NPR 2010-08-21

Israeli and Palestinian leaders plan to meet face to face for the first time since talks collapsed¹ nearly two years ago. They've been invited to Washington early next month. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says each side will need to do its part to make sure negotiations² are not derailed.

"These negotiations should take place without preconditions and be characterized by good faith and a commitment to their success, which will bring a better future to all of the people of the region."

The plan is for President Obama to hold separate meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. And on September 2nd, the visiting delegations³ will meet each other.

New details about the Gulf⁴ Coast compensation fund for victims of the BP spill are out. As NPR's Wendy Kaufman reports from Houma, Louisiana, payments will be a two-step process.

Attorney Kenneth Feinberg will take over management of BP's $20 billion compensation fund on Monday. Shrimpers, boat captains, wholesalers and others economically hurt by the spill will be eligible⁵ for a one-time emergency payment to cover up to six months of lost income. Those claims must be filed by November 23rd, but as Feinberg told NPR, in order to get those funds, claimants will have to sign a release, saying they won't sue. Here's how it would work for a hypothetical claimant.

"Your full loss is $400,000. Whether it's BP's fault or Haliburton's fault or Transocean's fault, here is $400,000. I've completely satisfied the claim."

So far, BP has paid out more than $375 million. Wendy Kaufman, NPR News, Houma, Louisiana.

The Target Corporation is still under attack for its political contributions in the Minnesota governor's race. NPR's Peter Overby tells us that three investment firms want an independent review of Target's policies on political giving, and five liberal watchdog groups are calling on MSNBC to run an ad critical of Target.

The ad from MoveOn.org spoofs⁶ Target's TV spot.

"Target and other big corporations are trying to buy our elections. No way."

MSNBC rejected the ad, saying it directly attacked in individual business. Now, Public Citizen and four other groups say the network's policies shouldn't apply because Target made itself a political player. The company has built a progressive pro-gay image, but it gave $150,000 to a group supporting Republican Tom Emmer for governor, and he's against gay marriage. The three investment firms, Walden, Trillium and Calvert, say Target's political actions don't align⁷ with its corporate⁸ values. Peter Overby, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street, Dow's down nearly 60 at 10,213.

This is NPR.

The last of three inmates⁹ who escaped from a prison in northern Arizona is in federal custody¹⁰. Details from Arizona Public Radio's Gillian Ferris Kohl.

John McCluskey and his alleged¹¹ accomplice¹² Casslyn Welch were apprehended¹³ in a campground in northeastern Arizona, less than 200 miles from where McCluskey escaped from a medium-security prison. A nationwide manhunt had authorities searching for the pair near the US-Canada border. The couple was captured after a ranger¹⁴ with the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest found what appeared to be an abandoned campfire. That's when he came in contact with McCluskey whom he recognized from a wanted poster released this week by the US Marshal's office. A SWAT team waited until dark to storm the campground where they arrested McCluskey and Welch. Two other inmates escaped along with McCluskey but were recaptured earlier this month. A report found serious problems at the prison where the inmates were being housed, including faulty security for the perimeter¹⁵ fence which the convicted murderers scaled during their escape. For NPR News, I'm Gillian Ferris Kohl in Flagstaff.

A desperate effort is under way in southwestern China to find survivors¹⁶ of the latest mudslide that hit the region. Dozens of people are missing in a remote mountain community in Yunnan province. Witnesses say that rains and floods sent heaps of mud and rocks crashing down onto the township Wednesday, engulfing¹⁷ everything but the tallest buildings. Landslides¹⁸ and floods in China this month have killed more than 1,400 people.

Inuit hunters in Canada and Greenland are exempted¹⁹ from a new trade ban on seal products. The European Union's high court ruled in favor of the indigenous²⁰ people who argue their livelihoods²¹ depended on the ability to hunt seals, which are sold as meat or oil used in the production of omega 3 fatty acid supplements.
 

1 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。

2 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。

3 delegations   

n.代表团( delegation的名词复数 )；委托，委派

参考例句：

• In the past 15 years, China has sent 280 women delegations abroad. 十五年来，中国共派280批妇女代表团出访。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• The Sun Ray decision follows the federal pattern of tolerating broad delegations but insisting on safeguards. “阳光”案的判决仿效联邦容许广泛授权的做法，但又坚持保护措施。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法

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 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

6 spoofs   

n.（进行）滑稽的模仿( spoof的名词复数 )；哄骗；戏弄；讽刺

参考例句：

• Nobody likes those clumsy spoofs of yours. 谁都不喜欢你那拙笨的玩笑。 来自辞典例句
• The show successfully spoofs the TV programs and commercials. 这场表演通过模仿成功地讽刺了那些电视节目和商业广告。 来自互联网

7 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

8 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

9 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

11 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

12 accomplice   

n.从犯，帮凶，同谋

参考例句：

• She was her husband's accomplice in murdering a rich old man.她是她丈夫谋杀一个老富翁的帮凶。
• He is suspected as an accomplice of the murder.他涉嫌为这次凶杀案的同谋。

13 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

14 ranger   

n.国家公园管理员，护林员；骑兵巡逻队员

参考例句：

• He was the head ranger of the national park.他曾是国家公园的首席看守员。
• He loved working as a ranger.他喜欢做护林人。

15 perimeter   

n.周边，周长，周界

参考例句：

• The river marks the eastern perimeter of our land.这条河标示我们的土地东面的边界。
• Drinks in hands,they wandered around the perimeter of the ball field.他们手里拿着饮料在球场周围漫不经心地遛跶。

16 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

17 engulfing   

adj.吞噬的v.吞没，包住( engulf的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house darkness. 一位摄影师把电灯的保险丝烧断了，使整栋房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A professional photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house in darkness. 一位职业摄影师把保险丝烧断了使整所房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自辞典例句

18 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

19 exempted   

使免除[豁免]( exempt的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His bad eyesight exempted him from military service. 他因视力不好而免服兵役。
• Her illness exempted her from the examination. 她因病而免试。

20 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

21 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。