NPR 2012-05-07

 Socialist Francois Hollande swept to power in France today. He beat incumbent¹ President Nicola Sarkozy in a run-off presidential election. Hollande’s supporters took to the streets in Paris to celebrate. NPR's Eleanor Beardsley says it's like Mardi Gras.

 

As people cheering out their windows from upstairs apartments and as the crowd makes its way down, we're en route to [inaudible], and the crowd makes its way down. People cheer up as the people hanging up on windows cheering. So it's just a lot festival for how far along. 

 

NPR's Eleanor Beardsley reporting from Paris. 

 

The new president will inherit economy with high unemployment and a huge debt. 

 

The economy was also a major issue in parliamentary elections in Greece today, following two years of strict austerity measures. Preliminary results show voters are rejecting the two main political parties on the right and the left. The conservative New Democracy party has won the most seats - 109, far fewer than needed to form a government. If no party can form a coalition², Greece may have to hold another election. 

 

Tomorrow, Vladimir Putin becomes president of Russia again. An estimated 20,000 people turned out in Moscow to protest. NPR's Mike Shuster reports police arrested several protest leaders. 

 

The demonstration³ was peaceful until some of the protesters attempted to march across a bridge near the Kremlin that police had blocked off. Some scuffles broke out, and the police started arresting the demonstrators. Among those detained were three well-known opposition⁴ figures. Most of the protesters were young, students in their teens and 20s. The focus of the protest was Putin, who will begin the third term as president on Monday. One large banner summed up their protest. It declared for Russia, for a clean government without Putin. Riot police were deployed⁵ in force, ringing the plaza⁶ where the protesters were permitted to gather. They also blocked all access reached to Red Square and to the Kremlin, where Putin's inauguration⁸ ceremony will be held. Mike Shuster, NPR News, Moscow.

 

Officials say two NATO soldiers were killed today in separate incidents in Afghanistan. NPR's Quil Lawrence reports one died in a bombing, the other was killed by a man wearing an Afghan army uniform. 

 

Roadside bombs and improvised⁹ land mines remain the preferred weapon of the insurgents¹⁰ in Afghanistan. But American commanders are increasingly worried about the raid of so-called green-on-blue attacks. That's when a member of the allied¹¹ Afghan police or army turns his weapon on NATO soldiers meant to be training and assisting him. A NATO statement said a man wearing an Afghan army uniform opened fire on coalition soldiers in southern Afghanistan. The attacker was then killed in a shootout. This is at least the 12th similar incident so far this year, accounting¹² for around 15% of NATO casualties. Although the Taliban insurgents often claim responsibility, most of the cases seem to spring from arguments or perceived insults between Afghan and foreign troops. Quil Lawrence, NPR News, Kabul.

 

This is NPR News from Washington.

 

Superheros are smashing the box office this weekend. NPR's Alison Keyes reports “The Avengers” had a record-breaking 200.3-million-dollar opening weekend in the US and Canada. 

 

If you are a superhero fan, this movie puts you in hulk heaven from Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, director of the secret agency Shield “You threaten my world with war. You might not be glad that you did.” to Robert Downey Jr. sneering¹³ at demigod villain¹⁴ Loki. 

 

“I have an army. We have a hulk.”

 

“The Avengers” single weekend take war to pass the previous record of 169.2 million set by last year's Harry¹⁵ Potter series ender. The superhero mashup's worldwide total so far is a whopping 641.8 million. Alison Keyes, NPR News. 

 

Ron Paul continues to seek the Republican presidential nomination¹⁶. Today in Maine, the Texas congressman¹⁷ won a majority of that state's delegates - 15 out of 24. Heading into the party's national nominee¹⁸ convention in Tampa this summer, Paul is the last Republican candidate still challenging Mitt⁷ Romney.

 

Vice¹⁹ President Joe Biden said today he is absolutely comfortable with gay-married couples having the same civil rights and liberties as heterosexual couples. 

 

“…when things really began to change, is when the social culture changes. I think Will and Grace probably did more to educate the American public than almost anything anybody's ever done so far.”

 

Biden was interviewed this morning on CBS's “Face the Nation.” He said marriage should be about being loyal to someone you love. Biden stressed this was his personal opinion. President Obama had said his views on same sex marriage are evolving, but he opposes it now. 

 

I'm Nora Raum, NPR New in Washington.

1 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。

2 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

3 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

6 plaza   

n.广场，市场

参考例句：

• They designated the new shopping centre York Plaza.他们给这个新购物中心定名为约克购物中心。
• The plaza is teeming with undercover policemen.这个广场上布满了便衣警察。

7 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。

8 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

9 improvised   

a.即席而作的,即兴的

参考例句：

• He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
• We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。

10 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

11 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。

12 accounting   

n.会计，会计学，借贷对照表

参考例句：

• A job fell vacant in the accounting department.财会部出现了一个空缺。
• There's an accounting error in this entry.这笔账目里有差错。

13 sneering   

嘲笑的，轻蔑的

参考例句：

• "What are you sneering at?" “你冷笑什么？” 来自子夜部分
• The old sorceress slunk in with a sneering smile. 老女巫鬼鬼崇崇地走进来，冷冷一笑。

14 villain   

n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因

参考例句：

• He was cast as the villain in the play.他在戏里扮演反面角色。
• The man who played the villain acted very well.扮演恶棍的那个男演员演得很好。

15 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

16 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

17 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

18 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

19 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。