美国国家电台 NPR 2012-08-11

 Thousands of mourners, many of them Indian Americans from across North America, are in Wisconsin to pay tribute to the victims of last Sunday's attack at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek¹. 

 

Some people silently sobbed² as the crowd slowly filed into a school gym past a group of musicians to pay final respects to the six people killed when a suspected white supremacist stormed in and opened fire before he later took his own life. Attorney General Eric Holder³ was there, says that victims were members of the American Family. Appearing at the memorial in Oak Creek on behalf of the administration, Holder said that the American Family should never fall victim to these kinds of attacks. NPR's Carrie Johnson reports Holder promised to seek answers and justice.

 

The attorney general says Sikhs have born a brunt of attacks too often in the years since 9/11. 

 

“Too many Sikhs have been targeted and victimized simply because of who they are, how they look and what they believe.” 

 

Eric Holder says his Justice Department is working to prevent violence and discrimination. He called the shooting by gunman Wade⁴ Michael Page "an act of terrorism" and "a crime motivated by hatred," and he says the memory of the six people who died will motivate law enforcement in the days and months ahead. Carrie Johnson, NPR News, Washington.

 

Priests were expected to later read the Sikh Holy Book [from] cover to cover in a traditional rite⁵ honoring the dead, a process that last 48 hours. The Sikh temple was cleansed⁶ yesterday of all signs of a massacre⁷ except for one. A bullet hole has been left in the doorjamb that leads to the main prayer hall, a reminder⁸ of the lives forever changed that day. 

 

The Obama administration is imposing⁹ new sanctions on Hezbollah, accusing a Lebanese militant¹⁰ group of providing support to the Syrian regime. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports the US already considers Hezbollah a terrorist organization. 

 

The Treasury¹¹ Department's point man on sanctions, David Cohen, says for year Bashar al-Assad regime provided Hezbollah with safe haven¹², weapons and money. 

 

“Hezbollah is now repaying its debt to Assad by providing training, advice and extensive logistical support to the government of Syria.” 

 

He says Hezbollah has also helped facilitate training of Syrian forces by Iran’s Kutz Force. Though the new sanctions are mainly symbolic¹³, the State Department's top counter-terrorism official says the US hopes other countries will take similar steps because he says Hezbollah is not only active in Syria, but also plotting attacks in other parts of the world. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow was up 43 points at 13,208. 

 

This is NPR News.

 

The federal budget deficit¹⁴ is on track to surpassing a trillion dollars for a fourth straight year. Today the Treasury Department announced that so far the deficit has reached 974 billion, but that's still lower than where the federal deficit stood same time last year. 

 

The economy has weakened in recent months as you know, and Steve Beckner of Market News International reports that 48 prominent economists¹⁵ don't expect a lot of improvement in the gross domestic product.

 

Forecasters surveyed by Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank have become gloomier about the outlook. They look for 1.6% GDP growth this quarter, a bit more than in the second quarter, but nearly a full percent less than forecast three months ago. 2.2% growth is seen in the fourth quarter, but that's also lower than previously¹⁶ projected. The pattern continues next year and beyond. A slowdown to 1.8% is expected in the first quarter, much worse than in the prior survey. Growth is seen picking up in 2014 and 2015, but not as much as once hoped. The forecasters also look for fewer job gains. For NPR News, I'm Steve Beckner. 

 

The latest gang raids in Southern California have netted 35 more arrests in addition to the more than two dozen people already in custody¹⁷ for drug distribution and murder. Federal, state and local law enforcement conducted the raids against the violent East Side Anaheim gang today in which they seized 11 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and huge amounts of guns.

 

Before the close, Dow was up 43 at 13,208, NASDAQ gaining two at 3,021, S&P 500 up three at 1,406.

1 creek   

n.小溪，小河，小湾

参考例句：

• He sprang through the creek.他跳过小河。
• People sunbathe in the nude on the rocks above the creek.人们在露出小溪的岩石上裸体晒日光浴。

2 sobbed   

哭泣，啜泣( sob的过去式和过去分词 )； 哭诉，呜咽地说

参考例句：

• She sobbed out the story of her son's death. 她哭诉着她儿子的死。
• She sobbed out the sad story of her son's death. 她哽咽着诉说她儿子死去的悲惨经过。

3 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

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 rite   

n.典礼，惯例，习俗

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
• Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。

6 cleansed   

弄干净，清洗( cleanse的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The nurse cleansed the wound before stitching it. 护士先把伤口弄干净后才把它缝合。
• The notorious Hell Row was burned down in a fire, and much dirt was cleansed away. 臭名远场的阎王路已在一场大火中化为乌有，许多焦土灰烬被清除一空。

7 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

8 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

9 imposing   

adj.使人难忘的，壮丽的，堂皇的，雄伟的

参考例句：

• The fortress is an imposing building.这座城堡是一座宏伟的建筑。
• He has lost his imposing appearance.他已失去堂堂仪表。

10 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

11 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

12 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

13 symbolic   

adj.象征性的，符号的，象征主义的

参考例句：

• It is symbolic of the fighting spirit of modern womanhood.它象征着现代妇女的战斗精神。
• The Christian ceremony of baptism is a symbolic act.基督教的洗礼仪式是一种象征性的做法。

14 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。

15 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

17 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。