NPR 2010-09-28

There's a lot of buzz surrounding the latest merger¹ in the airline industry. Southwest Airlines is buying discount competitor AirTran. NPR's Wade² Goodwyn reports the deal is worth nearly $1.5 billion.

Although the name on the fuselage says Southwest, the nation's largest discount carrier is making a move east to Atlanta, where AirTran is based. The deal is likely to put pressure on Delta³ and US Airways⁴ and give Southwest significant access into the Caribbean and Mexico. Southwest has been looking to growth through acquisition. Last year, it made a bid for bankrupt Frontier Airlines but lost out to Republic Airways. By acquiring AirTran, Southwest establishes a stronger East Coast presence where the company has been making forays. It will take a full two years to complete the integration⁵. Wall Street approves AirTran shares opened up nearly 60 percent and Southwest opened higher too. In addition to Atlanta, AirTran has hubs in Orlando and Milwaukee. Wade Goodwyn, NPR News, Dallas.

President Obama has signed a small business lending bill into law, a political victory for Democrats⁶ five weeks before midterm elections. The legislation creates a 30-billion-dollar loan fund to give small business owners quicker access to credit. The president says it's vital to the sector⁷ and to job growth in general.

"They are the anchors of our Main Streets. They are part of the promise of America - the idea that if you've got a dream and you're willing to work hard, you can succeed."

The GOP opponents say the loan fund would encourage banks to make loans to risky⁸ borrowers.

Israel-Palestinian peace talks are still on the table with the Palestinian leadership delaying any decision on whether to withdraw. Authority President Mahmoud Abbas says he'll consult with negotiators in the wake of Israel's decision to let its moratorium⁹ on settlement building in West Bank expire.

Pakistan's government is protesting a NATO-led air strike on insurgents¹⁰ in its territory which it says violated its sovereignty. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Karachi that NATO says its helicopters chased insurgents over the Afghan border into Pakistan.

Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said in a statement that there were no so-called hot pursuit rules allowing NATO-led international security assistance forces to pursue targets over the Afghan-Pakistan border. He said that the incursion was in unacceptable violation¹¹ of the ISAF UN mandate¹², in that Pakistan would be forced to respond to further violations¹³. The ISAF said that its forces acted in self-defense, when insurgents attacked Afghan forces at a remote outpost near the border on Saturday to attack helicopters, chase the insurgents over the border and fire down them, killing¹⁴ about 30. The ISAF said its helicopters later killed four more militants¹⁵. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Karachi.

Dow was down nearly 50 at 10,812.

This is NPR.

The first of 12 soldiers charged with crimes in Afghanistan is appearing before a military tribunal. Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock of Wasilla, Alaska is charged with premeditated murder in the deaths of three Afghan civilians¹⁶. The hearing will determine whether the case proceeds to court-martial.

A Southern California man has been convicted of three counts of second-degree murder for driving drunk and causing a wreck¹⁷ that killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher¹⁸ Nick Adenhart and two of his friends. We have more details from Hettie Lynne Hurtes of member station KPCC.

Twenty-three-year-old Andrew Gallo was responsible for the crash in April of 2009 in Fullerton that killed Adenhart, his girlfriend and another passenger. A third friend survived but had to have his skull¹⁹ reattached to his spine²⁰. Prosecutors²¹ have alleged²² in the two-week trial that Gallo, whose blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit, spent hours drinking beers and shots with his step-brother at three different bars before running a red light and crashing into the car driven by Adenhart's girlfriend. Adenhart died just hours after pitching six scoreless innings in his season debut²³. Gallo could face the death penalty. For NPR News, I'm Hettie Lynne Hurtes in Los Angeles.

Georgia authorities will make a third attempt tonight to execute a convicted killer²⁴. The punishment was delayed twice before, when Brandon Joseph Rhode tried to kill himself. Rhode's attorneys are fighting for another postponement²⁵. They argue the Rhodes may not fully²⁶ understand why he is on death row. The 31-year-old was convicted in 2000 of murdering a father and two children during a burglary.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

1 merger   

n.企业合并，并吞

参考例句：

• Acceptance of the offer is the first step to a merger.对这项提议的赞同是合并的第一步。
• Shareholders will be voting on the merger of the companies.股东们将投票表决公司合并问题。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

4 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

5 integration   

n.一体化，联合，结合

参考例句：

• We are working to bring about closer political integration in the EU.我们正在努力实现欧盟內部更加紧密的政治一体化。
• This was the greatest event in the annals of European integration.这是欧洲统一史上最重大的事件。

6 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》

7 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

8 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。

9 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

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 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

12 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

13 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。

14 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

15 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。

16 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

17 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

18 pitcher   

n.(有嘴和柄的)大水罐；(棒球)投手

参考例句：

• He poured the milk out of the pitcher.他从大罐中倒出牛奶。
• Any pitcher is liable to crack during a tight game.任何投手在紧张的比赛中都可能会失常。

19 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

20 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

21 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。

22 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

23 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

24 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

25 postponement   

n.推迟

参考例句：

• He compounded with his creditors for a postponement of payment. 他与债权人达成协议延期付款。
• Rain caused the postponement of several race-meetings. 几次赛马大会因雨延期。

26 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。