NPR 2010-09-06

President Obama will be talking about jobs and the economy during several speeches this week including at a Labor¹ Day rally tomorrow in Milwaukee. Chuck Quirmbach of Wisconsin Public Radio has more on what the president will cover.

The president will speak to union members following their annual Labor Day parade. The White House says Mr. Obama is expected to talk about incentives² to get small businesses to hire more people. US Labor Secretary Hilda Solis will join the president in Milwaukee. She says she realizes that many people want a faster economic recovery.

"Sure it's slow, but we're going through a global economic crisis as well, readjustment, a rethinking of where we're going to go in the future. And we have that path somewhat laid out for us."

Solis says the Obama administration is trying to boost education and training, so more people can find work. Wisconsin Republicans say the president is trying to put a positive face on a stagnant³ economy. For NPR News, I'm Chuck Quirmbach in Milwaukee.

A stop to Cleveland is also on Mr. Obama's schedule this week. There, he's expected to outline a 100-billion-dollar proposal to increase and permanently⁴ extend a tax credit for businesses' research expenses. The community college venue⁵ for that announcement was apparently⁶ chosen by the White House in part to draw a contrast with the recent economic address by House Republican Leader and Ohio Representative John Boehner.

The outlawed⁷ Basque separatist organization ETA has declared a unilateral ceasefire in its violent campaign for independence from Spain. In a video statement released today, the group says it wants to achieve its goals through peaceful and democratic means, but the BBC's Sarah Rainsford reports from Madrid it's unclear whether the ceasefire is permanent.

The Spanish government's line has been firm for some time: no talks with ETA unless it renounces⁸ violence for good and disarms⁹. This ceasefire statement falls short of that. It looks like a call for new peace talks, but this government tried that in 2006 and failed. The controversial negotiations¹⁰ collapsed¹¹ after nine tense months, when an ETA bomb killed two people at Madrid Airport, so the government will be wary¹² of talking to ETA again, especially it's the time when it's sinking in the opinion polls. Many Spaniards would also question the point of talking now, when it's widely accepted that ETA is weaker than ever in its history.

The BBC's Sarah Rainsford reporting from Madrid.

The death toll¹³ in Guatemala is rising after mudslides triggered by torrential rains. At least 36 people have died and officials say more than 100 people are missing. Fire Department spokesman says about 100 people gathered to dig victims out of a bus covered by a landslide¹⁴ and then a group attempting a rescue was buried by another slide.

People in Nova Scotia are cleaning up today after Tropical Storm Earl hit the Canadian province yesterday.

You're listening to NPR News.

A Taliban spokesman is saying today his group will try to disrupt elections in Afghanistan this month. He's warning Afghans to boycott¹⁵ the vote. The Taliban position is consistent with those taken in the past—insurgents seek to topple the government in Kabul and want to drive foreign troops from the country. Similar threats drove down voter turnout in last year's marred¹⁶ presidential election. Several parliamentary candidates and campaign workers have been attacked across Afghanistan in recent months.

Police and sports authorities are investigating charges of cheating by members of the Pakistan National Cricket Team during matches against England in London. Last week, allegations were made against three players. And as Larry Miller¹⁷ reports, there are now more serious accusations¹⁸.

Cricket's governing body is reportedly investigating a Pakistan player for match fixing. This would be the fourth Pakistani star caught up in the growing cheating allegations. Three others allegedly accepted bribes¹⁹ for making prearranged errors on the field. The International Cricket Council says they're facing 23 separate charges. Last week, the tabloid²⁰ News of the World secretly filmed a gambling²¹ middleman apparently receiving more than $200,000 in cash in exchange for guaranteeing on-field miscues, which happened at the appointed times. The newspaper has new video of a former Pakistani star saying he knows players who fixed²² almost every match for big bribes. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

If you drink on the job and activate²³ an emergency chute, there's a good chance you may be out of that job. So is the case for flight attendant Steven Slater. JetBlue is saying this weekend Slater is no longer an employee.
 

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

3 stagnant   

adj.不流动的，停滞的，不景气的

参考例句：

• Due to low investment,industrial output has remained stagnant.由于投资少，工业生产一直停滞不前。
• Their national economy is stagnant.他们的国家经济停滞不前。

4 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

5 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

6 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

7 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

8 renounces   

v.声明放弃( renounce的第三人称单数 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃

参考例句：

• Japan renounces all right, title and claim to Formosa and the Pescadores. 日本放弃对福尔摩沙（台湾）及澎湖的一切权利，主张（名称）及所有权。 来自互联网
• He renounces Christianity, temporarily straining his relationship with his parents. 他放弃了基督教信仰，从而与父母的关系暂时变得紧张。 来自互联网

9 disarms   

v.裁军( disarm的第三人称单数 )；使息怒

参考例句：

• He was that rarest of statesmen, one whose integrity disarms even his critics. 他为人正直，连批评他的人也佩服他三分，在当代政治家中实属罕见。 来自辞典例句
• Disarm: This ability now disarms ranged weapons as well. 缴械：这个技能现在同时可以缴械对方的远程武器。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 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。

12 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

13 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

14 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

15 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

16 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

17 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。

18 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。

19 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

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。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

20 tabloid   

adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘

参考例句：

• He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism.他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
• He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully.他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。

21 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

22 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

23 activate   

vt.使活动起来，使开始起作用

参考例句：

• We must activate the youth to study.我们要激励青年去学习。
• These push buttons can activate the elevator.这些按钮能启动电梯。