NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-03-20

 Russia has annexed² the Crimean Peninsula, the news was met with fireworks and fears in Crimea. NPR's Gregory Warner reports from Simferopol.

It was only moments after President Putin announced that he would sign a draft agreement to annex¹ Crimea to Russia, that Crimeans learned that they would get their new Russian passports within a month. Many in this majority Russian peninsula celebrated³, but those who want to keep their Ukrainian passport will have to make a special application. Some worried that could mark them for discrimination, and worse, their houses and jobs could be taken. Several activists⁴ and journalists have reportedly disappeared in the last two weeks. Crimean self-defense⁵ forces are said to be increasingly aggressive towards Ukrainians that they see as traitors⁶ to an expanded Russian empire. Today, unknown forces fired on unarmed Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea, killing⁷ one. Gregory Warner, NPR News, Simferopol.

 

 

In an independent review of 12 killings⁸ last fall, the Washington D.C. Navy Yard has found a number of problems with security. NPR's Tom Bowman reports Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is ordering changes in how the government protects facilities and screens workers.

It was last September when government contractor⁹ Aaron Alexis drove into the Washington Navy Yard, flashed his ID and then proceeded to shoot a dozen people. The review found that no one reported Alexis' growing mental health problems. Here's Secretary Hagel.

The review's identified troubling gaps in DOD's ability to detect, prevent and respond to instances where someone working for us, a government employee,  ember of our military, or a contractor decides to inflict¹⁰ harm on thism institution and its people.

Hagel has ordered better background checks and a system that will handle employees who pose a threat. Tom Bowman NPR News Washington.  

 

 

Seattle police has now released identities of two people killed in the helicopter cash at the city's famous Space Needle. The fiery¹¹ crash happened this morning as TV news chopper was taking off. Dennis Hogenson with the National Transportation Safety Board described what witnesses reportedly seeing.

Shortly after the refuel they departed. Witness described as the helicopter lift off, lifted off a building and began to rotate, counterclockwise and subsequently crash.

Chopper went down on a busy street hitting three vehicles and setting them ablaze¹². A 38-year-old man was in one of the vehicle, suffered extensive burns with hospitalizing critical condition. Killed in the crash were the helicopter's pilot and a former long-time news photographer of the station KOMO TV, who is working for the helicopter leasing company. 

 

 

The nation's CEOs are more upbeat heading towards the spring. That's based on the latest survey from the Business Roundtable, a group that represents the nation's chief executives. According to Roundtable, the CEO Outlook Index rose to 92.1 in the first quarter. That's the highest level in two years. 

 

 

On Wall Street, stocks move higher today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average of 88 points. The NASDAQ rose 53 points.     

 

 

You are listening to NPR.

 

 

New reports of a data breach¹³ at a Federal Agency responsible for handling a lot of your personal financial information. While it appears the breach involves employees' rather than customer information. According to the commissioner¹⁴ of the Internal Revenue Service, as many as 20,000 IRS workers, former workers and contractors¹⁵ may have their personal information accessed. IRS commissioner John Koskinen says that's after an employee apparently¹⁶ took a computer home with the information. Koskinen says there's no evidence the information was taken besides the computer was plugged in with employees' unsecure home network.

 

 

In a ceremony 70 years in the making, President Obama presented the nation's highest military honor today to 24 veterans of the World War Ⅱ Korea and Vietnam. NPR's Scott Horsley reports the medals were an opportunity to atone¹⁷ for decades of discrimination.

This was the largest presentation of medals honors since the second world war. And it comes after the military reexamine the service records of black, Jewish and Latino soldiers, who might have deserved the honor but been passed over due to prejudice. 24 army veterans were recognized for heroism¹⁸ on the battlefield. President Obama says that many previously¹⁹ have been decorated with the Distinguished²⁰ Service Cross, the nation's second highest military honor.

But ask their fellow veterans, ask their families, and they will tell you that their extraordinary deeds merited the highest recognition. And today we have the chance to set records straight. 

Only 3 of the honorees live to receive the reward in person. The other 23 were honored posthumously²¹. Scott Horsley NPR News the White House.

 

 

Crude oil futures²² prices closed higher. The price of oil was up $1.62 a barrel today. The end of the session is 99.70 a barrel in New York.    

1 annex   

vt.兼并，吞并；n.附属建筑物

参考例句：

• It plans to annex an England company in order to enlarge the market.它计划兼并一家英国公司以扩大市场。
• The annex has been built on to the main building.主楼配建有附属的建筑物。

2 annexed   

[法] 附加的，附属的

参考例句：

• Germany annexed Austria in 1938. 1938年德国吞并了奥地利。
• The outlying villages were formally annexed by the town last year. 那些偏远的村庄于去年正式被并入该镇。

3 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。

4 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》

5 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

6 traitors   

卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人

参考例句：

• Traitors are held in infamy. 叛徒为人所不齿。
• Traitors have always been treated with contempt. 叛徒永被人们唾弃。

7 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。

8 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

9 contractor   

n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌

参考例句：

• The Tokyo contractor was asked to kick $ 6000 back as commission.那个东京的承包商被要求退还6000美元作为佣金。
• The style of house the contractor builds depends partly on the lay of the land.承包商所建房屋的式样，有几分要看地势而定。

10 inflict   

vt.(on)把…强加给，使遭受，使承担

参考例句：

• Don't inflict your ideas on me.不要把你的想法强加于我。
• Don't inflict damage on any person.不要伤害任何人。

11 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

12 ablaze   

adj.着火的，燃烧的；闪耀的，灯火辉煌的

参考例句：

• The main street was ablaze with lights in the evening.晚上，那条主要街道灯火辉煌。
• Forests are sometimes set ablaze by lightning.森林有时因雷击而起火。

13 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

14 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

15 contractors   

n.（建筑、监造中的）承包人( contractor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• We got estimates from three different contractors before accepting the lowest. 我们得到3个承包商的报价后，接受了最低的报价。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Contractors winning construction jobs had to kick back 2 per cent of the contract price to the mafia. 赢得建筑工作的承包商得抽出合同价格的百分之二的回扣给黑手党。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

17 atone   

v.赎罪，补偿

参考例句：

• He promised to atone for his crime.他承诺要赎自己的罪。
• Blood must atone for blood.血债要用血来还。

18 heroism   

n.大无畏精神，英勇

参考例句：

• He received a medal for his heroism.他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。
• Stories of his heroism resounded through the country.他的英雄故事传遍全国。

19 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

20 distinguished   

adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的

参考例句：

• Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
• A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。

21 posthumously   

adv.于死后，于身后；于著作者死后出版地

参考例句：

• He was confirmed posthumously as a member of the Chinese Communist Party. 他被追认为中国共产党党员。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Her last book was published posthumously in 1948. 她最后的一本书在她死后于1948 年出版了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

22 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。