NPR 2012-01-23

 Italian divers¹ have found a 13th body on the capsized Costa Concordia. Authorities say the woman was wearing a life vest and was found in the rear of the submerged portion of the ship. As NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports, the search of the wreckage² continues.

 

With the vessel³ lying on it's side, rescuers resumed searching the portion of the 1,000 foot-long ship above the waterline. But rough seas kept divers from exploring the submerged portion. On the investigative front, prosecutors⁴ are looking into the role of the shipping⁵ company right after the vessel rammed⁶ into a rocky reef, asking why it took more than an hour after the accident to give the mayday distress⁷ call. Captain Francesco Schettino, currently under house arrest, told prosecutors he immediately informed the shipping company, contradicting the ship owner's version of events. According to transcripts⁸ of the skipper's deposition⁹ published in the Italian media, he said the Costa company had always encouraged sailing close to shore as a means to show off its mega cruise ships. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

 

With the eurozone's financial woes¹⁰, would membership in the European Union be a plus for Croatia right now? As Terri Schultz tells us, a vote on the question is ahead and Croatia is divided.

 

Croatian President Ivo Josipovic cast his vote early, calling this a big moment in Croatian history and calling on citizens to make the choice to join what he described as more successful countries in Europe. There was a time not long ago when every eastern European nation felt becoming a member of the EU meant the future would assuredly be better than the past. This close vote is proving that's no longer automatically true. Surveys indicate some 55 to 60 percent of voters do want their country to become the 28th EU member, though opponents argue that would sacrifice hard-won independence and bring little economic health given the eurozone's current crisis. If Croatia does say yes after a final approval from the current 27 EU governments, it would join next year. For NPR News, I'm Terri Schultz in Brussels.

 

A partisan¹¹ debate over the State of the Union has already started, two days ahead of the president's speech to Congress. Speaker of the House John Boehner told Fox News Sunday he's not holding his breath.

 

"All the same policies that haven't helped our economy, they've made it worse. And if that's what the president's gonna talk about Tuesday night, I think it's pathetic."

 

The Penn State family and fans everywhere are mourning the death of college football coach Joe Paterno who succumbed¹² to lung cancer at the age of 85. Students kept vigil for him this weekend. Student David Marsells explained.

 

"Show my support for Joe Paterno. He's been a great guy, like, my role model since five years old. He's given so much to me in the four years I've been at Penn State. I'm a senior. As a student, I should show him. This now is support and love, which they desperately¹³ need this time."

 

His family said that Paterno was a man devoted¹⁴ to family, university, players and community.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Today's AFC and NFC games determine the Super Bowl XLVI competitors. The New England Patriots¹⁵ host the Baltimore Ravens¹⁶ before the New York Giants play San Francisco. 

 

The quarterfinal draws are almost complete at the first Grand Slam tennis tournament of the year, the Australian Open. As Stuart Cohen reports from Sydney, there've been very few surprises as the fourth round enters its second day.

 

The world's top men's players have all had relatively¹⁷ easy runs at this year's Australian Open. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are both through to the quarterfinals. For Federer, it's his 31st consecutive¹⁸ Grand Slam quarterfinal. Andy Murray and defending champion Novak Djokovic are both favored to win their fourth round matches. But it's a different story on the women's side. In a repeat of last year's final, defending champion Kim Clijsters defeated French Open champion Li Na to make it through to the quarterfinals despite an ankle injury during the match. World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki is also through, but she's considered a long shot, having still never won a Grand Slam tournament. Five-time Open champion Serena Williams has made fast work of her opponents on her way to the fourth round. She's a favorite to win the title after an injury-filled 2011. For NPR News, I'm Stuart Cohen in Sydney. 

 

In its debut¹⁹ weekend, vampire²⁰ thriller²¹ Underworld: Awakening²² took first place at the box office, making an estimated 25 million dollars. 

 

"We've lived safely for years, and now you've brought humans into this colony." 

 

"We stand and we fight."

 

"Oh My God."

 

Opening in second place, Red Tails, about the Tuskegee Airmen.

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

2 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

3 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

4 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。

5 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

6 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 distress   

n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛

参考例句：

• Nothing could alleviate his distress.什么都不能减轻他的痛苦。
• Please don't distress yourself.请你不要忧愁了。

8 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

9 deposition   

n.免职，罢官；作证；沉淀；沉淀物

参考例句：

• It was this issue which led to the deposition of the king.正是这件事导致了国王被废黜。
• This leads to calcium deposition in the blood-vessels.这导致钙在血管中沉积。

10 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

11 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

12 succumbed   

不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死

参考例句：

• The town succumbed after a short siege. 该城被围困不久即告失守。
• After an artillery bombardment lasting several days the town finally succumbed. 在持续炮轰数日后，该城终于屈服了。

13 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

14 devoted   

adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的

参考例句：

• He devoted his life to the educational cause of the motherland.他为祖国的教育事业贡献了一生。
• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。

15 patriots   

爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。
• These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。

16 ravens   

n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Wheresoever the carcase is,there will the ravens be gathered together. 哪里有死尸，哪里就有乌鸦麇集。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A couple of ravens croaked above our boat. 两只乌鸦在我们小船的上空嘎嘎叫着。 来自辞典例句

17 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

18 consecutive   

adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的

参考例句：

• It has rained for four consecutive days.已连续下了四天雨。
• The policy of our Party is consecutive.我党的政策始终如一。

19 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

20 vampire   

n.吸血鬼

参考例句：

• It wasn't a wife waiting there for him but a blood sucking vampire!家里的不是个老婆，而是个吸人血的妖精！
• Children were afraid to go to sleep at night because of the many legends of vampire.由于听过许多有关吸血鬼的传说，孩子们晚上不敢去睡觉。

21 thriller   

n.惊险片，恐怖片

参考例句：

• He began by writing a thriller.That book sold a million copies.他是写惊险小说起家的。那本书卖了一百万册。
• I always take a thriller to read on the train.我乘火车时，总带一本惊险小说看。

22 awakening   

n.觉醒，醒悟 adj.觉醒中的；唤醒的

参考例句：

• the awakening of interest in the environment 对环境产生的兴趣
• People are gradually awakening to their rights. 人们正逐渐意识到自己的权利。