NPR 2011-08-20

 We're seeing a seesaw¹ effect on Wall Street, where the market turned higher at late morning before moving downward again by mid-afternoon. And this on a day that's seen big losses overseas. Major European share markets closed lower today, capping a turbulent week. Investors² are still worried about Europe's debt crisis, and the US's ability to get its economy out of the doldrums. Jim Paulson, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, says it's a matter of how investors deal with fear.

 

"Realistically, what we're dealing³ with here is fear. Gonna rule over the economic fundamentals in the next few weeks, or are the fundamentals gonna stay strong enough that they eventually will extinguish fear?"

 

Before the close, the Dow was down 180 points or 1.6% at 10,811; NASDAQ down 1.6% at 2,342; S&P 500 down 1.5% at 1,123. Adding to anxiety over employment in the US, Bank of America, the nation's largest bank, is cutting more jobs. It's already laid off some 2,500 employees this year. Now NPR's Giles Snyder reports about 3,500 others are losing their jobs.

 

Bank of America says the affected⁴ employees are being notified, and that it expects to complete the cuts by the end of September. The layoffs⁵ are the latest in a series across the global financial industry. Many banks are under pressure to improve returns to investors amid the weak economy. Bank of America's share prices have fallen by nearly half so far this year. These latest cuts may not be all published. Reports suggest job losses of Bank of America might exceed 10,000 or about 3.5% of the company's current work force. Giles Snyder, NPR News, Washington.

 

Three men convicted of killing⁶ Cub⁷ Scouts⁸ in Arkansas are walking free after 18 years in jail. From member station WKNO, Candice Ludlow reports the so-called West Memphis Three are admitting guilt⁹ in exchange for their freedom.

 

Damien Echols, Jessie Misskelley and Jason Baldwin all pleaded guilty to first-degree murder charges today and will be released immediately with credit for time served and 10-year suspended sentences. The plea agreement is based upon a rarely used North Carolina law. That allows them to plead guilty while maintaining their innocence¹⁰. Arkansas prosecutor¹¹ Scott Ellington says they have enough evidence to convict the three men but "because of the death of witnesses, different witnesses have changed their minds, evidence has just gotten stale, there was not DNA¹² at the time used by the West Memphis Police Department at the degree yesterday." Ellington said they believe the judge is going to order a new trial. Part of the deal is they may not sue the state of Arkansas. For NPR News, I'm Candice Ludlow in Memphis.

 

The Dow was down now 170 points; it's at 10,818. 

 

This is NPR.

 

Syria's facing more sanctions for its ongoing¹³ crackdown on political dissent¹⁴. The European Union plans to embargo¹⁵ oil imports as Europe and the US pressure Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad to resign. His regime faces similar pressure from within. Across Syria, more anti-government demonstrations¹⁶ and activists¹⁷ are reporting at least 20 more deaths at the hands of Syrian troops under orders to put an end to the five-month-old uprising.

 

The prime minister of Turkey is in Somalia, along with several members of his cabinet. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton says that they're there to lend support to a nation ravaged¹⁸ by conflict and famine.

 

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is the most senior Turkish official to visit Somalia in 20 years. Turkey says he's there to show solidarity¹⁹ with suffering Somalis. The prime minister's program in Mogadishu includes witnessing the distribution of Turkish aid and opening a camp and field hospital run by the Turkish Red Crescent. Turkey this week hosted an Islamic summit which pledged 350 million dollars in aid for Somalia and promised to highlight the need for more urgent famine relief. Turkey alone says it has raised 150 million dollars. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Dakar.

 

Thousands of foreigners trapped in the Libyan capital while rebels events are expected to be evacuated²⁰ in the coming days. That's the word from the International Organization of Migration²¹, which is appealing for more donations to help pay for the evacuation. An IOM spokesperson says a large group of journalists who're also stranded²² in Tirpoli are also asking for help.

1 seesaw   

n.跷跷板

参考例句：

• Prices have gone up and down like a seesaw this year.今年的价格像跷跷板一样时涨时跌。
• The children are playing at seesaw.孩子们在玩跷跷板。

2 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

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

5 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

8 scouts   

侦察员[机，舰]( scout的名词复数 )； 童子军； 搜索； 童子军成员

参考例句：

• to join the Scouts 参加童子军
• The scouts paired off and began to patrol the area. 巡逻人员两个一组，然后开始巡逻这个地区。

9 guilt   

n.犯罪；内疚；过失，罪责

参考例句：

• She tried to cover up her guilt by lying.她企图用谎言掩饰自己的罪行。
• Don't lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.别因为功课责备孩子而使他觉得很内疚。

10 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

11 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

12 DNA   

(缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸

参考例句：

• DNA is stored in the nucleus of a cell.脱氧核糖核酸储存于细胞的细胞核里。
• Gene mutations are alterations in the DNA code.基因突变是指DNA密码的改变。

13 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

14 dissent   

n./v.不同意，持异议

参考例句：

• It is too late now to make any dissent.现在提出异议太晚了。
• He felt her shoulders gave a wriggle of dissent.他感到她的肩膀因为不同意而动了一下。

15 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

16 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。

17 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》

18 ravaged   

毁坏( ravage的过去式和过去分词 )； 蹂躏； 劫掠； 抢劫

参考例句：

• a country ravaged by civil war 遭受内战重创的国家
• The whole area was ravaged by forest fires. 森林火灾使整个地区荒废了。

19 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

20 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。

21 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。

22 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。