NPR 2011-06-04

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

Former Democratic presidential candidate John Edwards is fighting charges that he illegally spent campaign funds to cover up an extramarital affair during his 2008 run for the White House. In North Carolina today, Edwards pleaded not guilty to six counts that also include conspiracy¹ and making false statements. He later made a brief statement in which Edwards said he was wrong but did not break the law.

"I will regret for the rest of my life the pain and the harm that I've caused to others. But I did not break the law, and I never ever thought I was breaking the law."

Edwards eventually admitted to fathering a child with his mistress that prompted his wife Elizabeth to leave him. She passed away last year after a long battle with cancer.

The unemployment rate is a higher 9.1% after companies added only 54,000 jobs last month. The Labor² Department's report out today reflects a slowest hiring pace in eight months. House Republican Leader Eric Cantor says the numbers are further proof that President Obama's job growing strategies are not working.

"If there were ever an indicator³ that we actually need to start having a plan to grow jobs, this is it."

But the administration says overall the economy is still growing. NPR's Scott Horsley says President Obama sought to drive home that message at a Chrysler plant today.

The president's visit to a Toledo plant, where Chrysler assembles Jeep Wranglers⁴, was intended to showcase the turnaround by the automaker since a government rescue two years ago. While the US auto⁵ industry is hiring again, Mr. Obama had to acknowledge millions of Americans are still out of work.

"I don't want to pretend like everything's solved. We've still got a long way to go."

Manufacturing has been a bright spot in the economic recovery. But last month, factories trimmed some 5,000 workers from their payrolls⁶. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

Some of the largest anti-government protests are being reported out of Syria, especially in the city of Hama, as NPR's Deborah Amos explains.

There are reports of demonstrations⁷ across Syria. But the turnout in Hama is significant, say activists⁸. More than 50,000 people marched after Friday prayers and suffered heavy casualties when Syrian security police fired on the protesters. Hama was the site of a crackdown in the 1980s, when tens of thousands died, considered one of the deadliest acts by an Arab government against its people. The Syrian government turned off the Internet today across the country, and the usual torrent⁹ of protest videos posted on the web dried up. Reports from inside the country came mostly from satellite phones. Deborah Amos, NPR News, Gaziantep, Turkey.

And still no end to clashes in Yemen, where the president suffered minor¹⁰ injuries in an attack on his palace.

This is NPR News.

Doctor Jack¹¹ Kevorkian, the retired¹² pathologist dubbed¹³ "Doctor Death" for assisting in more than 100 suicides of terminally ill patients, has died. Kevorkian passed away at a Detroit-area hospital today following a brief illness. He was 83 years old.

The TV actor, best known for playing Gunsmoke's Marshal Matt Dillon, has died. James Arness was 88 years old, and he died in his sleep of natural causes at his home in Los Angeles today. NPR's Neda Ulaby has this appreciation¹⁴.

US Marshal Matt Dillon held back the bad guys and held up the law in Dodge¹⁵ City, Kansas during the days of the Wild West. He epitomized frontier justice.

"I'm going out in the street, and I'm gonna wait for you."

"Well, have fun."

"I wanna kill you."

"Mr. Dillon."

The part was actually created for John Wayne, who turned it down and suggested James Arness. Arness was well over six feet tall, and Wayne liked to joke he was just too big for the movies. Arness became Gunsmoke's moral heart, and the show became TV's longest-running Western. Before his death, James Arness was named an Honorary US Marshal. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

With football's first preseason game just months away, there's still no sign of progress on a collective bargaining deal. Today, the NFL and its players ended their court arguments in St. Louis over the legality of an owner-imposed lockout three months ago.

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down nearly 100 points, or nearly 1%, at 12,151, NASDAQ down more than 1% at 2,733.

This is NPR News.

1 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

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 indicator   

n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器

参考例句：

• Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
• His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

4 wranglers   

n.争执人( wrangler的名词复数 )；在争吵的人；（尤指放马的）牧人；牛仔

参考例句：

5 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

6 payrolls   

n.（公司员工的）工资名单( payroll的名词复数 )；（公司的）工资总支出，工薪总额

参考例句：

• Indices of employment, payrolls, and production steadied in February 1931931年2月，就业、工资额和生产指数稳定。 来自辞典例句
• Wall Street responded to the payrolls figures with gusto. 华尔街对就业数据作出了积极的反应。 来自互联网

7 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。

8 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》

9 torrent   

n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发

参考例句：

• The torrent scoured a channel down the hillside. 急流沿着山坡冲出了一条沟。
• Her pent-up anger was released in a torrent of words.她压抑的愤怒以滔滔不绝的话爆发了出来。

10 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

11 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

12 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

13 dubbed   

v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制

参考例句：

• Mathematics was once dubbed the handmaiden of the sciences. 数学曾一度被视为各门科学的基础。
• Is the movie dubbed or does it have subtitles? 这部电影是配音的还是打字幕的？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。