NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2015-12-19

From NPR news in Washington, I'm Jack¹ Speer.Authorities have arrested a friend of San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook in connection with the mass shooting there that left 14 people dead. NPR's Nathan Rott reports that the friend is facing a three-account criminal complaint that include conspiring² to commit terrorism. 24-year-old Enrique Marquez used to be neighbors with Farook and has been described as a longtime friend of the shooter. It was Marquez who bought the two assault rifles Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik used during the attack in a county building in San Bernardino earlier this month. Federal authorities say he claimed be buying those weapons for himself when he was in fact buying them for Farook. They also alleged³ he helped Farook planned terrorist attacks in southern Californian and in * in 2011 and in 2012 that were never carried out. The arrest is a major development in the ongoing⁴ investigation⁵ into the terrorist attack. Nathan Rott, NPR news. President Obama says while there is no credible⁶ threat at the moment, US intelligence and counter-terro officials say the government continues to do all it can to protect Americans. Speaking today during a visit to the National Counter-terrorism Center in Virginia, president also said the country also must remain vigilant⁷ during the holidays. Obama says the types of threats that have evolved including people acting⁸ on their own and in small groups make some plots like the San Bernardino shootings harder to detect. The drug company executive involved in a price gauge⁹ in controversy¹⁰ in September is under arrest. NPR's James Rolly reports that Martin Shkreli has been charged with securities and wire fraud. US officials say Shkreli lied to investigators¹¹ about the assets in a pair of hedge funds he operated. Later he allegedly tried to compensate¹² them for their losses by giving them fake consulting contracts in another company he started called Retrophin. FBI special agent Mike Harpster. 'These charges describe a securities and wire fraud trifecta of lies, deceit, and greed.' Shkreli as widely reviled¹³ after another company he founded bought a life-saving drug called Daraprim and raised the price by 5000 percent. He defended the move saying the company needed the money to do research but he later agreed to give volume discounts on the drug to hospital. James Rolly,NPR news, New York.

A current account deficit¹⁴ * the nation's broadest measure of trade widened slightly during the July to September quarter. Government blames a drop in petroleum¹⁵ and several other factors in helping¹⁶ increase the gap to 120 billion dollars during the third quarter. Current account tracks, trading goods services and investment flows, a strong dollar also dragged down US exports, making US-made goods more expensive overseas. The value of the dollars increased by around 12 percent over the past year.

Stocks gave back a significant part of yesterday's big run-up following the Federal Reserve's decision to move on interests rate targets. The Dow dropped 253 points today to 17495. The NASDAQ was down 68 points. The S&P fell 31 points. You're listening to NPR.

On the heels of a mistrial in the Freddie Gray case, lawyers from both sides were in the judge's chambers¹⁷ this morning with the attorneys declining comment after walking out. Not clear as to what would happen next in the cast. The judge declared a mistrial after the jury was unable to agree in the case of William Porter. Porter was the first Baltimore police officer to stand trial in connection with Gray's death. Gray died of injuries as he sustained while in cuff¹⁸ in the back of a police van the past April. Porter's trial lasted a little more than 2 weeks. Jurors were deliberating on charges of man-slaugter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct. Dozens of US attorneys cross the country have been told to bulk up their enforcement to work safety crimes by looking for connections to environmental violations¹⁹. NPR's Howard Berkes reports the Justice and Labor²⁰ Department say they're trying to address weaknesses in workplace safety laws. The Justice and Labor Department say they'll team up now to try to attach more jail time and bigger fines for crimes involving workplace safety. And though do it by looking for environmental violations that might somehow be connected, the initiative follows reporting by NPR, the Center for Public Integrity and other news organizations about workers injuries and deaths. They'll result in a few prosecutions²¹ and minor²² penalties. Labor Law makes these crimes mist minors²³. Environmental violations are felonies with more serious consequences and more attention from prosecutors²⁴. The Justice Department says employers coming corners on workplace safety do the same with environment laws. Howard Berkes, NPR news.

Crude oil futures²⁵ prices closed lower today. The price of oil was down 57 cents a barrel to end the session at 34.95 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. I'm Jack Speer, NPR news in Washington.

1 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

2 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

3 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

4 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

5 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。

6 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

7 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

8 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

9 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

10 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

11 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。

13 reviled   

v.辱骂，痛斥( revile的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The tramp reviled the man who drove him off. 流浪汉辱骂那位赶他走开的人。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• The old man reviled against corruption. 那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

16 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

17 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

18 cuff   

n.袖口；手铐；护腕；vt.用手铐铐；上袖口

参考例句：

• She hoped they wouldn't cuff her hands behind her back.她希望他们不要把她反铐起来。
• Would you please draw together the snag in my cuff?请你把我袖口上的裂口缝上好吗？

19 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

20 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

21 prosecutions   

起诉( prosecution的名词复数 )； 原告； 实施； 从事

参考例句：

• It is the duty of the Attorney-General to institute prosecutions. 检察总长负责提起公诉。
• Since World War II, the government has been active in its antitrust prosecutions. 第二次世界大战以来，政府积极地进行着反对托拉斯的检举活动。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

22 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

23 minors   

n.未成年人( minor的名词复数 )；副修科目；小公司；[逻辑学]小前提v.[主美国英语]副修，选修，兼修( minor的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The law forbids shops to sell alcohol to minors. 法律禁止商店向未成年者出售含酒精的饮料。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had three minors this semester. 这学期他有三门副修科目。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 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。

25 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。