NPR 2010-12-12

Ambassador Richard Holbrooke, the president's special envoy¹ to Pakistan and Afghanistan, is in the hospital after emergency surgery. As NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty reports, Holbrooke is a veteran diplomat² who's been given some of the thorniest³ foreign policy challenges.

State Department spokesman Andy Laine said the 69-year-old Holbrooke was admitted to George Washington University Hospital yesterday after he collapsed⁴.

"This morning, doctors completed surgery to repair a tear in his aorta⁵. He is in critical condition and has been joined by his family."

Holbrooke has been in foreign policy hotspots much of his career. President Clinton appointed him to be US ambassador to the United Nations. Early in his administration, President Obama selected him to serve as envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Holbrooke was also a formidable force on Wall Street in the 1980s. He's married to journalist Kati Marton and has two adult children by a previous marriage. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR News.

Treasury⁶ Secretary Timothy Geithner is doing better after being hospitalized yesterday with a kidney stone. Officials say he's successfully completed treatment without incident and has been released.

Elizabeth Edwards' oldest daughter Cate talked about her mother's wit during today's funeral service in Raleigh, North Carolina. Edwards died this week after suffering from cancer. Close friend Glenn Bergenfield says the Edwards children will find strength in their father, former presidential candidate John Edwards.

"Jack⁷ and Emma have their dad, and I can tell you from up very close they adore and love and trust him, just as Cate does and Wade⁸ did. He's a loving and very attentive⁹ dad, and despite his grief over Elizabeth's death, he's strong and will take great care of these kids."

Elizabeth Edwards will be buried next to her 16-year-old son Wade, who was killed in a car accident in 1996.

American student Amanda Knox appeared frail¹⁰ and frightened today in an Italian courtroom during an appeals hearing for her murder conviction. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports she told the judge and jurors she is the innocent victim of an "enormous mistake".

A year ago, Knox and her former boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were sentenced to 26 and 25 years respectively for the murder of British student Meredith Kercher in 2007. In the second hearing of the appeals trial, Amanda Knox, her voice breaking, addressed the court in Italian. She said, "We are paying with our lives for a crime we did not commit." "I am innocent." Knox said, "Raffaele is innocent. We did not kill Meredith." Knox also challenged the image with which the prosecution¹¹ has depicted¹² her "dangerous, diabolical¹³, jealous, selfish and violent". Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News.

Blizzard¹⁴ conditions are stalling traffic in the Midwest. Forecasters expect up to a foot of snow to fall in parts of South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota. Wind gusts¹⁵ could bring wind chill readings between 20 and 30 below.

This is NPR.

Bernard Madoff's eldest¹⁶ son has been found dead of an apparent suicide. Police say Mark Madoff's body was discovered this morning in his Manhattan apartment. Today marks the second anniversary of his father's arrest for bilking investors¹⁷. Mark Madoff's lawyer says the 46-year-old succumbed¹⁸ to two years of unrelenting pressure from false accusations¹⁹ and innuendo²⁰.

In Ivory Coast, the incumbent²¹ leader, who's facing international isolation²², has hinted at possible talks to end the deadlock²³ over who won last month's disputed presidential runoff. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports this is the first sign he may be prepared to negotiate.

Laurent Gbagbo dismisses talk of an attempted war in Ivory Coast and calls for negotiations²⁴ to ease the crisis over the November 28th vote. Gbagbo predicts the opposing parties will sit down together and talk in due course. There's been no response to the offer from the rival camp. The election commission declared victory for the opposition²⁵ challenger Allasane Ouattara, certified²⁶ by the United Nations and endorsed²⁷ by the White House and others. The Constitutional Counsel, though, reversed that decision and announced Gbagbo had won. Despite mediation²⁸, the impasse²⁹ continues. Both men are serving as president and have named their respective governments. Ouattara's prime minister hinted Friday things would soon return to normal. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Abidjan.

Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin is in Haiti, where she is scheduled to stop by cholera³⁰ treatment centers. She traveled to the impoverished³¹ nation with the Reverend Franklin Graham as part of a humanitarian³² mission by his Samaritan's Purse relief organization. A spokeswoman says details about Palin's itinerary³³ are not being released for security reasons.

1 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。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 thorniest   

adj.多刺的( thorny的最高级 )；有刺的；棘手的；多障碍的

参考例句：

• Paradoxically, the thorniest outstanding issue involves Bolivia. 而荒谬可笑的是，最棘手的国家要事却牵涉到了玻利维亚。 来自互联网

4 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

5 aorta   

n.主动脉

参考例句：

• The abdominal aorta is normally smaller than the thoracic aorta.腹主动脉一般比胸主动脉小。
• Put down that jelly doughnut and look carefully at this aorta.放下手头上的东西，认真观察这张大动脉图片。

6 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。

7 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

8 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

9 attentive   

adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的

参考例句：

• She was very attentive to her guests.她对客人招待得十分周到。
• The speaker likes to have an attentive audience.演讲者喜欢注意力集中的听众。

10 frail   

adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的

参考例句：

• Mrs. Warner is already 96 and too frail to live by herself.华纳太太已经九十六岁了，身体虚弱，不便独居。
• She lay in bed looking particularly frail.她躺在床上，看上去特别虚弱。

11 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

12 depicted   

描绘，描画( depict的过去式和过去分词 )； 描述

参考例句：

• Other animals were depicted on the periphery of the group. 其他动物在群像的外围加以修饰。
• They depicted the thrilling situation to us in great detail. 他们向我们详细地描述了那激动人心的场面。

13 diabolical   

adj.恶魔似的，凶暴的

参考例句：

• This maneuver of his is a diabolical conspiracy.他这一手是一个居心叵测的大阴谋。
• One speaker today called the plan diabolical and sinister.今天一名发言人称该计划阴险恶毒。

14 blizzard   

n.暴风雪

参考例句：

• The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
• You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。

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 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

17 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

18 succumbed   

不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死

参考例句：

• The town succumbed after a short siege. 该城被围困不久即告失守。
• After an artillery bombardment lasting several days the town finally succumbed. 在持续炮轰数日后，该城终于屈服了。

19 accusations   

n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名

参考例句：

• There were accusations of plagiarism. 曾有过关于剽窃的指控。
• He remained unruffled by their accusations. 对于他们的指控他处之泰然。

20 innuendo   

n.暗指，讽刺

参考例句：

• The report was based on rumours,speculation,and innuendo.这份报告建立在谣言、臆断和含沙射影的基础之上。
• Mark told by innuendo that the opposing team would lose the game.马克暗讽地说敌队会在比赛中输掉。

21 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

22 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

23 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

24 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。

25 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

26 certified   

a.经证明合格的；具有证明文件的

参考例句：

• Doctors certified him as insane. 医生证明他精神失常。
• The planes were certified airworthy. 飞机被证明适于航行。

27 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

28 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

29 impasse   

n.僵局；死路

参考例句：

• The government had reached an impasse.政府陷入绝境。
• Negotiations seemed to have reached an impasse.谈判似乎已经陷入僵局。

30 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

31 impoverished   

adj.穷困的，无力的，用尽了的v.使（某人）贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 )；使（某物）贫瘠或恶化

参考例句：

• the impoverished areas of the city 这个城市的贫民区
• They were impoverished by a prolonged spell of unemployment. 他们因长期失业而一贫如洗。 来自《简明英汉词典》

32 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

33 itinerary   

n.行程表，旅行路线；旅行计划

参考例句：

• The two sides have agreed on the itinerary of the visit.双方商定了访问日程。
• The next place on our itinerary was Silistra.我们行程的下一站是锡利斯特拉。