美国国家公共电台 NPR 2015-12-26

 From NPR news in Washington, I'm Jack¹ Speer.The death toll² has now risen to 11 in three states after severe weather responded more than a dozen tornados³ yesterday. One of * officials says it appears to * the ground for more than 100 miles. Latest death was confronted in Mississippi today where governor Phil Bryant says damage was extensive in the northern part of the state. We think there's over 100 homes that have been heavily damaged and totally destroyed and another 40 to 60 that have received damage. Authorities say in addition to 7 death in Mississippi, 3 people were killed in Tennessee and a young woman died in Arkansas when a tree fell on her home. Unseasonly warm weather helps respond tornadoes⁴ from Arkansas to Michigan yesterday.

 

 

Reports surface today of a new plan by the Homeland Security Department to conduct raids on thousands of central African families that have ignored recent removal orders. As NPR's John Burnett reports the news took immigration interests groups by surprise. The Women's Refugee Commission can not believe the Homeland Security Department leaked its upcoming deportation⁶ plan just before Christmas. It's the season when we're all talking about welcoming the strangers and refugees. Says the commission's, 'I'm shocked about the timing⁷.' Most of the asylum⁸-seekers who have access to an attorney win their cases. Cecilia Wong with the ACLU questions how many of the families lost their asylum cases because they did't understand the legal system. Meanwhile, a skeptical⁹ Mark Krikorian , director of the Center for Immigration Studies which favors fewer immigrants, tells the Washington Post 'I'll believe it when I see it.' He says the government may only deport⁵ a few families just for show. Enforcement theater. John Burnett, NPR news.

 

 

Israeli officials say there were three attacks on Israelis on the West Bank and three Palestinian assailants were killed. A fourth Palestinian was killed in a confrontation¹⁰ with the Israeli troops. Daniel Estrin reports from Bethlehem. In one incident, Israeli official says a Palestinian stabbed and moderately wounded two Israeli security guards in the West Bank settlement and the guards shot and killed him. In another incident, they say soldiers shot and killed a Palestinian who tried to stab the troops. In a third incident, the army says a Palestinian driver ran his car into an Israeli soldiers lightly injuring one before he was shot and killed. Palestinian health officials say Israeli troops shot and killed a fourth Palestinian during a clash between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops. For NPR news, I'm Daniel Estrin in Bethlehem.

 

 

At the Vatican, Pope Francis celebrating Christmas Eve mass at the St Petersburg basilica as Catholic faithfuls recalled the birth of Jesus. Some children invited to attend the mass came from the countries that Francis visited as pontiff. This will be the Pope's only public mass for Christmas. Tomorrow tens of thousands flock to St Petersburg outside the basilica to hear the pope deliver a tradition noon time speech. 

 

 

A mixed close on Wall Street. The Dow was down 50 points today. The NASDAQ closed up 2 points. You're listening to NPR news in Washington. 

 

 

Rolling Stone Magazine is urging a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit¹¹ filed by three former University of Virginia students over now a debunked¹² story about a gang campus rape¹³. The students were suing the magazine over the 2014 article which described  the gang rape of a female student at the fraternity house in 2012. Rolling Stone has apologized for discrepancy¹⁴ in that account after the story sparked nationwide debate. Over that the magazine argues the lawsuit should be thrown out because the article never referred to them by name. 

 

 

Spending bill at congress passed earlier this month offers long overdue¹⁵ compensation for victims of terror attacks from the 1998 East Africa Embassy bombings to American held hostages in Iran. NPR's Michele Kelemen has more. The agreement that freed 53 hostages after 444 harrying¹⁶ days barred them from seeking compensation for their ordeal¹⁷, 36 years later though, they have the words of their lawyers crossed the finishing line. 37 of the former hostages are still alive and are to receive up to 4.4 million dollars each. Compensation will be also be paid out to the families of those who have since died. It also has bene an emotional time for the survivors¹⁸ of the 1998 attack on the US embassy in Kenya. They and survivors of other attacks will receive compensation too, all funded through the penalties paid by a French bank that violated US sanctions. Michele Kelemen,  NPR news Washington.

 

 

US retailers¹⁹ are ruffing bigger discounts this year. It appeals to your right according to a market track which reviews circulars of the top 11 retailers. Some of the hottest products this holiday season are selling for as much as 40 percent below their prices on the day after Thanksgiving. I'm Jack Speer, NPR news.

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 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 tornados   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• And the national weather service reports several tornados touch down. 国家气象中心报告预测龙卷风将来袭。 来自互联网
• They had stock footage of lightning, tornados, and hurricanes. 他们存有关于闪电、龙卷风和飓风的电影胶片。 来自互联网

4 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

5 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。

6 deportation   

n.驱逐，放逐

参考例句：

• The government issued a deportation order against the four men.政府发出了对那4名男子的驱逐令。
• Years ago convicted criminals in England could face deportation to Australia.很多年以前，英国已定罪的犯人可能被驱逐到澳大利亚。

7 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

8 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

9 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

10 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

11 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

12 debunked   

v.揭穿真相，暴露( debunk的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His theories have been debunked by recent research. 最近的研究揭穿了他的理论的真相。
• Some advertising slogans should be debunked. 某些夸大的广告用语应予揭露。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

14 discrepancy   

n.不同；不符；差异；矛盾

参考例句：

• The discrepancy in their ages seemed not to matter.他们之间年龄的差异似乎没有多大关系。
• There was a discrepancy in the two reports of the accident.关于那次事故的两则报道有不一致之处。

15 overdue   

adj.过期的，到期未付的；早该有的，迟到的

参考例句：

• The plane is overdue and has been delayed by the bad weather.飞机晚点了，被坏天气耽搁了。
• The landlady is angry because the rent is overdue.女房东生气了，因为房租过期未付。

16 harrying   

v.使苦恼( harry的现在分词 )；不断烦扰；一再袭击；侵扰

参考例句：

• The tax authorities have been harrying her for repayment. 税务局一直在催她补交税款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He is increasingly active in harrying the government in late-night debates. 他越来越活跃，在深夜辩论中不断攻击政府。 来自辞典例句

17 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

18 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

19 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。