NPR 2010-08-16

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon calls the flooding in Pakistan the worst natural disaster he's ever seen. The UN chief spent the day flying over the hardest-hit areas. As many as 20 million people are affected¹. From the city of Multan in the southern Punjab, NPR's Julie McCarthy reports.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pronounced the scenes of watery² devastation³ 'heart-wrenching' and like nothing he's ever seen. His comments reflected the concern about the unfolding disaster in Pakistan already battling Taliban militants⁴ for the weak, unpopular government and an anemic economy propped⁵ up by international aid. The flood that originated in the mountainous northwest two and a half weeks ago has roared southward, laying waste to wide swaths of the country's most productive farmland. The World Food Program says eight million people have been affected in the Punjab alone. Only 20 percent of the UN's global appeal has been pledged. Ban urged the world's donors⁶ to step up assistance. Rains are still falling, he says, and could continue for weeks. Julie McCarthy, NPR News, Multan in the southern Punjab.

The US commander in Afghanistan says he sees areas of progress in the war against the insurgents⁷. Army General David Petraeus says the goal now is to extend that progress.

"There is understandable concern and, [in] some cases, frustration⁸, and therefore we've got to really put our shoulders to the wheel and show during the course of this year that progress can be achieved."

Petraeus told NBC's "Meet The Press" it's unclear whether he'll meet President Obama's target date of beginning a troop withdrawal⁹ from Afghanistan next July. He said he'll give his best professional military advice and leave the politics to the president.

There were several bombings and shootings in Iraq today. At least seven people were killed. Three of the deaths occurred when gunmen opened fire on worshipers as they were leaving a mosque¹⁰ in a town south of Baghdad.

A truck lost control and plowed¹¹ into a crowd at an off-road race in Southern California desert last night. Authorities say eight people died, a dozen more were injured. Shirley Jahad has more from member station KPCC.

The pickup¹² truck had just gone over a jump in the race, sailed into the air, then rolled over and landed upside down on top of some of the spectators. Bystanders rushed through the dusty scene and flipped¹³ the truck back upright to try and rescue people pinned underneath¹⁴. The off-road race called the California 200 had just started. Off-duty police and firemen who happened to be attending helped out in the chaotic¹⁵ scene. It took official rescuers more than half an hour to reach the remote area of the Mojave Desert. Ten emergency aircraft landed and carried the injured to hospitals. Tens of thousands of people reportedly lined the track for the event, some standing¹⁶ within ten feet with no guard rails around. Investigators¹⁷ were working at the scene overnight. For NPR News, I'm Shirley Jahad in Los Angeles.

And you're listening to NPR News from Washington.

The First Family is en route to the White House after a brief trip to the Florida Panhandle. The vacation was partly to drum up business for the region's tourism industry after the BP oil spill. Today, the president and his family take a tour of St. Andrews Bay aboard a former Navy launch converted into a sightseeing boat.

Three children were injured in a bomb attack in Northern Ireland last night. Catholic dissidents are believed to be responsible for the attack. Larry Miller¹⁸ reports from London this is the latest violence by those opposed to the power-sharing peace agreement.

The bomb exploded outside an elementary school in the town of Lurgan in Northern Ireland's County Armagh. No warning was given. Afterwards, police investigating suspicious packages in the same area came under attack by crowds throwing stones and gasoline bombs. Condemning¹⁹ the attacks, John O'Dowd, a Catholic Sinn Fein member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

"People are now completely fed up with the actions of these organizations, and they want to be left to live in peace."

There've been a number of bomb attacks this month by dissidents, including a 200-pound explosive that detonated outside a police station. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Prompted by a bomb threat, French police have evacuated²⁰ the Catholic shrine²¹ of Lourdes just before the midday Mass today, requiring some 30,000 pilgrims to leave.

The new prime minister of Japan broke with tradition today and did not visit a shrine that honors Japan's kamikaze pilots. Naoto Kan instead spoke²² at a memorial service for the war dead in Tokyo. He apologized for World War II, saying Japan caused great damage and suffering to many nations, especially the people of Asia.
 

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 watery   

adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的

参考例句：

• In his watery eyes there is an expression of distrust.他那含泪的眼睛流露出惊惶失措的神情。
• Her eyes became watery because of the smoke.因为烟熏，她的双眼变得泪汪汪的。

3 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

6 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》

7 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

8 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

9 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。

10 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

11 plowed   

v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• They plowed nearly 100,000 acres of virgin moorland. 他们犁了将近10万英亩未开垦的高沼地。 来自辞典例句
• He plowed the land and then sowed the seeds. 他先翻土，然后播种。 来自辞典例句

12 pickup   

n.拾起，获得

参考例句：

• I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。

13 flipped   

轻弹( flip的过去式和过去分词 )； 按（开关）； 快速翻转； 急挥

参考例句：

• The plane flipped and crashed. 飞机猛地翻转，撞毁了。
• The carter flipped at the horse with his whip. 赶大车的人扬鞭朝着马轻轻地抽打。

14 underneath   

adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面

参考例句：

• Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
• She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣，里面套着一条连衣裙。

15 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

16 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。

17 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 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。

19 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

20 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

21 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

22 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。