NPR 2012-04-20

 On the ground in Syria, unrelenting anger against the al-Assad regime is suggested by this amateur recording¹ that could not be independently verified. It shows protesters gathered around UN observers in the southern province of Daraa, as the country faces pressure to adhere completely to a UN-backed ceasefire. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for a global arms embargo² on Syria. But stopped short of demanding military intervention³, she was in Pairs with other leaders meeting on the Syrian crisis. But NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley says Russia was a no-show.

 

Russia is skipping the meeting because it says it’s only aimed at isolating⁴ the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and will hurt the chances of peace. France is said to be angered by Russia’s snob⁵. France, the US, Turkey and the Arab League are standing⁶ solidly together in Paris to put pressure on al-Assad to respect the UN-brokered ceasefire. There are a handful of UN monitors already on the ground in Syria, and the al-Assad regime agreed Thursday to accept hundreds more. The Paris “Friends of Syria” meeting is looking at other options to stop the violence in case the ceasefire breaks down entirely⁷. Eleanor Beardsley, NPR News, Paris.

 

A team of FBI and New York police investigators⁸ is combing the basement of a New York City building for the remains⁹ of six-year-old Etan Patz. NPR’s Margot Adler reports that Patz disappeared 33 years ago in May of 1979, and the fear over his disappearance¹⁰ led to a sea change in attitudes.

 

Investigators began searching a small basement in SoHo, a block from his home, and the search may continue for three to five days. A police spokesman said information known at the time is being reexamined. Before Patz disappeared on his way to school, there were no missing children on milk cartons, and it was normal for city children to walk to school and take the subway alone at an early age. The disappearance caused a huge change in the attitudes toward the protection of children. Now with a crime rate lower than in 1979, attitudes have not changed back. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

 

A small plane that fighter jets have been tracking for hours today crashed into the Gulf¹¹ of Mexico. The Coast Guard says the jets were unable to make contact with the pilot. The aircraft was flying from Louisiana to Sarasota when it went down about 120 miles west of Tampa, Florida.

 

Levon Helm, drummer and singer of in The Band, has died at the age of 71. According to his website, Helm died this afternoon of cancer. He played drums, guitar and mandolin and sang until the group’s 1976 “The Last Waltz” farewell performance. Family and friends are remembering him as a brilliant musician and beautiful soul. 

 

This is NPR.

 

The US Marine¹² Drum and Bugle¹³ Corps¹⁴ greeted space shuttle Discovery when it arrived at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum outside Washington DC. NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce reports the events celebrated¹⁵ Discovery’s transformation¹⁶.

 

Discovery was parked outside the museum, nose to nose with Enterprise, a pristine¹⁷, white prototype shuttle. It made Discovery look charred¹⁸ and gray. Over three decades, Discovery blasted off more than any other spacecraft. Astronauts who flew on Discovery were there, including former Senator John Glenn. 

 

“Today Discovery takes on a new mission, less dynamic perhaps, but nonetheless important. It will be on display not only as a testament¹⁹ to evince our time, but also as an inspiration to future generations.”

 

He served as the witness as officials signed an agreement transferring Discovery to the Smithsonian. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR News.

 

A new report predicts what it calls payroll²⁰ for Asian development if women’s economy status in the region keeps falling. The Asia Society released a survey today that found women in Asia are still politically underrepresented and continued to be paid less than men for the same jobs performed. The report warns the limits confronting female workers could cost the region 89 billion dollars a year in lost productivity.

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was down 70 points at 12,964. 

1 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

2 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

3 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

4 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

5 snob   

n.势利小人，自以为高雅、有学问的人

参考例句：

• Going to a private school had made her a snob.上私立学校后，她变得很势利。
• If you think that way, you are a snob already.如果你那样想的话，你已经是势利小人了。

6 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。

7 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

8 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 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。

10 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

11 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

12 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

13 bugle   

n.军号，号角，喇叭；v.吹号，吹号召集

参考例句：

• When he heard the bugle call, he caught up his gun and dashed out.他一听到军号声就抓起枪冲了出去。
• As the bugle sounded we ran to the sports ground and fell in.军号一响，我们就跑到运动场集合站队。

14 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

15 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

16 transformation   

n.变化；改造；转变

参考例句：

• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.上大学使她的观念发生了巨大的变化。
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.他正在努力使自己由单身汉变为可靠的丈夫。

17 pristine   

adj.原来的，古时的，原始的，纯净的，无垢的

参考例句：

• He wiped his fingers on his pristine handkerchief.他用他那块洁净的手帕擦手指。
• He wasn't about to blemish that pristine record.他本不想去玷污那清白的过去。

18 charred   

v.把…烧成炭( char的过去式)；烧焦

参考例句：

• the charred remains of a burnt-out car 被烧焦的轿车残骸
• The intensity of the explosion is recorded on the charred tree trunks. 那些烧焦的树干表明爆炸的强烈。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

20 payroll   

n.工资表，在职人员名单，工薪总额

参考例句：

• His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
• I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。