NPR 2011-02-02

Under nightfall, demonstrations² show no signs of abating³ in Egypt. In the largest demonstration¹ yet since the uprising against President Hosni Mubarak started over a week ago, hundreds of thousands of people have flooded Cairo's Tahrir Square. They want Mubarak to resign. The revolt has inspired similar protests in other countries in the region. From Jerusalem, NPR's Philip Reeves reports that Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just issued a statement about the potential huge implications mass protests in Egypt will have on the Middle East.

Israel is watching the multitude protesting on the streets of Egypt with deep anxiety. Its leaders are worried that if President Hosni Mubarak is ousted⁴, Israel's peace agreement with Egypt might unravel⁵. For more than 30 years, that treaty's been the cornerstone of Israel’s strategy. When the protests began, Israel quietly urged its Western allies not to undermine Mubarak. Now Prime Minister Netanyahu for the first time has expressed support for Egypt's protesters, saying he encourages the advancement⁶ of democratic values in the Middle East. Netanyahu also appeals to the international community to demand that any future Egyptian government preserves the peace treaty with Israel and he warns to the dangers of Egypt falling into the hands of Islamic radicals⁷, as happened, he says, in Iran. Philip Reeves, NPR News, Jerusalem.

Well, much of the United States works its way through heavy snow and ice. Some of the coldest air in several years is pouring into the Great Plains from Canada today. South Dakota Public Broadcasting’s Gary Ellenbolt has details.

Many areas of the Northern Plains have been under wind chill warnings since Monday. In northwest South Dakota, Harding County Emergency Management Director Kathy Glines says she recorded a wind chill rating of 56 below zero earlier today. But Glines says the ranchers and other workers in the area aren't stopping for conditions.

"It's pretty much businesses as usual. We are seeing a flow-down of traffic on our state highways. Of course, we have a lot of truck traffic, but a lot of officers joined up. The diesels⁸ are struggling."

Glines says she had to use another method to determine the wind chill this morning since her wind indicators⁹ bottomed out at 40 below zero. The National Weather Service says potentially life-threatening wind chill conditions could cover South Dakota and much of the plains tonight. For NPR News, I’m Gary Ellenbolt in Vermillion, South Dakota.

US stocks are surging with the Dow poised¹⁰ to close above 12,000 for the first time since 2008. So far the Dow is up 1.2% at 12,032. The NASDAQ’s gain is nearing 2% at 2,751. The US market’s apparently¹¹ buoyed¹² by strong manufacturing data. The Institute of Supply Management says the sector¹³ expanded in January at its fastest pace in nearly 7 years.

This is NPR News.

The 2010 construction spending numbers are up and they are at a 10-year low, down more than 10% compared to 2009. December activity is down from November as well. But as Danielle Karson reports weather may be part of the reason.

There's hardly a ripple¹⁴ in construction activity for December. Figures show government projects including schools down almost 3% and private building jobs like shopping centers down 2%. But the weak numbers don’t necessarily mean the construction business has taken a turn for the worse. IHS Global Insight economist¹⁵ Patrick Newport blames Mother Nature.

"We have one of the coldest Decembers in the South, one of the snowiest Decembers in the Northeast, so I think the weather can probably explain the bad construction numbers that we see across the board.”

With millions of foreclose properties on the housing market, analysts¹⁶ say home builders face a bumpy¹⁷ road this year as well. And Newport says public works projects are likely to drop off as government stimulus¹⁸ funds disappear. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Karson in Washington.

Citigroup is now in charge of EMI, the music label of dozens of acts including the Beatles. It took over from Terra Firma which was close to defaulting on nearly 5.5 billion dollars in money it borrowed to buy EMI in 2007. Citigroup agreed to cut the debt by 65%.

Strong earnings¹⁹ reports out today from UPS, Pfizer and agriculture's Archer²⁰ Daniels Midland, all beating Wall Street expectations, certainly factors in today's surge at the markets. At last check the Dow was up 141 points or over 1% at 12,034.

1 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

2 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

3 abating   

减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The storm showed no signs of abating. 暴风雨没有减弱的迹象。
• The recent public anxiety about this issue may now be abating. 近来公众对这个问题的焦虑心情现在也许正在缓和下来。

4 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

5 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

6 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

7 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

8 diesels   

柴油( diesel的名词复数 )； 柴油机机车（或船等）

参考例句：

• The diesels roared, the conductors jumped aboard, and off the train went. 内燃机发出轰鸣声，列车员跳上车厢，火车开走了。
• The diesels catch and roar, a welcome sound. 柴油机开动，发生了怒吼，这是令人鼓舞的声音。

9 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

10 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

11 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。

12 buoyed   

v.使浮起( buoy的过去式和过去分词 )；支持；为…设浮标；振奋…的精神

参考例句：

• Buoyed by their win yesterday the team feel confident of further success. 在昨天胜利的鼓舞下，该队有信心再次获胜。
• His encouragement buoyed her up during that difficult period. 他的鼓励使她在那段困难时期恢复了乐观的情绪。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 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。

14 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

15 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。

16 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

17 bumpy   

adj.颠簸不平的，崎岖的

参考例句：

• I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
• The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄，成了一条崎岖不平的小径。

18 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

19 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

20 archer   

n.射手，弓箭手

参考例句：

• The archer strung his bow and aimed an arrow at the target.弓箭手拉紧弓弦将箭瞄准靶子。
• The archer's shot was a perfect bull's-eye.射手的那一箭正中靶心。