NPR 2010-08-19

President Obama, confronted with growing worries over economic recovery in the US, is trying to convince voters that his policies are, in fact, working.

"Slowly but surely we are moving in the right direction. We’re on the right track. The economy is getting stronger, but it really suffered a big trauma¹. And we’re not going to get all eight million jobs that were lost back overnight. It’s going to take some time."

The president speaking to voters at a backyard barbecue in Columbus, Ohio today. His three-day trip through five states also included fundraisers for Democrats² hoping to come out ahead of the GOP this election year.

The government is still deciding the best way to "kill" BP’s ruptured³ oil well in the Gulf⁴ of Mexico. Eileen Fleming of member station WWNO reports equipment is being shifted at the seafloor while more pressure testing is planned.

National Incident Commander Thad Allen says engineers are still reviewing ways to ready the broken well for a "bottom kill", which involves pumping heavy mud and cement through the bottom. Officials have been aiming for starting the "bottom kill" by this time.

"I’ve always said this will be conditions-based. We're concerned about the vital signs of this well. We continue to be concerned about the vital signs. Our first goal is to do no harm."

Allen says the relief well will be flushed and filled with seawater before pressure testing can help establish the condition of the line ahead of the "bottom kill". He says a blowout preventer to replace the one installed by the Deepwater Horizon rig will be moved to the wellhead. Engineers may also design and build a pressure relief system for the cap now in place. Drilling the final few feet of the relief well is on hold until a decision is reached. For NPR News, I’m Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.

A federal judge is giving his blessing⁵ to a nearly 300-million-dollar settlement between the Justice Department and Barclays Bank. NPR’s Carrie Johnson reports prosecutors⁶ accuse Barclays of violating US trade sanctions.

Judge Emmet Sullivan approved the government deal with Barclays Bank after expressing some reservations about the agreement. Barclays acknowledged taking part in financial transactions with banks in Cuba, Iran, Libya and Sudan, where the US government had put in place trade sanctions. Under the terms of the agreement, Barclays will escape prosecution⁷, if it cooperates with the Justice Department and changes its culture. The bank voluntarily disclosed the violations⁸. Barclays is the fourth major international bank to reach a settlement with US authorities after running afoul of economic sanctions. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

American Lori Berenson, who was recently released on parole, has turned herself into Peruvian authorities after a court revoked⁹ her parole. It’s ordering Berenson to serve out the remaining five years of a 20-year prison sentence for providing aid to leftist insurgents¹⁰. Prosecutors argued an earlier ruling to free the 40-year-old had a number of errors.

Dow’s up nine points at last check. This is NPR.

Low mortgage rates are prompting more homeowners in the US to refinance. As NPR’s Dave Mattingly tells us, there’s been a surge in activity.

Mortgage rates are at their lowest levels in decades. Nationwide, the average 30-year fixed-rate loan is hovering¹¹ at around 4.6 percent. Rates on 15-year loans are even lower. That triggered last week’s 13 percent jump in mortgage applications, mostly by those seeking to refinance. Demand there was up 17 percent. By contrast, the Mortgage Bankers Association says applications to buy new homes dropped more than three percent. Analysts¹² say high unemployment and a glut¹³ of foreclosed properties on the market continue to weigh heavily on new homebuilders and potential buyers. Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

A South Carolina woman has appeared in court to face charges that she killed her two young sons. Shaquan Duley did not enter a plea and the judge did not set bail¹⁴. Prosecutors say the 29-year-old admitted to strangling her two-year-old and 18-month-old boys, then placing their bodies in a car she rolled into a river to make it look like an accident.

International aid is flowing into flood-ravaged Pakistan, but still slow to get to the millions in need. Authorities are getting clearer picture the devastation¹⁵ caused from three weeks of rains and floods, saying it’s worse than they could have ever expected. At least 1,500 people have died from floods in Pakistan.

In Mexico, President Felipe Calderon is condemning¹⁶ the assassination¹⁷ of the mayor of a town near Monterrey. The official’s body has been found days after he was kidnapped by suspected drug hitmen.

I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.
 

1 trauma   

n.外伤，精神创伤

参考例句：

• Counselling is helping him work through this trauma.心理辅导正帮助他面对痛苦。
• The phobia may have its root in a childhood trauma.恐惧症可能源于童年时期的创伤。

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 ruptured   

v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交

参考例句：

• They reported that the pipeline had ruptured. 他们报告说管道已经破裂了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The wall through Berlin was finally ruptured, prefiguring the reunification of Germany. 柏林墙终于倒塌了，预示着德国的重新统一。 来自辞典例句

4 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

5 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

6 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。

7 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。

8 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

9 revoked   

adj.[法]取消的v.撤销，取消，废除( revoke的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• It may be revoked if the check is later dishonoured. 以后如支票被拒绝支付，结算可以撤销。 来自辞典例句
• A will is revoked expressly. 遗嘱可以通过明示推翻。 来自辞典例句

10 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

11 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

12 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

13 glut   

n.存货过多，供过于求；v.狼吞虎咽

参考例句：

• The glut of coffee led to a sharp drop in prices.咖啡供过于求道致价格急剧下跌。
• There's a glut of agricultural products in Western Europe.西欧的农产品供过于求。

14 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。

15 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》

16 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》

17 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。