美国国家电台 NPR 2012-10-10

 A defiant¹ Jerry Sandusky maintains he is innocent doing so, even as a Pennsylvania judge sentenced him to at least 30 years in prison for sexually abusing children. NPR's Jeff Brady reports the former Penn State assistant coach faced three of his victims during a sentencing hearing today. 

 

A jury found Sandusky guilty of sexually abusing ten boys. From the bench, Judge John Cleland criticized Sandusky for releasing an audio statement before sentencing that claims the conviction was the result of a conspiracy² started by one of the victims that then spread. Attorney Ben Andreozzi represents victim number four.

 

And I think that my client probably felt better hearing the judge confront Sandusky, than he would have, the judge gave him 1,000 years in prison.

 

The 30-year sentence handed down as effectively a life term for the 68-year-old Sandusky.Jeff Brady, NPR News, Bellefonte Pennsylvania.

 

The Obama campaign has released a new ad spoofing Republican challenger Mitt³ Romney for saying he would end the federal subsidy⁴ for public broadcasting. NPR's Brian Naylor reports the spot stars Big Bird. 

 

The ad begins with pictures of some of Wall Street's most notorious criminals including Bernie Madoff and Kenneth Lay who meant labels Gluttons⁵ of greed. The chosen image of Big Bird in an office building calling him the evil genius who controlled them. It then shows a clip of  Mitt Romney from last week's presidential debate.

 

Mitt Romney knows it's not Wall Street you have to worry about, it's Sesame Street. I am going to stop the subsidy to PBS. Mitt Romney taking on our enemies no matter where they nest.

 

Republicans have countered with a graphic⁶ featuring another Sesame Street character, the Count which says recent Obama campaign events have included eight mentions of Big Bird, five mentions of Elmo, zero mentions of Libya and zero plans to fix the economy. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington.

 

Earlier, in Iowa Romney talked agriculture, he said the incumbent⁷ had done little to grow agriculture related jobs in the last four years. 

 

Even as China and European nations have put together some 44 different agreements. He's done none. What I am going to do is make sure that I devote my time to getting trade promotion⁸ authority, that I used that authority to negotiate new deals. We open up new markets for American farms and for American goods of all kinds because we can compete on a level playing field with anyone in the world. 

 

Romney scheduled to attend the night rally near Akron, Ohio. Meanwhile, Ohio secretary of state plans to appeal to the U.S. Supreme⁹ Court last week's Federal Appeals Court ruling to reinstate the final three early voting days in the swing state. Jon Husted said Republican argues the ruling could enable Ohio's 88 county boards of elections to set different rules. 

 

At last check on Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial down 110 points at 13,473.

 

From Washington, this is NPR News.

 

The number of cases from a  meningitis outbreak is up to 119 including 11 deaths. The outbreak stems from now recalled steroid shots used for back pain. The medication was produced by a Massachusetts-based company.

 

Medicare begins its annual open season when seniors can join or change prescription¹⁰ drug plans next week. And as NPR's Julie Rovner tells us a new study finds that the vast majority of seniors are not in least expensive plan that would meet their needs.

 

The study from researchers at the University of Pittsburgh looked at prescription-drug claims from Medicare beneficiaries in 2009. It found that only about 5% of people actually chose the cheapest plan that covered their medication needs. On average, beneficiaries spent about $368 a year more than they needed to, primarily by choosing plan that offered generous benefits than they actually used. A fifth beneficiaries spent at least $500 more than they needed to, the researchers found. The study appears in the October Issue of Policy journal, Health Affairs. Medicare Open Enrollment¹¹ this year runs from October 15th through December 7th. Julie Rovner, NPR News.

 

While pessimism¹² appears to be growing among small business owners in the U.S., the National Federation¹³ of Independent Business surveyed its small businesses and found fewer owners were expecting to hire people and make capital investments over the possibility of tax increases and government spending cuts next year. 

 

Before the close, the Dow was down 111 points at 13,473; NASDAQ off 47 points it's at 3,065;  S&P 500 down 15 at 1,441.

1 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

2 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。

3 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

4 subsidy   

n.补助金，津贴

参考例句：

• The university will receive a subsidy for research in artificial intelligence.那个大学将得到一笔人工智能研究的补助费。
• The living subsidy for senior expert's family is included in the remuneration.报酬已包含高级专家家人的生活补贴。

5 gluttons   

贪食者( glutton的名词复数 )； 贪图者； 酷爱…的人； 狼獾

参考例句：

• NIV for drunkards and gluttons become poor, and drowsiness clothes them in rags. [和合]因为好酒贪食的，必致贫穷；好17睡觉的，必穿破烂衣服。

6 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

7 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

8 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

9 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。

10 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

11 enrollment   

n.注册或登记的人数；登记

参考例句：

• You will be given a reading list at enrollment.注册时你会收到一份阅读书目。
• I just got the enrollment notice from Fudan University.我刚刚接到复旦大学的入学通知书。

12 pessimism   

n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者

参考例句：

• He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
• There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。

13 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。