NPR 2011-06-21

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

Wal-Mart is hailing the Supreme¹ Court’s decision today to block a class-action lawsuit² from going forward in its current form. The ruling is a big setback³ for more than a million women who accused the nation's largest private employer of gender⁴ discrimination. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports today's decision is drawing a lot of attention in the business world.

Writing for the majority, Justice Antonin Scalia says the women suing Wal-Mart can't prove their claims are similar enough to pack into one massive class-action case. Scalia says there isn't enough glue to hold together the claims of current and former female employees who worked all over the country. Had the Supreme Court ruled in other way, it would have forced Wal-Mart into a financial settlement worth billions of dollars. Other companies have been following the dispute closely for what it said about their ability to challenge employment discrimination cases. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

Proponents⁵ of same-sex marriage burst into song in the halls of New York State Capitol, where Senate Republicans decide whether to vote on a gay marriage bill, and they're shouted down by members of those opposed to the measure. NPR's Margot Adler reports that after hours of close-door meetings today in Albany, Republicans have apparently⁶ made no decision.

Demonstrators on both sides of the issue lined the halls outside the Senate chamber⁷, chanting and singing. Republicans control the state Senate. Democrats⁹ control the assembly where the marriage bill has already passed. Two Republican state senators told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity¹⁰ that the legislation appeared to be tied to rent regulation legislation and a property tax cap. No decision yet by the Republican conference to send or not send the marriage bill to the Senate floor. It could be days. Meanwhile, Ruben Diaz, a minister from the Bronx, is the single Democrat⁸ in the state Senate, who remains¹¹ opposed on religious principles to the bill, but Diaz has said he believes passage of the bill may be inevitable¹², given the powerful involvement of New York's Governor Andrew Cuomo. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is pledging to consider political reforms as he fights to protect his own authority. In a 70-minute televised speech, Assad said reforms might include scaling back his Baath party's dominance. He also acknowledged lives lost on both sides of an uprising against his regime that began months ago.

"It was a huge loss to their families and loved ones. It was a loss to the country. To me personally, it was a grave and dire¹³ loss."

Assad is heard through an interpreter broadcast on Al Jazeera. Today, thousands of anti-government activists¹⁴ again staged protests, while Assad says he will push still for a national dialog.

Before the close, the Dow was up 76 points at 12080.

This is NPR.

Authorities are trying to determine how many homes and businesses have been destroyed by an aggressive wildfire that's burning near Arizona's border with New Mexico. Arizona Public Media's Steve Shadley reports the Monument Fire is among six big wildfires racing¹⁵ across desert, brush and pine trees in the state.

Gusty¹⁶ winds spread the fire to nearly 27000 acres near the city of Sierra Vista¹⁷. Officials say a total of 10000 people had been evacuated¹⁸ since the blaze started more than a week ago. Initial reports indicate at least 44 homes have burned. Fire management spokesman Diane Drobka says the evacuees¹⁹ are getting tired, sleeping in emergency shelters.

"There are a few people that are getting frustrated²⁰ because of course they want to get back in. Some people have livestock²¹ that they left behind, and they're concerned because the power's off in some areas, and they want to be able to water their horses."

Drobka says military police from the nearby Fort Huachuca Army base have been called in to keep looters from entering the area. For NPR News, I'm Steve Shadley in Tucson.

Venus Williams advances in the opening round of Wimbledon matches, defeating the 97th-ranked Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan in a straight-set win today. The five-time champion says she relied on experience to get through her first Grand Slam match since injuring her hip²² at the Australian Open in January.

"That's the beauty I think of being able to have a long career, is to be able to use the experience that you learn on the court. I think more and more players are starting to realize that it's an advantage to be able to play longer because then you actually understand the game."

And Rafael Nadal, the defending men's champion, defeated Michael Russell today — 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

3 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

4 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

5 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

8 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。

9 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》

10 anonymity   

n.the condition of being anonymous

参考例句：

• Names of people in the book were changed to preserve anonymity. 为了姓名保密，书中的人用的都是化名。
• Our company promises to preserve the anonymity of all its clients. 我们公司承诺不公开客户的姓名。

11 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。

12 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

13 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

14 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》

15 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

16 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

17 vista   

n.远景，深景，展望，回想

参考例句：

• From my bedroom window I looked out on a crowded vista of hills and rooftops.我从卧室窗口望去，远处尽是连绵的山峦和屋顶。
• These uprisings come from desperation and a vista of a future without hope.发生这些暴动是因为人们被逼上了绝路，未来看不到一点儿希望。

18 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

19 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

20 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 livestock   

n.家畜，牲畜

参考例句：

• Both men and livestock are flourishing.人畜两旺。
• The heavy rains and flooding killed scores of livestock.暴雨和大水淹死了许多牲口。

22 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。