NPR 2011-03-25

NPR's learned NATO plans to assume command of UN-backed no-fly operations over Libya, where coalition¹ air strikes are targeting Muammar Gaddafi's defense² system. Although there’s been no official word yet on who gets control, NPR's Tom Bowman says he has been told by a Pentagon official that NATO could be handed new authority as early as today, while the US remains³ a crucial player.

What the US will still contribute is what's called their unique capabilities⁴, and that's refueling tankers⁶, AWACS planes and also command and control aircraft, those sophisticated aircraft that only the United States has.

NPR's Tom Bowman bringing us the latest from the Pentagon as we get word of more clashes between Libyan troops and rebels in both eastern and western Libya. NPR's Eric Westervelt is in Ajdabiya, where he says rebels don't appear to be making much progress and civilians⁷ are still on the run.

Houda Ali Abdullah says a government artillery⁸ round hit her house last night in Ajdabiya, all but destroying it. Her family wasn't injured, but with her house badly damaged and with water and electricity cut off to the city, she fled today, hitchhiking with her brother and four young kids toward Bengazi.

"How can Muslims kill their Muslim brothers.” She yells. "How’s this possible? Both sides are yelling God is great. Shame on both of them. We used to be united." She says. "They’re scared and confused." She adds with her four young kids huddling⁹ next to her. One day they call Gaddafi "Father Muammar". The next day, he's our enemy. Eric Westervelt, NPR News, outside Ajdabiya.

Defense Secretary Rob Gates’ plans to push for Israeli-Palestinian peace may run into more resistance. He's in Israel a day after a bomb exploded at a bus stop in Jerusalem. A British tourist died from her injuries. As many as 30 people were wounded. Gates was expected to press the USS Case that peace negotiations¹⁰ should continue.

An air traffic controller who failed to respond early Wednesday morning to two approaching airliners¹¹ at Reagan National Airport outside Washington is now suspended. More on this from NPR's Zoe Chase.

It's a good thing they don't broadcast with the pilots still in the cockpit over the PA system. Because this is what the passengers flying into Washington might have heard early Wednesday morning.

"*, the tower is apparently¹², *. We’ve made three phone calls. Nobody’s answering."

That's a regional control center talking to a pilot who's trying to get clear to fly into DC. The planes landed safely. The FAA is conducting a full investigation¹³ into why there's only one controller in the tower and why he didn't respond. The head of the FAA Randy Babbitt says the controller who was supposed to be in the tower at that time is suspended, and as a former pilot, he is personally outraged¹⁴.

This is NPR News.

Most major roads in Japan are open to all traffic. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports that should help ease shortages in the areas struck the hardest by last week's earthquake and tsumani.

Food, gasoline and other goods remain in short supply across much of northeastern Japan. Lifting the emergency restrictions¹⁵ on the main highways is expected to revive disrupted distribution networks. Trains, however, still aren't running in the hardest-hit areas. Large sections of the coast that were pounded by the tsunami¹⁶ still are without running water and electricity. With almost all stores in these areas closed or destroyed, aid groups are handing out food, and the Japanese military has started distributing drinking water from tanker⁵ trucks. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Sendai, Japan.

The tragedies in Japan have prompted one researcher to examine just how powerful a role religion plays in the way people view natural disasters. NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty gives us this glimpse into one US survey.

After the tsunami, Robert Jones of the Public Religion Research Institute wanted to know if Americans see God's hand in natural disasters. He found in a poll that fewer than one in three believes God sometimes punishes nations for the sins of some of His citizens. An exception was white evangelicals, most of whom say God punishes nations, and that natural disasters are a sign from God. Jones says 58% of this group also sees recent natural disasters as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.

"White evangelical Protestants, Republicans and those identified with the Tea Party are more likely to believe that natural disasters are evidence of what the Bible calls in times rather than evidence of global climate change."

Most other Americans point to climate change. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR News.

Before the close, the Dow was up 85.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 capabilities   

n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力

参考例句：

• He was somewhat pompous and had a high opinion of his own capabilities. 他有点自大，自视甚高。 来自辞典例句
• Some programmers use tabs to break complex product capabilities into smaller chunks. 一些程序员认为，标签可以将复杂的功能分为每个窗格一组简单的功能。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

6 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

7 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。

8 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

9 huddling   

n. 杂乱一团, 混乱, 拥挤 v. 推挤, 乱堆, 草率了事

参考例句：

• Twenty or thirty monkeys are huddling along the thick branch. 三十只猴子挤在粗大的树枝上。
• The defenders are huddling down for cover. 捍卫者为了掩护缩成一团。

10 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

11 airliners   

n.客机，班机( airliner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The fog grounded the airliners. 大雾迫使班机停飞。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They placed very stable and accurate atomic clocks on regularly scheduled jet airliners. 他们将非常稳定、准确的原子钟装在定期飞行的喷气式班机上。 来自辞典例句

12 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。

13 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。

14 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

15 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

16 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。