NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2013-08-05

 More than 20 US consulates¹ and embassies are closed, mostly in North Africa and Middle East this weekend. The move comes after the US learned of a potential threat against American government or private business interests. The chairman of the US Joint² Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, finds it's significant. Speaking to ABC's “This Week,” Dempsey says the current threat is stronger than previous threats. 

“It is more specific and we’re taking it seriously, which I think you expect us to do. Yeah, there is a significant threat stream and we’re reacting to it. 

Dempsey added the precise target of a possible al-Qaeda threat is not known. The State Department’s also issued a travel warning to Americans to be on alert overseas. 

In Afghanistan, flash floods are causing devastation³ across eastern parts of the country. NPR's Sean Carberry reports at least 60 people have been killed and dozens are missing. 

Rain has been pouring down on the mountains of eastern Afghanistan for several days, and the flooding is expected to continue. Most houses in the rural parts of the country are poorly constructed out of mud and brick, and officials say that hundreds have been washed away along with large expanses of agricultural land. More than 40 people have been killed just in one district of eastern Kabul province. But the capital itself remains⁴ dry. Hundreds of Afghan army troops are involved in rescue operations across six provinces. The United Nations and other international organizations are also providing assistance. Sean Carberry, NPR News, Kabul. 

The biggest bank in Britain, HSBC, is reported to have given a number of diplomatic missions in London -- 60 days to find a new bank. More than 40 embassies, consulates and high commissions have been affected⁵, according to the British newspaper The Mail. The BBC's Joe Lynam has more. 

That was part of a rapid process of what it calls “de-risking.” The sprawling⁶ global bank has asked certain diplomatic customers to find new banks. It's said that it was carrying out a rolling program of assessments⁷ of all its businesses, and that embassies were no exception. The bank refused though it’s commented on individual customer relationships. But it's over. The head of the consular⁸ Corps⁹, which represents consuls¹⁰ in the UK, told the Mail on Sunday that the HSBC decision had created havoc¹¹ as embassies had to pay numerous bills which require the use of a bank account. 

The BBC's Joe Lynam. 

In 2012, HSBC got a record fine after US officials revealed its bankers had been handling assets belonging into Iran, Libya and Mexico's notorious drug cartels. 

Iran has a new president. Hasan Rowhani took the oath of office today before a session of parliament. In his speech, he told other countries they should speak to Iran, using the language of respect, not international sanctions. The Obama administration sent a message. It says it hopes Iran to make choices leading to a better life for Iranians, and if it truly seeks peace, it will find a willing partner in the United States.

This is NPR. 

The US has called into question the outcome of Wednesday's disputed elections in Zimbabwe, which handed victory to President Robert Mugabe, as well as a crucial 2/3 majority in parliament. From Harare, NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports Secretary of State John Kerry says the results do not represent a creditable expression of the will of the people of Zimbabwe. 

“Make no mistakes,” says Secretary Kerry in a tough talking statement, detailing a deeply flawed electoral process in Zimbabwe. Western observer missions were barred from the vote which the main opposition¹² presidential candidate, outgoing Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, has described as a “farce,” alleging¹³ widespread rigging. President Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party rejects all talk of vote fraud. But Tsvangirai says he's planning a court challenge. Kerry's statement lists a litany of alleged¹⁴ irregularities that the US says skewed the elections. Domestic observers described as “seriously compromised” the vote which Zimbabwe’s neighbors broadly endorsed¹⁵, though noting significant problems. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Harare. 

California authorities arrested a man who says he was the driver who plowed¹⁶ into a Venice Beach boardwalk yesterday, killing¹⁷ one person and injuring at least 11 others. Witnesses say that the driver seemed to speed up as he swerved¹⁸ on and off the curve scattering¹⁹ tourists. The driver fled the scene. About an hour later, a man walked into a neighboring police station, claiming he had hit the pedestrians²⁰. 

Today is President Obama's 52nd birthday. He celebrated²¹ quietly at the presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland. Yesterday Obama played golf with friends. He's scheduled to return to the White House today. 

1 consulates   

n.领事馆( consulate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Consulates General of The People's Republic at Los Angeles. 中华人民共和国驻洛杉矶总领事馆。 来自互联网
• The country's embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions stationed in other countries. （七）家驻外使馆、馆和其他外交代表机构。 来自互联网

2 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

3 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 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。

6 sprawling   

adj.蔓生的，不规则地伸展的v.伸开四肢坐[躺]( sprawl的现在分词 )；蔓延；杂乱无序地拓展；四肢伸展坐着（或躺着）

参考例句：

• He was sprawling in an armchair in front of the TV. 他伸开手脚坐在电视机前的一张扶手椅上。
• a modern sprawling town 一座杂乱无序拓展的现代城镇

7 assessments   

n.评估( assessment的名词复数 )；评价；（应偿付金额的）估定；（为征税对财产所作的）估价

参考例句：

• He was shrewd in his personal assessments. 他总能对人作出精明的评价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Surveys show about two-thirds use such assessments, while half employ personality tests. 调查表明，约有三分之二的公司采用了这种测评；而一半的公司则采用工作人员个人品质测试。 来自百科语句

8 consular   

a.领事的

参考例句：

• He has rounded out twenty years in the consular service. 他在领事馆工作已整整20年了。
• Consular invoices are declarations made at the consulate of the importing country. 领事发票是进口国领事馆签发的一种申报书。

9 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

10 consuls   

领事( consul的名词复数 )； （古罗马共和国时期）执政官 （古罗马共和国及其军队的最高首长，同时共有两位，每年选举一次）

参考例句：

• American consuls warned that millions more were preparing to leave war-ravaged districts. 美国驻外领事们预告，还有几百万人正在准备离开战争破坏的地区。
• The legionaries, on their victorious return, refused any longer to obey the consuls. 军团士兵在凯旋归国时，不肯服从执政官的命令。

11 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

12 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。

13 alleging   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• His reputation was blemished by a newspaper article alleging he'd evaded his taxes. 由于报上一篇文章声称他曾逃税，他的名誉受到损害。
• This our Peeress declined as unnecessary, alleging that her cousin Thornhill's recommendation would be sufficient. 那位贵人不肯，还说不必，只要有她老表唐希尔保荐就够了。

14 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

15 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 plowed   

v.耕( plow的过去式和过去分词 )；犁耕；费力穿过

参考例句：

• They plowed nearly 100,000 acres of virgin moorland. 他们犁了将近10万英亩未开垦的高沼地。 来自辞典例句
• He plowed the land and then sowed the seeds. 他先翻土，然后播种。 来自辞典例句

17 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

18 swerved   

v.（使）改变方向，改变目的( swerve的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She swerved sharply to avoid a cyclist. 她猛地急转弯，以躲开一个骑自行车的人。
• The driver has swerved on a sudden to avoid a file of geese. 为了躲避一队鹅，司机突然来个急转弯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 scattering   

n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散

参考例句：

• The child felle into a rage and began scattering its toys about. 这孩子突发狂怒，把玩具扔得满地都是。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The farmers are scattering seed. 农夫们在播种。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 pedestrians   

n.步行者( pedestrian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Several pedestrians had come to grief on the icy pavement. 几个行人在结冰的人行道上滑倒了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Pedestrians keep to the sidewalk [footpath]! 行人走便道。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。