NPR 2011-09-19

 Forces loyal to ousted¹ leader Muammar Gaddafi continue to put up fierce resistance in the Libyan cities of Sirte and Bani Walid. Sean Carberry reports that anti-Gaddafi fighters are struggling to advance on the two cities today.

 

Gaddafi loyalists launched a counterattack this morning against revolutionary fighters trying to advance on Bani Walid. The situation there has been a virtual stalemate for several days. Gaddafi troops have staked out strategic positions in the hills and buildings of the town and continue to fend² off advances by the new government forces. Revolutionary fighters are having slightly more success in Sirte where they have been able to inch forward, but they are suffering heavy losses in the intense fighting. Despite public statements of optimism by interim³ government officials, the intensity⁴ of the pro-Gaddafi resistance is raising concern that the fighting could drag on for some time. Sean Carberry, NPR News, Tripoli.

 

President Obama will focus this week on debt reduction. He'll be releasing a plan tomorrow that includes setting a minimum tax rate for Americans earning more than $1 million a year. Former President Bill Clinton tells NBC's Meet the Press a tax on the wealthiest Americans is a good idea.

 

"Those of us in that income group, we are in the best position to make a contribution to changing the debt structure of the country."

 

Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell also on NBC's Meet the Press says a new tax on the wealthy is not a wise move.

 

"We don't want to stagnate⁵ this economy by raising taxes."

 

Mr. Obama will outline his recommendations tomorrow morning in the White House Rose Garden.

 

There are some hopeful signs today for two American hikers jailed in Iran. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Istanbul that a lawyer for the pair is reporting progress in the effort to free them on bail⁶.

 

Masoud Shafiei representing Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal told reporters in Tehran that he has one judicial⁷ signature and needs one more to finalize⁸ bail arrangements set at a half million dollars each. Following a court appearance today, he told the Associated Press that he will have to wait at least a couple of days to get the second signature. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the imminent⁹ release of Bauer and Fatal last week, only to be reviewed by the head of the judiciary. Peter Kenyon, NPR News.

 

Dominique Strauss-Kahn is telling his version of what happened in a New York hotel room. The former head of the International Monetary¹⁰ Fund interviewed on French television today says his sexual encounter with a hotel maid did not involve violence, constraint¹¹ or aggression¹². But he says it was a moral failing on his part and one he infinitely¹³ regrets. New York prosecutors¹⁴ dropped all criminal charges against him, citing concerns about the credibility of the maid.

 

The 1940s airplane that crashed Friday in Reno, Nevada, appeared to lose a piece of its tail, before slamming into a crowded tarmac. Plane parts have been recovered from the scene.

 

This is NPR News from Washington.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the Palestinian bid for statehood at the United Nations is bound to fail. Netanyahu will address the United Nations the same day as the Palestinians present their bid for statehood. Linda Gradstein reports.

 

Speaking at the cabinet meeting, Netanyahu said the Palestinian move will fail because it has to go through the UN Security Council. President Obama has already said the US will veto a Security Council resolution calling for an independent Palestinian state. A non-binding resolution in the General Assembly is expected to pass. The Israeli prime minister said Israel is ready to return to peace negotiations¹⁵ if the Palestinians are. He said he believes that the Palestinians will eventually "come to their senses" and resume talks. Israeli officials say they are bracing¹⁶ for a large Palestinian protest next Friday when Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas speaks at the UN. Israeli officials say they have stockpiled large quantities of non-lethal weapons. Palestinian officials say they have called for non-violent protests. For NPR News, I'm Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

 

The Emmy Awards will be handed out tonight in Los Angeles and one burning question is, "Will Mad Men continue to dominate?" AMC's 1960s Madison Avenue saga¹⁷ has earned three straight Emmys as best drama series. But this year it's up against Boardwalk Empire, HBO's tale of prohibition¹⁸ in the 1920s. The leading men from both shows are also in a showdown for best actor in a drama series. The show will be hosted by Glee's Jane Lynch.

 

I'm Nancy Lyons, NPR News.

1 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。

2 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

3 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

4 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。

5 stagnate   

v.停止

参考例句：

• Where the masses are not roused,work will stagnate.哪里不发动群众，哪里的工作就死气沉沉。
• Taiwan's economy is likely to stagnate for a long time to come.台湾经济很可能会停滞很长一段时间。

6 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

7 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

8 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

9 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

10 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

11 constraint   

n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物

参考例句：

• The boy felt constraint in her presence.那男孩在她面前感到局促不安。
• The lack of capital is major constraint on activities in the informal sector.资本短缺也是影响非正规部门生产经营的一个重要制约因素。

12 aggression   

n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害

参考例句：

• So long as we are firmly united, we need fear no aggression.只要我们紧密地团结，就不必惧怕外来侵略。
• Her view is that aggression is part of human nature.她认为攻击性是人类本性的一部份。

13 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

14 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

15 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。

16 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

17 saga   

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇

参考例句：

• The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
• The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。

18 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。