NPR 2012-06-15

 The main presidential rivals are tapping into public weariness over the economy’s slow recovery to make the case to voters to think twice about voting for the other guy. President Obama and Republican former Governor Mitt¹ Romney lobbed a new round of attacks at each other from different parts of Ohio today, which is critical in this election year. The president was in Cleveland.

 

“Yes, foreign policy matters, social issues matter, but more than anything else, this election presents a choice between two fundamentally different visions of how to create strong, sustained growth.” 

 

NPR's Ari Shapiro was with Mitt Romney as he stumped² for votes in Cincinnati.

 

At a steel company, Mitt Romney attacked President Obama right out of the gate. He said the president is delivering a speech on the economy because he has not delivered a recovery for the economy.

 

“He's going to be a person of eloquence³ as he describes his plans for making the economy better. But don't forget, he's been president for three and a half years. And talk is cheap. Action speaks very loud.”

 

Romney said if you want to see the results of the president's economic policies, look around Ohio in the country. Ohio actually has a lower unemployment rate than the rest of the country, which could be a challenge to Romney in this important swing state. He’ll be back in Ohio just a few day from now as part of his five-day, six-state small town bus tour that launches in New Hampshire Friday morning. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Cincinnati.

 

Former Texas billionaire Allen Stanford has been sentenced to 110 years in federal prison after being convicted of running a seven-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. From Dallas, NPR's Wade⁴ Goodwyn offers more details. 

 

Allen Stanford had an amazing lifestyle while it lasted, owning beautiful homes, yachts, a fleet of private jets, sponsoring cricket tournaments. Sir Allen was even knighted by Queen Elizabeth. The Island of Antigua was his newfound home and personal playground funded by a seven-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme that collapsed⁵ when the world economy went under. Thursday, Stanford was unremorseful and in a statement to the court blamed the US government for seizing his assets and killing⁶ his empire. “I'm not here to ask for sympathy or forgiveness or throw myself at your mercy.” Stanford told the judge, “He got none.” The 62-year-old will spend the rest of his life in federal prison. Wade Goodwyn, NPR News, Dallas.

 

Tiger Woods is three shots off the lead in the first round of the US Open, his partners Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson struggling to move up. Woods trails Michael Thompson, who shot a 4-under 66 for the day. Defending champion Rory Mcllroy, top-ranked Luke Donald and LeeWestwood had an afternoon start. 

 

Before the close, Dow was up 155.

 

This is NPR.

 

The Vatican is formally proposing a reconcile with an ultra-conservative breakaway group. As NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty tells us, the Society of Saint Pius X rejects the reforms of Vatican II. 

 

The society split from Rome in 1969, unhappy with reforms, including introducing English Mass and improving the church's relationship with Jews. One of its bishops⁷ Richard Williamson caused a stir three years ago when he denied the full extent of the holocaust⁸. The society has its own seminaries, bishops and priests. Now Rome wants to bring them under its wing. It's offered to make the society a personal prelature, which is a diocese without borders, like the conservative Opus Dei. In return, the society would have to accept core doctrinal teachings, presumably in line with Vatican II. The head of the society says it will consider the proposal. Barbara Bradley Hagerty, NPR News.

 

Egypt's highest court dissolves the Islamist-dominated parliament and it’s allowing a last prime minister to serve under Hosni Mubarak before his ouster to stay in the presidential race in that country. Ahmed Shafiq welcomed the ruling, saying an era of political score settling was over. 

 

Back in the US, the prosecution⁹ was expected to conclude its case today in Jerry Sandusky's child sex abuse trial. Most of his alleged¹⁰ victims have testified. Sandusky's defense¹¹ sought to debunk¹² the accusers' claims. The former Penn State assistant football coach faces [that is] 52 counts of sexually abusing ten boys over a span of 15 years. 

 

Before the close, US stocks gaining ground with the Dow up 155, 1.2% higher, at12,652. 

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

1 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。

2 stumped   

僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说

参考例句：

• Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活，然后很艰难地走出房间。
• He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌，半天说不出话来。

3 eloquence   

n.雄辩；口才，修辞

参考例句：

• I am afraid my eloquence did not avail against the facts.恐怕我的雄辩也无补于事实了。
• The people were charmed by his eloquence.人们被他的口才迷住了。

4 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

5 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

6 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

7 bishops   

（基督教某些教派管辖大教区的）主教( bishop的名词复数 )； （国际象棋的）象

参考例句：

• Each player has two bishops at the start of the game. 棋赛开始时，每名棋手有两只象。
• "Only sheriffs and bishops and rich people and kings, and such like. “他劫富济贫，抢的都是郡长、主教、国王之类的富人。

8 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

9 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

10 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

11 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。

12 debunk   

v.揭穿真相，暴露

参考例句：

• let's debunk some of the most common falsehoods.让我们来揭穿一些最常见的谬误吧。
• Sequences of maps can also debunk misconceptions.一系列的地图，也有助于厘清错误概念。