NPR 2012-12-08

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Louise Schiavone.

 

　　The Labor¹ Department reports unemployment fell to a four-year low last month and now stands at 7.7%. At the White House, chief economist² Alan Krueger calls it more evidence of recovery. But as NPR's Dave Mattingly tells us all agree much work remains³.

 

　　Employers added 146,000 jobs, a stronger level of hiring than most analysts⁴ predicted given Hurricane Sandy and business worries about the "fiscal⁵ cliff". And Economist Hugh Johnson says if you take away Sandy.

 

　　It would certainly be a little bit stronger. The construction number would be stronger and the manufacturing number would be stronger. I'm not sure it would be close to 200,000, but it would certainly be somewhat stronger than the 146,000 jobs.

 

　　The jobless rate fell to a four-year low in November, but the Labor Department says that's mainly because more people stop looking for work, they are not counted as unemployed⁶.

 

　　Dave Mattingly, NPR News, Washington.

 

　　Fiscal cliff talks between the White House and Speaker of the House, John Boehner continue, although after a phone conversation with the president. The Ohio Republican says there is nothing new to report.

 

　　The phone call was pleasant, but was just more of the same. Even the conversations that the staff had yesterday, just more of the same. It's time for the president, if he's serious to come back to us with a counteroffer.

 

　　The speaker met with reporters on Capitol Hill earlier today and after that top House Democrat⁷ Nancy Pelosi spoke⁸.

 

　　The only obstacle standing⁹ in the way of middle-income tax relief are the Republicans unwillingness¹⁰ to ask the top 2% to pay their fair share.

 

　　Washington has until the end of this month to resolve differences before taxes rise and spending is slashed¹¹.

 

　　Last March, a New York bus driver ferrying passengers from Connecticut to New York Chinatown swerved¹² and crashed. Fifteen people were killed. He faced serious charges. But as NPR's Joel Rose reports today a jury has returned a verdict in his favor.

 

　　A jury in the Bronx found driver Ophadell Williams not guilty of manslaughter and criminally negligent¹³ homicide. Williams was driving from a casino in Connecticut to New York's Chinatown in March of 2011, when the bus swerved off Interstate 95 and crashed into a sign pole. Prosecutors¹⁴ argued that Williams was speeding and sleep deprived at the time of the crash. But the defense¹⁵ attorney said his client was well rested and blamed the crash on a tractor-trailer that swiped the bus causing Williams to lose control. The jury did find Williams guilty on one count of aggravated¹⁶ unlicensed operation of a vehicle. The judge sentenced Williams to pay a 500-dollar fine and spent 30 days in prison which is less than he's already served. Joel Rose, NPR News, New York.

 

　　On Wall Street, the Dow was up 56; the NASDAQ down 12.

 

　　This is NPR News.

 

　　Several people were reportedly hurt earlier today when a strong earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan. No serious damages were reported.

 

　　North Korea is preparing to launch a satellite into space, but analysts say it's more likely a test of that nation's long range missile technology. Jason Strother reports the North's young ruler is tightening¹⁷ his grip on power.

 

　　North Korea says it will launch its rocket as early as this coming Monday. Pyongyang maintains that it has the right to develop a space program and will put a satellite into orbit. Calls to halt the launch from the U.S., South Korea and United Nations don't seem to be having any effect. That could be because ruler Kim Jong-un needs to successfully test the rocket to affirm his leadership. According to reports here in Seoul the 29-year-old leader is cracking down on dissent¹⁸ and placing confidants into top military positions. Kim came into power a year ago after the death of his father Kim Jong-il. For NPR News, I'm Jason Strother, in Seoul.

 

　　About 50 survivors¹⁹ were on hand in Hawaii today as thousands gathered at the site of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor 71 years ago. The bombing left thousands dead and launched the U.S. into World War II. Today's events gave a special nod to members of the Women's Air Force Service Pilots, who flew non-combat missions during World War II.

 

　　It's a girl for New England Patriots²⁰ Quarterback Tom Brady and his supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen in a FaceBook announcement she revealed the couple's second child was born at home on Wednesday.

 

　　I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

4 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。

5 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

6 unemployed   

adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的

参考例句：

• There are now over four million unemployed workers in this country.这个国家现有四百万失业人员。
• The unemployed hunger for jobs.失业者渴望得到工作。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

9 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。

10 unwillingness   

n. 不愿意，不情愿

参考例句：

• Her unwillingness to answer questions undermined the strength of her position. 她不愿回答问题，这不利于她所处的形势。
• His apparent unwillingness would disappear if we paid him enough. 如果我们付足了钱，他露出的那副不乐意的神情就会消失。

11 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 swerved   

v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯，以躲开一个骑自行车的人。
• The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅，司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 negligent   

adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的

参考例句：

• The committee heard that he had been negligent in his duty.委员会听说他玩忽职守。
• If the government is proved negligent,compensation will be payable.如果证明是政府的疏忽，就应支付赔偿。

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 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

16 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

17 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

18 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。

19 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

20 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。