NPR 2010-09-25

A stronger-than-expected report on durable¹ goods sends stocks surging toward the fourth straight weekly gain. At last check, Dow was up 192 points at 10,854. Orders at factory shot up two percent in August, but that's excluding a decline in demand for aircraft and autos. Economist² Hugh Johnson says it's important to keep expectations in check.

“The economy is, yes, it's expanding, and that's the good news. But it's expanding at a very slow pace, and you see that whether you look at the durable goods numbers or you look at the employment numbers.”

In a separate report, the government found new home sales last month remained flat.

President Obama's blasting Iran's leader for saying that most people believe the US was behind the 9/11 terror attacks.

“It was offensive. It was hateful.”

Mr. Obama in New York speaking to the BBC reacting to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech to the UN General Assembly yesterday. Today, Ahmadinejad defended his remarks and called for an independent fact-finding commission. President Obama, meanwhile, is wrapping up his final day at the UN gathering³.

US and Afghan forces have freed three Afghan journalists. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports from Kabul that Afghan President Hamid Karzai demanded their release.

US forces apprehended⁴ two of the journalists. An official said extensive investigation⁵ had suggested connections with the Taliban. Afghan forces arrested a third reporter. After President Karzai demanded an inquiry⁶, all three journalists walked free. The men apparently⁷ had regular contact with Taliban sources, a common practice for journalists in Afghanistan. The US military has periodically arrested local reporters here and in Iraq, often holding them for months without charge. None of the publicly known cases has resulted in a prosecution⁸. Elsewhere, a suicide bomber⁹ targeting a NATO convoy¹⁰ killed one Afghan bystander in northern Balkh province, where the Taliban insurgency¹¹ has made recent inroads. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Kabul.

The FBI says three bank robbers are on the run after a heist at a Bank of America branch in Coral Gables near the University of Miami. Police Chief Richard Naue says the robbers kidnapped a teller¹² and forced him to help them with the robbery.

"The individual was accosted¹³ at his residence out on Kendall Drive proximately midnight last night, and he was held hostage just along with his father until the early morning hours where this explosive device was placed on his body and he was transported to the bank."

The employee was later released and nobody else was hurt.

Here's an update from Wall Street. Dow Jones Industrial Average near 200 points at last check at 10,860. NASDAQ Composite Index up 54 at 2,381. S&P500 gaining 24; it's at 1,149.

From Washington, this is NPR.

1950s pop singer Eddie Fisher is being remembered by his family as one of the greatest voices of the century. Fisher passed away Wednesday night at his home in Berkeley of complications from hip¹⁴ surgery. He was 82 years old. NPR's Zoe Chace offers this look back at a life that had all the drama and romance of the songs Eddie Fisher sang.

Before Justin Bieber, there was Eddie Fisher.

Eddie Fisher was a dreamy bobby-sox idol¹⁵ in the 1950s, a hugely successful singer and a flamboyant¹⁶ celebrity¹⁷. He was also a television star. His popularity rivaled that of Frank Sinatra. But his frequent marriages made him just as notorious. First actress Debbie Reynolds, then to his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor. Eddie Fisher had three more marriages and fathered actresses Carrie Fisher and Joely Fisher. He also struggled for much of his life with drug addiction¹⁸. He died of complications from hip surgery. Zoe Chace, NPR News.

An American astronaut and two Russian cosmonauts are spending additional 24 hours on the International Space Station. They’re waiting to make a second attempt to return to Earth. The first attempt was aborted¹⁹ after a problem occurred during undocking at the international outpost.

Here's the latest. Dow is up 197 points as we approach a close on Wall Street; it's at 10,860.
 

1 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

2 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 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。

5 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

6 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

7 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。

8 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。

9 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

10 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

11 insurgency   

n.起义；暴动；叛变

参考例句：

• And as in China, unrest and even insurgency are widespread. 而在中国，动乱甚至暴乱都普遍存在。 来自互联网
• Dr Zyphur is part an insurgency against this idea. 塞弗博士是这一观点逆流的一部分。 来自互联网

12 teller   

n.银行出纳员；(选举)计票员

参考例句：

• The bank started her as a teller.银行起用她当出纳员。
• The teller tried to remain aloof and calm.出纳员力图保持冷漠和镇静。

13 accosted   

v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭

参考例句：

• She was accosted in the street by a complete stranger. 在街上，一个完全陌生的人贸然走到她跟前搭讪。
• His benevolent nature prevented him from refusing any beggar who accosted him. 他乐善好施的本性使他不会拒绝走上前向他行乞的任何一个乞丐。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

15 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

16 flamboyant   

adj.火焰般的，华丽的，炫耀的

参考例句：

• His clothes were rather flamboyant for such a serious occasion.他的衣着在这种严肃场合太浮夸了。
• The King's flamboyant lifestyle is well known.国王的奢华生活方式是人尽皆知的。

17 celebrity   

n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望

参考例句：

• Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。
• He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

18 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

19 aborted   

adj.流产的，失败的v.（使）流产( abort的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）（某事物）中止；（因故障等而）（使）（飞机、宇宙飞船、导弹等）中断飞行；（使）（飞行任务等）中途失败

参考例句：

• The rocket flight had to be aborted because of difficulties with computer. 因电脑出故障，这次火箭飞行只好中辍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They aborted the space flight finally. 他们最后中止了这次宇航飞行。 来自《简明英汉词典》