NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-03-08

　　From NPR news in Washington, I am Craig Windham.

 

　　President Obama has just signed into law an updated version of the Violence Against Women Act. The measure would expand federal programs for women affected¹ by domestic and sexual violence.

 

　　"We'll expand them to cover even more women because this's a country where every body should be able to pursue their own measure of happiness and live their lives free from fear. No matter who you are, no matter who you love, that's gotta be our priorities, that's what today is about."

 

　　The law adds protections for native American, gay, bisexual, and tans-gender victims of abuse.

 

　　The United Nation Security Council has unanimously approved new sanctions against north Korea over its recent nuclear test. The communist nation has pledged to launch what it calls a preemptive nuclear strike against the U.S. and other aggressors. That threat was quickly dismissed by the White House. the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice says the new sanctions will be felt.

 

　　"The strength, breadth and severity of these sanctions will raise the cost to North Korea of its illicit² nuclear program."

 

　　The U.N. resolution was drafted by the U.S. and China which has long been North Korea's main ally."

 

　　The U.S. trade deficit³ has widened to growing almost by 15% in January. NPR's Dave Mattingly reports analysts⁴ say the reasons include more imports of foreign oil and a drop in exports.

 

　　"With exports dropping more than 1%, the U.S. trade deficit rose to more than $44 billion. Sales to companies in Europe and Asia were down. Scott Brown as chief economist⁵ at Raymond James & Associates."

 

　　"You are looking at severe recession still in Europe, no growth there at all. China is really sort of the, you know, the tail on the dog. Er, they are still very much export-driven and fear opens in recession. That's not gonna help them at all."

 

　　"Analysts believe the trade numbers will improve this year as U.S. energy exports go up. Dave Mattingly, NPR news, Washington."

 

　　The government of the Philippine says it's negotiating to win the release of 21 Filipino U.N. peacekeepers who've been sized by Syrian militants⁶. NPR's Kelly McEvers says details.

 

　　"The peacekeepers were abducted⁷ in the Golan Heights-territory that Israel seized from Syria in 1967. U.N. peacekeepers have been stationed there since 1974. The U.N. says the peacekeepers were unarmed at the time of their abduction and were going to check an observation post near the Syria boarder. There's been heavy fighting between Syrian rebels and Syrian government forces near that post in recent days. At first the militants said they would not release the peacekeepers until the Syria army retreated. Now they say they are merely protecting the peacekeepers from the Syria army and are willing to turn them back to the U.N. Kelly McEvers, NPR news, Beirut."

 

　　Within an hour to go before the closing bell on Wall Street, the Dow was up 36 points, the NASDAQ is up 8. This is NPR news.

 

　　Two GOP Senators say the filibuster⁸ by their Republic colleague Rand Paul yesterday unnecessarily created fear among Americans. Senators John Mccain and Lindsey Graham criticized Paul who said he was seeking assurance the U.S. would not stage drone attacks on U.S. soil against Americans suspected of terrorism.

 

　　A federal court has struck down an Idaho law that bans abortions¹⁰ after 20 weeks of pregnancy¹¹. NPR's Martin Kaste reports the ruling comes as more states adopt similar restrictions¹².

 

　　"Idaho was one of several states in the last few years to pass what's called fetal pain laws, laws based on the belief that fetuses¹⁴ can feel pain early in a pregnancy. In the interest of protecting fetuses, the Idaho law moved the cutoff for legal abortion⁹ earlier than what's allowed under Roe¹⁵ v. Wade¹⁶. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill has ruled that the Idaho legislature passed the law with "inappropriate purpose" putting its interest in the potential life of the fetus¹³ ahead of a women's right to get an abortion. The judge also overturned other state restrictions that had the effect of making drug-induced abortion illegal. Martin Kaste, NPR news, Seattle."

 

　　The last of the 115 Roman Catholic cardinals¹⁷ who will choose the next pope has arrived in Rome. But Vatican spokesman Thomas Rosica is denying rumors¹⁸ that a date has been set for the start of the election process.

 

　　"There is no date for the conclave¹⁹ established nor is there a mass for the election of the Rome pontiff. And reserve had already booked for St. Peter's Basilica on Monday afternoon in contrary to what you may have seen."

 

　　I am Craig Windham, NPR news, in Washington.

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 illicit   

adj.非法的，禁止的，不正当的

参考例句：

• He had an illicit association with Jane.他和简曾有过不正当关系。
• Seizures of illicit drugs have increased by 30% this year.今年违禁药品的扣押增长了30%。

3 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。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

6 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

7 abducted   

劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展

参考例句：

• Detectives have not ruled out the possibility that she was abducted. 侦探尚未排除她被绑架的可能性。
• The kid was abducted at the gate of kindergarten. 那小孩在幼儿园大门口被绑架走了。

8 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。

9 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

10 abortions   

n.小产( abortion的名词复数 )；小产胎儿；（计划）等中止或夭折；败育

参考例句：

• The Venerable Master: By not having abortions, by not killing living beings. 上人：不堕胎、不杀生。 来自互联网
• Conclusion Chromosome abnormality is one of the causes of spontaneous abortions. 结论：染色体异常是导致反复自然流产的原因之一。 来自互联网

11 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

12 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

13 fetus   

n.胎，胎儿

参考例句：

• In the fetus,blood cells are formed in different sites at different ages.胎儿的血细胞在不同时期生成在不同的部位。
• No one knows why a fetus is not automatically rejected by the mother's immune system. 没有人知道为什么母亲的免疫系统不会自动排斥胎儿。

14 fetuses   

n.胎，胎儿( fetus的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• DNA was extracted from fetuses at mid-gestation, about 10 days past conception. DNA从受孕大约10天后的中期妊娠胚胎中提取。 来自互联网
• Brucellosis is a disease that causes fetuses to abort in cattle. 普鲁士菌病是一种可以导致牲畜胎儿夭折的疾病。 来自互联网

15 roe   

n.鱼卵；獐鹿

参考例句：

• We will serve smoked cod's roe at the dinner.宴会上我们将上一道熏鳕鱼子。
• I'll scramble some eggs with roe?我用鱼籽炒几个鸡蛋好吗？

16 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。

17 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

18 rumors   

n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 )；[古]名誉；咕哝；[古]喧嚷

参考例句：

• Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 conclave   

n.秘密会议，红衣主教团

参考例句：

• Signore,I ask and I prey,that you break this conclave.各位阁下，我请求，并祈祷，你们能停止这次秘密会议。
• I met my partner at that conclave and my life moved into a huge shift.我就是在那次大会上遇到了我的伴侣的，而我的生活就转向了一个巨大的改变。