CNN 2009-04-14

Hello, from the CNN Center in Atlanta, I'm Naamua Delaney. Thanks for checking in with us, and here's a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

The captain who was held hostage by pirates is safe. U.S. navy snipers shot and killed three pirates yesterday who had been holding Captain Richard Philips in a lifeboat off the coast of Somalia since Wednesday. A military official says one pirate had an AK-47 pointed¹ at Philips's back. A fourth pirate surrendered, others in the area promised to retaliate².

Thousands of protesters clashed with combat troops in Bangkok today. Thailand is in a state of emergency. Demonstrators say they all prepared for final stand outside the Prime Minister's office. They believe Thailand's recent elections were rigged. Thailand's military chief is vowing³ to restore order.

Reports say the White House is putting new pressure on General Motors to gear up for bankruptcy⁴. The New York Times says Obama officials are ordering GM to get its bankruptcy filing ready to go by June 1st if it can't reach cost-saving agreements with bond holders⁵ and the United Auto⁶ Workers. GM still insists that it can't restructure its operations without the need to file for bankruptcy protection.

Police in Chicago had to clip protesters out of a courthouse yesterday, after a crowd got angry after a detective charged in a deadly car crash was ordered released on 500,000 dollars bail⁷. Families and friends of the two people killed in the crash were upset after the hearing. The detective was released yesterday after posting 50,000 dollars. He's charged with two counts each of reckless homicide and aggravated⁸ DUI. Plus one count of leaving the scene of a fatal crash. Prosecutors⁹ say his blood alcohol level was three times of legal limit at the time of the accident.

President Obama and the first family are hosting a 131 year-old tradition Easter Egg Roll. This year’s theme's "Let's go play " to encourage kids to be healthy and active. For the first time, tickets were sold online, so folks all over the country could go. Until five p.m., there're bands, cooking, story-telling and more.

Well, be sure to stick with CNN.com 24/7 for news from all around the world and of course, we will have updates right here throughout the day.

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 retaliate   

v.报复，反击

参考例句：

• He sought every opportunity to retaliate against his enemy.他找机会向他的敌人反击。
• It is strictly forbidden to retaliate against the quality inspectors.严禁对质量检验人员进行打击报复。

3 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

4 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

5 holders   

支持物( holder的名词复数 )； 持有者； （支票等）持有人； 支托（或握持）…之物

参考例句：

• Slaves were mercilessly ground down by slave holders. 奴隶受奴隶主的残酷压迫。
• It is recognition of compassion's part that leads the up-holders of capital punishment to accuse the abolitionists of sentimentality in being more sorry for the murderer than for his victim. 正是对怜悯的作用有了认识，才使得死刑的提倡者指控主张废除死刑的人感情用事，同情谋杀犯胜过同情受害者。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

8 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

9 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。