NPR 2012-02-14

 Republican critics are criticizing President Obama's 2013 budget plan which seeks four trillion dollars in deficit¹ reduction in the next decade. It calls for government spending cuts which the GOP supports but it also seeks an end to tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, and Republicans say any move to increase taxes will further slow economic recovery. The Pentagon budget released today would trim military spending by nearly half a trillion dollars by 2017. The military budget envisions significant downsizing for the Army and the Marines as the war in Afghanistan winds down. NPR's Larry Abramson reports, the Defense² Department says it's trying to protect active duty service members from some of the pain of tighter spending limits.

 

In 2013, the armed forces would spend five billion dollars, less than they currently do. Some of those savings⁴ would come from retiring old aircraft and naval⁵ vessels⁶. The US military would reduce its troop strength by 5.5% over the next five years according to the Pentagon budget. At the same time, the Pentagon says it will spend more money in some areas so it can shift its focus to the Pacific and the Middle East. Active duty military would receive a pay raise of 1.7% next year, but pay increases in future years may be limited. The Pentagon hopes to cut health care cost by charging more fees to retirees. Active duty military will not pay more for health care. Larry Abramson, NPR News.

 

The Greek parliament is signing off on more austerity measures that would help the country secure an international bailout. The decision is spurring market gains. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was up 70 points at 12,871, and NASDAQ was up 25 points at 2,929, with the S&P 500 gaining nine, it's at 1,352.

 

Lawmakers approved deeper cuts, but outside, protests in Athens turned violent among workers who say they are already struggling to make ends meet.

 

Early voting is underway in Georgia ahead of the Super Tuesday primary. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports, Georgia is one of ten states to hold GOP presidential contests on March 6.

 

Georgia residents were allowed to cast early primary ballots⁷ by mail beginning in January. But now they can vote in person at county registration⁸ offices across the state. Seventy-six delegates are at stake in Georgia where former Speaker Newt Gingrich is favored to win. Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt⁹ Romney campaigned in the state last week, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has been gaining momentum¹⁰. Ohio has the second largest number of delegates at stake on Super Tuesday, and Gingrich campaigned there last week, but he's expected to do much better in the southern states, including Georgia, Tennessee and Oklahoma, where there are more conservative GOP voters. Kathy Lohr, NPR News, Atlanta.

 

US stocks up with the Dow gaining 71 points.

 

This is NPR.

 

European regulators are green-lighting Google's acquisition of Motorola Mobility¹¹. The 12.5-billion-dollar deal could help Google advance its Android operation system for mobile devices.

 

Despite the drug war raging in Mexico, officials there are saying that a record number of tourists are still visiting the country. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports that the number of foreign visitors to Mexico hit a new high last year.

 

According to the latest statistics from the country's secretary of tourism, more than 22 million people traveled to Mexico in 2011, breaking the previous record set in 2008. The global economic downturn and raging drug violence battered¹² what is a vital part of Mexico's economy. Historically, the industry has relied heavily on North Americans coming to sun themselves on the beaches of Cancun, Acapulco and Playa del Carmen, but the number of US visitors to Mexico continues to fall. The growth in Mexico's tourist industry in 2011 came from emerging global economies. The number of people arriving here from Brazil, Russia and China all jumped significantly. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Mexico City.

 

A 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit central and Pacific coastal¹³ areas of Costa Rica. There were no immediate¹⁴ reports of injuries or damage.

 

A US envoy¹⁵ reportedly plans to hold talks with North Korea on its nuclear program during a trip to Beijing next week. The Associated Press, citing the State Department, says Glyn Davis plans to meet with First Vice³ Foreign Minister Kim Kye Gwan. The meeting would be the first of its kind since the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in December.

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 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。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

5 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

6 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

9 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。

10 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

11 mobility   

n.可动性，变动性，情感不定

参考例句：

• The difference in regional house prices acts as an obstacle to mobility of labour.不同地区房价的差异阻碍了劳动力的流动。
• Mobility is very important in guerrilla warfare.机动性在游击战中至关重要。

12 battered   

adj.磨损的；v.连续猛击；磨损

参考例句：

• He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
• The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。

13 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

14 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

15 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。