopter can carry two dozen people. Hours earlier, a US army helicopter made an emergency landing in Konar province in eastern Afghanistan. The US military says those on board suffered minor⁷ injuries. It was the third helicopter incident in less than a week. Taliban militants⁸ shot down a MI-6 transport helicopter in Helmand province on Tuesday. Six Ukrainian civilians⁹ and an Afghan child on the ground died in that crash. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Kabul.

Secretary of State Clinton says she is hopeful that India and the US can find ways to bridge their differences on how to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions¹⁰. "The United States and India can devise a plan that will dramatically change the way we produce, consume and conserve¹¹ energy." Clinton said she had a fruitful discussion today with India's Environment Minister, but he had a different take on the session. He complained about US pressure to accept binding¹² limits on carbon emissions.

This is NPR News from Washington.

Wildfires have forced the evacuation of more than 17, 000 people in western Canada and have destroyed at least nine buildings so far. Craig McCauley reports from Vancouver that two of the blazes have charred¹³ more than 1, 100 acres.

Evacuation orders cover half the population of West Kelowna, which is about a four-hour drive from northeastern Vancouver. The first fire started amid Saturday afternoon and quickly grew five times the size by Sunday morning. The main highway leading south out of West Kelowna linking the area to population centers in the south is also closed, having been engulfed¹⁴ in flames Sunday night. The causes of the wildfires are so far unknown, but natural reasons are unlikely due to clear skies. Below average rainfall, tinder-dry conditions and wind gusts¹⁵ are fueling the fires. A lightning strike in nearby Kelowna destroyed over 200 homes in 2003. For NPR News, I am Craig McCauley in Vancouver.

The dream almost came true today for Tom Watson. The 59-year-old veteran golfer came within one putt of winning the British Open golf tournament and becoming the oldest player ever to win a major tournament. But Watson missed an eight foot putt on the final hole of regulation, setting up a playoff which he lost to Stewart Cink. Watson admitted afterward¹⁶ that the loss was heartbreaking. "It would have been a hell of a story, wouldn’t it? It would have been a hell of story. It wasn't to be and yes, it is a great disappointment. It tears at your gut¹⁷ as it always has torn at my gut." Watson was given a standing¹⁸ ovation¹⁹ on the 18th green at the end of the playoff as he blinked back tears. Stewart Cink was just two years old when Watson won the first of his five British Open Championships.

1 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

2 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》

3 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

4 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

8 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

11 conserve   

vt.保存，保护，节约，节省，守恒，不灭

参考例句：

• He writes on both sides of the sheet to conserve paper.他在纸张的两面都写字以节省用纸。
• Conserve your energy,you'll need it!保存你的精力，你会用得着的！

12 binding   

有约束力的，有效的，应遵守的

参考例句：

• The contract was not signed and has no binding force. 合同没有签署因而没有约束力。
• Both sides have agreed that the arbitration will be binding. 双方都赞同仲裁具有约束力。

13 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 engulfed   

v.吞没，包住( engulf的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was engulfed by a crowd of reporters. 他被一群记者团团围住。
• The little boat was engulfed by the waves. 小船被波浪吞没了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 gusts   

一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作

参考例句：

• Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
• Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。

16 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

17 gut   

n.[pl.]胆量；内脏；adj.本能的；vt.取出内脏

参考例句：

• It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing.冷冻鱼之前并不总是需要先把内脏掏空。
• My immediate gut feeling was to refuse.我本能的直接反应是拒绝。

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 ovation   

n.欢呼，热烈欢迎，热烈鼓掌

参考例句：

• The hero received a great ovation from the crowd. 那位英雄受到人群的热烈欢迎。
• The show won a standing ovation. 这场演出赢得全场起立鼓掌。