NPR 2011-11-05

 President Obama is pledging to stand behind Europe as it tries to stem its biggest debt challenges.

 

"They're going to have a strong partner in us. But European leaders understand that ultimately what the markets are looking for is a strong signal from Europe that they're standing¹ behind the euro."

 

The president speaking at the conclusion of the Group of 20 Summit in Cannes, France. He urged US allies to focus on growing jobs, a central issue in the political debate raging in Washington. 

 

We have mixed news out of labor² today. The unemployment rate is down, though, slightly. Last month it fell 0.1% to 9%. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports the Labor Department says long-term unemployment fell as the business sector³ added a modest number of jobs.

 

It turns out the job market has not been quite as stagnant⁴ as initially⁵ thought. The Labor Department revised its August and September payroll⁶ numbers upward by about 100,000 jobs. Last month, long-term unemployment fell to its lowest level in six months, and the number of people who were employed part-time but looking for work also fell. All of that sounds like positive news for job seekers. But economists⁷ say business hiring will need to at least double or triple from current levels in order to start observing the growth in working population as well as more of the 14 million unemployed⁸. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

 

On Wall Street, the Dow was down 82 points at last check at 11,962; NASDAQ down slightly at 2,688; same with S&P 500, which is at 1,252.

 

Investors⁹ remain focused today on the latest developments in European debt crisis. At the center of it, Greece, and that country's embattled Prime Minister George Papandreou faces a confidence vote later today.

 

A flotilla of ships attempting to breach¹⁰ Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip has been stopped by Israel's navy. We have details on this from Sheera Frenkel.

 

Israel's navy boarded two small boats attempting to breach its blockade on the Gaza Strip Friday afternoon. Twenty-seven activists¹¹ on board two ships set sailed earlier this week from Turkey. They're just the 11th flotilla attempt to reach Gaza. Israel has stated that it will not allow the boats to dock in Gaza but will transport the Humanitarian¹² aid they carry into Gaza through land crossings. The pro-Palestinian activists behind the most recent attempt said they would continue to launch flotillas to bring attention to Israel's blockade of the coastal¹³ territory. For NPR News, I'm Sheera Frenkel.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 81 points at 11,963 in trading of just over three billion shares; NASDAQ Composite Index off nearly 0.5%; it's at 2,687; and the S&P 500 down more than 0.5% now at 1,252. 

 

This is NPR News.

 

Six men have emerged from a fake spaceship in Russia after spending 520 days, pretending to be on a mission to Mars. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports that the simulation explored the psychological challenges of long-duration space missions.

 

The fake crew included two men from Europe, one from China and three from Russia. In July of last year, they were sealed inside windowless isolation¹⁴ chambers¹⁵ at a research facility in Moscow. Today, the hatch was opened, and they walked out.

 

"The first three members..."

 

In between doing experiments and pretending to land on Mars, the crew battled boredom¹⁶. They played Guitar Hero and watched old movies like “2001: A Space Odyssey¹⁷.” One crew member reported having a new appreciation¹⁸ for that film's depiction¹⁹ of loneness and monotony. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News.

 

A Dallas man who spent 14 years in jail after refusing to admit to sexually assaulting a child is now free. The court exonerated²⁰ Dale Lincoln Duke of charges that in 1992 he had sexually assaulted his then seven-year-old stepdaughter. The girl later recanted, and former prosecutors²¹ were accused of withholding²² evidence.

 

Connecticut seeking additional emergency aid to help pay for damage caused by last week's freak October snowstorm. Utility crews are still working to restore power to more than 300,000 customers who've been without electricity for days.

 

Dippin' Dots, the company known for those tiny beads²³ of ice-cream, is seeking bankruptcy²⁴ protection. It's been sued by Regions Bank, which is demanding repayment²⁵ on multiple loans.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

1 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

2 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。

3 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。

4 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。

5 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

6 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。

7 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

11 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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。

13 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

14 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

15 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

16 boredom   

n.厌烦，厌倦，乏味，无聊

参考例句：

• Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom.失业会让你无聊得发疯。
• A walkman can relieve the boredom of running.跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。

17 odyssey   

n.长途冒险旅行；一连串的冒险

参考例句：

• The march to Travnik was the final stretch of a 16-hour odyssey.去特拉夫尼克的这段路是长达16小时艰险旅行的最后一程。
• His odyssey of passion, friendship,love,and revenge was now finished.他的热情、友谊、爱情和复仇的漫长历程，到此结束了。

18 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

19 depiction   

n.描述

参考例句：

• Double rhythms, resounding through the lyric depiction and connecting with each other, indicate the thespian place of mankind and the cognition of the writer to this thespian place. 这双重旋律互为表里，表明了人类的某种悲剧性处境以及作家对这种悲剧性处境的感受和认识。
• A realistic depiction of scenes from everyday domestic life. 日常家居生活的写实画。

20 exonerated   

v.使免罪，免除( exonerate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The police report exonerated Lewis from all charges of corruption. 警方的报告免除了对刘易斯贪污的所有指控。
• An investigation exonerated the school from any blame. 一项调查证明该学校没有任何过失。 来自辞典例句

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 withholding   

扣缴税款

参考例句：

• She was accused of withholding information from the police. 她被指控对警方知情不报。
• The judge suspected the witness was withholding information. 法官怀疑见证人在隐瞒情况。

23 beads   

n.（空心）小珠子( bead的名词复数 )；水珠；珠子项链

参考例句：

• a necklace of wooden beads 一条木珠项链
• Beads of perspiration stood out on his forehead. 他的前额上挂着汗珠。

24 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

25 repayment   

n.偿还，偿还款；报酬

参考例句：

• I am entitled to a repayment for the damaged goods.我有权利索取货物损坏赔偿金。
• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment.税务局一直在催她补交税款。