NPR 2011-10-10

 In Cairo, Coptic Christian¹ protesters marching on the state television building came under attack today. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson is covering the story. She says Egyptian state radio reports at least 20 people were killed.

 

Traffic was at a standstill near the state television building along the Nile River as protesters packing the streets shouted for Egypt's military rulers to protect Christians². Troops clashed with protesters on several side streets as at least eight truckloads of police officers headed in their direction as reinforcements. The clashes began after hundreds of Copts marched through Cairo's downtown area to protest a recent attack on a church in southern Egypt. The protesters were pelted³ with rocks and glass bottles. Another large group of Coptic protesters, they were planning to join in front of the state television building, cut off the street. That's when police and soldiers moved in. Witnesses reported hearing gunfire. At least two people NPR spoke⁴ with say they saw armored vehicles run over and kill protesters. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Cairo.

 

After meeting in Berlin today, Germany's Chancellor⁵ Angela Merkel and French President Nicholas Sarkozy say they've reached agreement on strengthening European banks. NPR's Eric Westervelt reports.

 

There is concern European banks exposed to bad government debt will need an infusion⁶ of capital in the coming months. And the two leaders have disagreed in the past about how best to do that. But tonight Chancellor Merkel said she and the French president were in accord on the steps needed to provide capital to banks in need.

 

"We are determined⁷ to do all that's necessary to ensure the re-capitalization of Europe's banks," Merkel said, "so as to provide the sensible flow of credit required to foster healthy economic development and growth." Both leaders would not, however, elaborate on their proposal in detail which banks would be eligible⁸ and under what terms. They said the proposal first had to be discussed with other European leaders. Sarkozy said the French-German accord is total but added that it's not the moment to go into details. EU heads of state (will) meet in Brussels later this month. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, Berlin.

 

Here's another issue on which Democrats¹⁰ and Republicans disagreed, the protest on Wall Street and elsewhere that the financial and political establishments don't care about the needs of ordinary people. House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat⁹, says she agrees with that sentiment.

 

"I support the message to the establishment, whether it's Wall Street or the political establishment and the rest, that change has to happen. We cannot continue in a way that is not relevant to their lives. People are angry." 

 

She was interviewed on ABC's "This Week" but over on CBS Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain on "Meet the Press" called the protest un-American. Cain also charged that the unions are behind some of the protests. 

 

You are listening to NPR News from Washington.

 

Revolutionary forces in Libya say they've seized control of a hospital and a convention center in Sirte, the last major city occupied by forces loyal to deposed¹¹ leader Muammar Gaddafi. Taking control of Sirte would bring Libya's new rulers closer to establishing control of the entire country, nearly two months after they seized the capital Tripoli.

 

The United Nations High Commissioner¹² for Refugees says extremism and insecurity are growing in Somalia. Lisa Schlein reports from Geneva.

 

People in Somalia are struggling to survive conflict, drought and famine. UN refugee chief Antonio Guterres calls humanitarian¹³ aid a temporary remedy. He says only a political solution will resolve the country's long, festering problems.

 

"I think it's in everybody's interest to be involved. I mean, if the Somali problem would not be solved, the impact of the Somali problem, not from humanitarian point of view, but from the security point of view, will have implications all over the region and probably all over the world."

 

Guterres notes a recent agreement in the capital Mogadishu on the formation of a new, more stable government could lead to a political solution. He calls on the international community to support it. For NPR News, I'm Lisa Schlein in Geneva.

 

Crews off the coast of New Zealand say it will take at least two days to remove all the oil from a grounded container ship. The Liberia-flagged Rena struck a reef about 12 miles offshore¹⁴ and has been stranded¹⁵ there since Wednesday. Officials say the ship holds about 1,700 metric tons of fuel of which about 30 tons may have already leaked into the water.

1 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。

3 pelted   

（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮

参考例句：

• The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。
• The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

6 infusion   

n.灌输

参考例句：

• Old families need an infusion of new blood from time to time.古老的家族需要不时地注入新鲜血液。
• Careful observation of the infusion site is necessary.必须仔细观察输液部位。

7 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

8 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。

9 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

10 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》

11 deposed   

v.罢免( depose的过去式和过去分词 )；（在法庭上）宣誓作证

参考例句：

• The president was deposed in a military coup. 总统在军事政变中被废黜。
• The head of state was deposed by the army. 国家元首被军队罢免了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

13 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

14 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

15 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。