美国国家电台 NPR 2012-10-20

 The Transportation Security Administration says it will fire 25 employees in New Jersey¹. NPR's Joel Rose reports it's part of a year long investigation² into improper³ screening of check luggage at New York Liberty International Airport.

 

The TSA says it discovered screening failures at the New York airport last year after installing surveillance cameras in a screening room to check for possible theft. The agency serve noticed that it intends to fire 25 employees and suspend 19 more, that's in addition to the eight employees the agency fired in June, making this the single largest disciplinary action ever taken by the TSA at a U.S. airport. Investigation began last fall after a TSA employee was accused of stealing from check luggage in a baggage screening room, that person resigned. Investigation later uncovered a range of lack screening procedures and inadequate⁴ oversight⁵. Joel Rose NPR News, New York.

 

The CDC is raising the death toll⁶ from a fungal meningitis outbreak to 21 with the latest case reported by Michigan. In all, 271 people in multiple states have been infected from an outbreak that's been linked to potentially contaminated steroid injections. The New England Compound Center in Massachusetts distributed the medications before they were recalled. The compound has now subjected to federal and state investigations⁷.    

 

In contrast to much scientific opinion, Italy's highest court has ruled that there is a link between a business executive's brain tumour⁸ and his intense mobile phone usage. NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports the ruling could unleashed¹⁰ a flurry of legal claims. 

 

The case involves  Innocenzo Marcolini, whose face is partially¹¹ paralyzed after developing a benign¹² tumour on the left side of his head. It required surgery that has sharply worsen in the quality of his life. He claimed the tumor¹³ was caused by use of mobile phone five to six hours a day over a period of 12 years, as he dealt with overseas clients as far away as China. Marcolini won his case in lower court against Italy's Workers' Compensation Authority. The Supreme¹⁴ Court ruled earlier this week that that decision was justified¹⁵. It said the scientific evidence that been submitted based on studies conducted in Sweden was reliable and not financed, as some studies are by mobile phone makers¹⁷. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Rome.

 

Disappointing earnings¹⁸ posted by major companies today are weighing on the markets. McDonald's led abroad declined and the Dow after it's quarterly profits missed analysts¹⁹' expectations, Microsoft's quarterly profit also fell more than expected. Even though General Electric reported  a stronger profits, its revenue fell short of what analysts had been projecting. Shares dropped about 3%.

 

At last check, Dow was down 222 points, more than 1.5% at 13,326; NASDAQ down 2% at 3,003. This is NPR.

 

In the final weeks of the race, the presidential campaigns are focusing on battle ground states today. President Obama rallied votes in Northern Virginia, where he hammered away at former Governor Mitt¹⁶ Romney's economic plan. 

 

It's really just a one-point plan not a five-point plan, one point. Folks at the very top, play by a different set of rules than all of you.

 

Let's turn, the Romney campaign continues to unleash⁹ more attacks on the president's economic policies and response to unrest in the Middle East. Florida was among the swing states, the campaign was focusing on today. 

 

Malala Yousufzai is still not out of the woods, according to doctors in England treating the 15-year-old Pakistani girl shot in the head by the Taliban. But as Larry Miller²⁰ reports the hospital is pleased with her progress. 

 

This is a good day for Malala, reports doctor David Rosser, Medical Director of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

 

In fact, she is standing²¹ with some help for the first time this morning. 

 

Next doctor Rosser says there will be two weeks of rehabilitation²², then work begins on reconstructing Malala skull²³.

 

Either by reinserting the piece of bone that was removed initially²⁴ or with a titanium plate. 

 

Malala cann't speak yet, she has a tube in her throat, but doctor Rosser says she is communicating well through writing. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller, in London.

 

Rescuers in Lebanon raced to the site of a deadly bomb blast in eastern Beirut in search of survivors²⁵. State News Agency raised the casualty toll in today's explosion to at least eight dead and 78 wounded. It says the massive explosion during rush hour was caused by a car bomb. Authorities say Lebanon's top police intelligence official that is among those killed. 

1 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

2 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

3 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。

4 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

5 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。

6 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

7 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

8 tumour   

n.(tumor)(肿)瘤，肿块

参考例句：

• The surgeons operated on her for a tumour.外科医生为她施行了肿瘤切除手术。
• The tumour constricts the nerves.肿瘤压迫神经。

9 unleash   

vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开

参考例句：

• They hope to create allies to unleash against diseases,pests,and invasive species.他们希望创造出一些新群体来对付疾病、害虫和一些有侵害性的物种。
• Changing water levels now at times unleash a miasma of disease from exposed sewage.如今，大坝不时地改变水位，从暴露的污水释放出了疾病瘴气。

10 unleashed   

v.把（感情、力量等）释放出来，发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
• The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

12 benign   

adj.善良的，慈祥的；良性的，无危险的

参考例句：

• The benign weather brought North America a bumper crop.温和的气候给北美带来大丰收。
• Martha is a benign old lady.玛莎是个仁慈的老妇人。

13 tumor   

n.（肿）瘤，肿块(英)tumour

参考例句：

• He was died of a malignant tumor.他死于恶性肿瘤。
• The surgeons irradiated the tumor.外科医生用X射线照射那个肿瘤。

14 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。

15 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

16 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。

17 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。

19 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

20 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

21 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

22 rehabilitation   

n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位

参考例句：

• He's booked himself into a rehabilitation clinic.他自己联系了一家康复诊所。
• No one can really make me rehabilitation of injuries.已经没有人可以真正令我的伤康复了。

23 skull   

n.头骨；颅骨

参考例句：

• The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。
• He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

24 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

25 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者