NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-03-18

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Nora Raum.

 

　　A judge in Steubenville, Ohio today found two high school football players guilty of raping¹ a 16-year-old girl. He sentenced both to at least a year in detention². NPR's David Schaper reports Ohio Attorney General is now calling for grand jury investigation³ to determine if others should be charged in the case.

 

　　A juvenile⁴ court judge found the 16 and 17-year-old high school football players to be delinquent⁵ in the sexual assault of a girl who prosecutors⁶ say was too drunk to give her consent. The trial featured emotional testimony⁷ and evidence that included graphic⁸ text messages, photos, videos and social media posts of the incident and of the drunken 16-year-old victim. The two teenagers broke down in tears after the judge read the guilty verdict and later the boys apologized to the victim and to the Steubenville community. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine, says he will now seek grand jury to investigate whether others who witnessed the assault or shared images of the girl, should be charged. David Schaper, NPR News.

 

　　Police in India say they have arrested five men in connection with the gang-rape of a Swiss woman Friday night. The woman was on a cycling vacation with her husband when she was attacked. She was released from a hospital after treatment yesterday. The attack came three months after a woman died from injuries incurred⁹ during a gang-rape on a bus in New Delhi.

 

　　China's new Premier¹⁰ Li Keqiang named air pollution and corruption¹¹ as the top priorities for the communist party's new leadership to tackle. NPR's Frank Langfitt has more.

 

　　In focusing on corruption and pollution, Li chose two problems that are most obvious and frustrating¹² for ordinary Chinese. In January, smog blanketed much of eastern China and at times made Beijing practically uninhabitable. Pollution experts say the technology exists to reduce air pollution, but it will mean confronting powerful interests including rich state oil companies that distribute  high sulphur heavy polluting gas.  Tackling corruption won't be easier either. For years, many people have pursued government jobs here to take advantage of China's boom and line their pockets, not serve the country. On foreign policy, Li said China is committed to strong relations with the United States and continued to deny that Beijing is behind cyber espionage¹³, targeting American firms. Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Shanghai.

 

　　More than 150,000 people crowded into St. Peter's Square today to hear the first blessing¹⁴ from Pope Francis. Speaking in Italian, he urged them to be more forgiving and not so quick to condemn¹⁵ other people's failures. He said a little bit of mercy makes the world less cold and more just.

 

　　The president of Cyprus went on television today to explain the terms of an international bailout. Lenders will provide the euro equivalent of $13 billion but only if there is a one-time tax on bank accounts. The Cyprian president said he had to accept the requirement or the island would face bankruptcy¹⁶. The parliament is to vote on the deal tomorrow.

 

　　This is NPR News from Washington.

 

　　The biggest prize in architecture, the Pritzker has been given this year to Toyo Ito. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports the 71-year-old Japanese architect has been a powerful presence in this field for decades.

 

　　Toyo Ito has been a contender for the Pritzker Architecture Prize ever since he designed a beautiful cutting-edge library or a mediatheque in the Japanese city of Sendai, in 2001. Thanks to his innovative¹⁷ tube and platform design, it survived the major recent earthquake there two years ago. Its undulations were documented on YouTube. Toyo Ito has also designed a pair of stunning¹⁸ towers in the architecture-craze city of Barcelona, Spain and a sports stadium in Taiwan that's completely solar-powered. But he's also directed his human friendly architectural philosophy towards public buildings, like a firehouse, a kindergarden and a community center for senior citizens.  Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

 

　　House Speaker John Boehner said today he and President Obama are open and honest with each other. He told ABC's This Week, they agree the U.S. does not have an immediate¹⁹ debt crisis, but disagree on how to prevent a crisis in the future. Another subject, Boehner was asked about same-sex marriage.

 

　　I believe that marriage is the union of one man and one woman. It's what I grew up with. It's what I believe. It's what my church teaches me. And I can't imagine that position would ever change.

 

　　Republican Senator Rob Portman also from Ohio, announced last week that he had changed his opposition²⁰ to same-sex marriage after learning his son is gay.

 

　　I'm Nora Raum, NPR News, in Washington.

1 raping   

v.以暴力夺取，强夺( rape的现在分词 )；强奸

参考例句：

• In response, Charles VI sent a punitive expedition to Brittany, raping and killing the populace. 作为报复，查理六世派军讨伐布列塔尼，奸淫杀戮平民。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The conquerors marched on, burning, killing, raping and plundering as they went. 征服者所到之处烧杀奸掠，无所不做。 来自互联网

2 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 juvenile   

n.青少年，少年读物；adj.青少年的，幼稚的

参考例句：

• For a grown man he acted in a very juvenile manner.身为成年人，他的行为举止显得十分幼稚。
• Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.青少年犯罪正在以惊人的速度增长。

5 delinquent   

adj.犯法的，有过失的；n.违法者

参考例句：

• Most delinquent children have deprived backgrounds.多数少年犯都有未受教育的背景。
• He is delinquent in paying his rent.他拖欠房租。

6 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

7 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

8 graphic   

adj.生动的，形象的，绘画的，文字的，图表的

参考例句：

• The book gave a graphic description of the war.这本书生动地描述了战争的情况。
• Distinguish important text items in lists with graphic icons.用图标来区分重要的文本项。

9 incurred   

[医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式

参考例句：

• She had incurred the wrath of her father by marrying without his consent 她未经父亲同意就结婚，使父亲震怒。
• We will reimburse any expenses incurred. 我们将付还所有相关费用。

10 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

11 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

12 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

14 blessing   

n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿

参考例句：

• The blessing was said in Hebrew.祷告用了希伯来语。
• A double blessing has descended upon the house.双喜临门。

15 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

16 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

17 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

18 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

19 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

20 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。