NPR美国国家公共电台 2013-04-11

　　From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

　　President Obama says a nearly $ 3.8 trillion budget he announced today shrinks the deficit¹, while still making needed investments in the country's economy. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the president's plan calls for new taxes, entitlement savings² and fresh spending on pre-school and public works.

 

　　The president's plan has already drawn³ criticism from both the left and the right for it's offered to trim spending on medicare and social security and it's called for hundreds of billions of dollars in new taxes. Still Obama says the plan should appeal to century's lawmakers with its balance of deficit reduction and new investment.

 

　　And if we can come together, have a serious, reasoned debate, not driven by politics and come together around common sense and compromise, then I am confident we will move this country forward and leave behind something better for our children.

 

　　Obama will push that plan tonight when holds a private dinner with a dozen Republican senators. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

 

　　But Congressional Republicans are bracing⁴ at the idea of a plan that adds new spending. House Speaker John Boehner.

 

　　American people know, you can't continue to spend money that you don't have. The federal government has spent more than what it has brought in in 55 of the last 60 years.

 

　　The Obama's budget also calls for deep cuts at Pentagon which plans to reduce the size of its civilian⁵ workforce⁶ by as much as 50,000 over the next five years. It's part of an effort to implement⁷ about $34 billion in cuts.

 

　　Two senators have struck a bipartisan deal to expand federal background checks on fire arms. Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey says the checks which currently only cover sales through licensed⁸ gun dealers⁹ would be extended to all commercial sales.

 

　　There are a number of gun control proposals that I think actually would infringe¹⁰ Second Amendment¹¹ rights and I will tell you categorically that nothing in our amendment prevents the ownership of guns by any lawful¹² person, and I wouldn't support it if it did.

 

　　His Democratic colleague Joe Manchin says the compromise can go a long way.

 

　　Today's agreement is a first step in a common ground that all of us agree is crucial to keep guns out of dangerous hands and to keep our children safe.

 

　　This hour, several groups advocating for immigrant rights are rallying at the U.S. capital in a bid to press lawmakers to swiftly approve comprehensive immigration change. NPR's Amy Walters is on the scene.

 

　　There seems to be just a sea of people, white T-shirts, green T-shirts, yellow T-shirts, signs, saying we are the people who banish¹⁴ all together. NPR's Amy Walters is reporting.

 

　　Earlier, counter demonstrations¹⁵ were staged by activists¹⁶ who have been pushing for tighter immigration restrictions¹⁷ and expanded border security.

 

　　Before the closing bell, Dow was up 129 points at 14,802.

 

　　You are listening to NPR News.

 

　　Former Congressman¹⁸ Anthony Weiner is waving a run for New York City mayor this year. NPR's Joel Rose reports the disgraced Democrat¹³ made those comments in an interview published online today.

 

　　In a latest story in this weekend's New York Times magazine, Weiner talks kindly¹⁹ about the scandal that brought his political career to a screeching²⁰ halt in the summer of 2011 when he was caught having lewd²¹ interactions with several women online and lying about it. Weiner resigned from Congress, but his marriage to Huma Abedin, a long time aide to Hillary Clinton, survived. And with six months to go before the New York City mayor primary, Weiner says "it's now or maybe never for me". Weiner has spent $100,000 on polling research and still has millions more in his campaign war chest, but acknowledges that some voters will never forgive him. Some people, he says, "just don't have room for a second narrative²² about me". Joel Rose, NPR News, New York.

 

　　First Lady Michelle Obama is taking the administration's campaign for tighter gun control to her family's hometown Chicago. She visited a high school where authorities say 29 current or former students have been shot in the past year. Mrs. Obama challenged business leaders to play a bigger part in reducing gun violence in Chicago's neighborhoods.

 

　　A couple who allegedly kidnapped their two young sons after losing full custody²³, are being held in Florida. Joshua Hakken and his wife Sharyn  were extradited to the U.S. from Cuba to where they had fled by boat. Their children, a 4-year-old and a 2-year-old have been returned to their maternal²⁴ grandparents who were granted permanent custody of the children last week. The U.S. and Cuba don't have an extradition²⁵ agreement. But Cuban authorities notified the State Department Sunday of the Hakken's presence on the island.

 

　　I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News, in Washington.

1 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。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

4 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。

7 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

8 licensed   

adj.得到许可的v.许可，颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
• Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗？

9 dealers   

n.商人( dealer的名词复数 )；贩毒者；毒品贩子；发牌者

参考例句：

• There was fast bidding between private collectors and dealers. 私人收藏家和交易商急速竞相喊价。
• The police were corrupt and were operating in collusion with the drug dealers. 警察腐败，与那伙毒品贩子内外勾结。

10 infringe   

v.违反，触犯，侵害

参考例句：

• The jury ruled that he had infringed no rules.陪审团裁决他没有违反任何规定。
• He occasionally infringe the law by parking near a junction.他因偶尔将车停放在交叉口附近而违反规定。

11 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

12 lawful   

adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的

参考例句：

• It is not lawful to park in front of a hydrant.在消火栓前停车是不合法的。
• We don't recognised him to be the lawful heir.我们不承认他为合法继承人。

13 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

14 banish   

vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除

参考例句：

• The doctor advised her to banish fear and anxiety.医生劝她消除恐惧和忧虑。
• He tried to banish gloom from his thought.他试图驱除心中的忧愁。

15 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

16 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

17 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

18 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

19 kindly   

adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地

参考例句：

• Her neighbours spoke of her as kindly and hospitable.她的邻居都说她和蔼可亲、热情好客。
• A shadow passed over the kindly face of the old woman.一道阴影掠过老太太慈祥的面孔。

20 screeching   

v.发出尖叫声( screech的现在分词 )；发出粗而刺耳的声音；高叫

参考例句：

• Monkeys were screeching in the trees. 猴子在树上吱吱地叫着。
• the unedifying sight of the two party leaders screeching at each other 两党党魁狺狺对吠的讨厌情景

21 lewd   

adj.淫荡的

参考例句：

• Drew spends all day eyeing up the women and making lewd comments.德鲁整天就盯着女人看，说些下流话。
• I'm not that mean,despicable,cowardly,lewd creature that horrible little man sees. 我可不是那个令人恶心的小人所见到的下流、可耻、懦弱、淫秽的家伙。

22 narrative   

n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的

参考例句：

• He was a writer of great narrative power.他是一位颇有记述能力的作家。
• Neither author was very strong on narrative.两个作者都不是很善于讲故事。

23 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。

24 maternal   

adj.母亲的，母亲般的，母系的，母方的

参考例句：

• He is my maternal uncle.他是我舅舅。
• The sight of the hopeless little boy aroused her maternal instincts.那个绝望的小男孩的模样唤起了她的母性。

25 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。