NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-03-07

　　From NPR news in Washington, I am Lakshimi Singh.

 

　　The Republican-led House has passed a continuing resolution that would avoid a government shutdown this month. The measure would provide $982 billion in funding to keep federal agencies operating through September. The vote was mainly along party lines. NPR's Craig Windham reports the bill would keep in place the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester¹ which took effect last week.

 

　　"The chairman of the House Appropriation's Committee Hal Rogers says the continuing resolution accomplishes one major goal."

 

　　"This bill takes the risk of a government shutdown off the table."

 

　　"Rogers says the measure also gives the Pentagon new flexibility² to manage the sequester cuts. But house democratic Whip Steny Hoyer says that's not enough."

 

　　"This vote will do nothing to lessen³ the effects of the sequester whose impact has already been felt in my district and throughout the country."

 

　　"Senate democratic leaders say they will seek to amend⁴ the House GOP bill to give domestic programs the same flexibility been given the Pentagon to help soften⁵ the impact of the sequester cuts. Craig Windham, NPR news, Washington."

 

　　The confirmation⁶ vote the Senate was expected to hold today on John Brennan's nomination⁷ for CIA director is on hold. NPR's Tamara Keith says Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky has decided⁸ to filibuster⁹.

 

　　"Senator Rand Paul has concerned about the operation of drones in the potential for drones to target US citizens on American soil. He was not satisfied with the answers that he got from the Obama administration. And so he is doing a filibuster. Um, and so he is standing¹⁰ on the Senate floor and has been talking for some time now and says he will stay on the Senate floor and keep talking as long as he possibly can."

 

　　NPR's Tamara Keith.

 

　　A few hours ago, Attorney General Eric Holder¹¹ was on Capitol Hill where he told a Senate panel President Obama will soon review his administration's legal rationale for using drone strikes. NPR's Paul Brown reports Holder was also on the hill to talk about gun violence.

 

　　"Holder says that military style assault weapon and high capacity magazines should be banned. He says universal background checks for gun-buyers should be mandatory¹². Another thing the administration wants Congress to do?"

 

　　"To eliminate misguided restrictions¹³ that require federal agencies to allow importations of dangerous weapons simply because of their age."

 

　　"Holder also advocates tougher penalties on gun traffickers. Polls show public support rising for more regulation but many lawmakers still appear hesitant as gun-rights advocates loudly object to some of the proposals. Paul Brown, NPR news, Washington."

 

　　At last check on Wall Street, Dow was up 54 points at 14309, NASDAQ up slightly. This is NPR news.

 

　　The United Nation's security council is condemning¹⁴ the Syria's rebels for detaining a group of UN peacekeepers near the Golan Heights. Officials say more than 30 fighters may have been involved. Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin and the council's president this month told reporters that talks are underway between UN officials and the Syrian opposition¹⁵.

 

　　Still no sign of that so-called snow sequester in the capital city where just the threat of a significant snow was enough to shutdown much of the city. But areas to the west and south are reporting heavier snowfalls. WMRA's Bob Leweke filed this report from Harrisonburg, Viginia.

 

　　"Snowplows in Virginia have been working overtime¹⁶ since Tuesday night when the first flake¹⁷ from winter-storm began falling in Western Virginia. And most schools in the area closed for today Wednesday. Trees buckled¹⁸ under the weight of the heavy wet snow, and electric companies reported thousands of customers have lost power. Gusty¹⁹ winds are 30 miles per hour or more and complicating²⁰ the effects of the storm. Governor Bob McDonnell called for Virginia residents to have plenty of supplies on hand and to alert their power companies if they loss electricity. And the State Department of Transportation warned the residents to stay off the roads. Snow is expected to be heaviest along the Alagani mountain with a total of a foot or more on the ground by this evening in parts of the Shenandoah valley and the mountains to the west. For NPR news, I am Bob Leweke, in Harrisonburg."

 

　　Another sign that business investment will pick up in the US. Factory orders for machinery²¹ and other goods rose more than 7% from December to January.

 

　　US stock is trading high with Dow gaining 55 at its 14,309. This is NPR.

1 sequester   

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

参考例句：

• Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
• This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

2 flexibility   

n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性

参考例句：

• Her great strength lies in her flexibility.她的优势在于她灵活变通。
• The flexibility of a man's muscles will lessen as he becomes old.人老了肌肉的柔韧性将降低。

3 lessen   

vt.减少，减轻；缩小

参考例句：

• Regular exercise can help to lessen the pain.经常运动有助于减轻痛感。
• They've made great effort to lessen the noise of planes.他们尽力减小飞机的噪音。

4 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

5 soften   

v.(使)变柔软；(使)变柔和

参考例句：

• Plastics will soften when exposed to heat.塑料适当加热就可以软化。
• This special cream will help to soften up our skin.这种特殊的护肤霜有助于使皮肤变得柔软。

6 confirmation   

n.证实，确认，批准

参考例句：

• We are waiting for confirmation of the news.我们正在等待证实那个消息。
• We need confirmation in writing before we can send your order out.给你们发送订购的货物之前，我们需要书面确认。

7 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。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 filibuster   

n.妨碍议事，阻挠；v.阻挠

参考例句：

• A senator dragged the subject in as a filibuster.一个参议员硬把这个题目拉扯进来，作为一种阻碍议事的手法。
• The democrats organized a filibuster in the senate.民主党党员在参议院上组织了阻挠议事。

10 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。

11 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。

12 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

13 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

14 condemning   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的现在分词 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。
• I concur with the speaker in condemning what has been done. 我同意发言者对所做的事加以谴责。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 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。

16 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

17 flake   

v.使成薄片；雪片般落下；n.薄片

参考例句：

• Drain the salmon,discard the skin,crush the bones and flake the salmon with a fork.将鲑鱼沥干，去表皮，粉碎鱼骨并用餐叉子将鱼肉切成小薄片状。
• The paint's beginning to flake.油漆开始剥落了。

18 buckled   

a. 有带扣的

参考例句：

• She buckled her belt. 她扣上了腰带。
• The accident buckled the wheel of my bicycle. 我自行车的轮子在事故中弄弯了。

19 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？

20 complicating   

使复杂化( complicate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• High spiking fever with chills is suggestive of a complicating pylephlebitis. 伴有寒战的高热，暗示合并门静脉炎。
• In America these actions become executive puberty rites, complicating relationships that are already complicated enough. 在美国，这些行动成了行政青春期的惯例，使本来已经够复杂的关系变得更复杂了。

21 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。