NPR 2009-09-03

President Barack Obama has now scheduled what is being billed as a major address to Congress on health care for September 9th. The speech will come just one day after lawmakers return to the Capitol from their August recess². The move comes at a time some Democrats³ are saying the President's been too big about his goals for reworking the nation's health care system. Meanwhile Senate Republican leaders are disputing charges that they're not acting⁴ in good faith in terms of trying to hammer out a compromise on the White-House-backed health care overhaul⁵ plan.

Pharmaceutical⁶ maker¹ Pfizer's agreeing to pay a record $2.3 billion in civil and criminal penalties. Pfizer was charged with inviting⁷ doctors to meetings at resorts, paying their expenses and providing lavish⁸ perks--all part of an effort to promote its drugs for so-called "off-label uses". Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius called the settlement with the world's largest drug maker "historic". “This event marks a conclusion of just one investigation⁹, but it's another step in the administration's ongoing¹⁰ campaign to prosecute¹¹ any individual or organization who tries to rip off health care consumers and the federal government.” Agreeing to plead guilty to the charges involving a total of 13 drugs, Pfizer has said it will adhere to the US Department of Health and Human Services compliance¹² agreement for five years.

Crews in Los Angeles are making progress against a massive wildfire. NPR's Mandalit del Barco reports the fire's now 22% contained, but the situation is far from over.

Cooler temperatures and moisture overnight help firefighters build lines around some of the flames at the Angeles National Forest; but the fire continues to grow and has now reportedly reached 219 square miles. Officials say they are making excellent progress and began allowing some evacuees¹³ to return home. Crews dropped water and fire retardant from a 747 Supertanker as well as a huge seaplane from the World WarⅡera. So far, they've managed to protect the top of Mount Wilson, the site of radio and TV transmission towers and a historic observatory¹⁴. Mandalit del Barco, NPR News.

Envoy¹⁵ Richard Holbrooke met in Paris with other international officials to discuss disputed elections in Afghanistan. Eleanor Beardsley reports.

The Afghan presidential election which took place August 20th has been marred¹⁶ by fraud and violence. But officials played that down in Paris Wednesday, stressing that the Afghan people were taking charge of their future. Officials said that there were mechanisms¹⁷ in place to deal with possible fraud. And US special envoy Richard Holbrooke said that the process was moving forward. “During that process there're gonna be many claims of irregularities. That happens in every democracy. We recently had a senatorial election in Minnesota which took seven months to determine the outcome. But that happens in democracies, even when they're not in the middle of a war. ” The Afghan votes are still being counted and a runoff between incumbent¹⁸ President Karzai and his main rival is likely. For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

This is NPR.

More than 30 people are dead, several dozen are missing and dozens more were injured today after a powerful earthquake rocked Indonesia. The magnitude-7 quake hit off the southern coast of the main island of Java, home to 235 million people. Officials say the temblor lasted nearly a minute and they say its effects were felt over hundreds of miles. More than 700 buildings are either collapsed¹⁹ or damaged by the earthquake. There are also reports of landslides²⁰ in some villages as a result of the quake.

James Von Brunn, the man charged with killing²¹ a security guard at the National Holocaust²² Museum in Washington, appeared in federal court today. Elliott Francis has his report.

The 89-year-old self-described white supremacist was brought into US District Court shortly after 10 a.m., confined to a wheelchair, result of an injuries sustained in the attack back on June 10th. Soon Von Brunn's attorney asked the judge to grant his client a mental competency test. Von Brunn disagreed, slowly shaking his head before suddenly calling out, "your honor". The judge quickly admonished²³ Von Brunn for speaking out. Von Brunn rejected the order, saying “your constitution guarantees me a speedy and fair trial". His voice is weak, Von Brunn continued, I'm a US citizen; and as a US naval²⁴ officer, I swore to protect my country. I take my vows²⁵ very seriously. In the end, the judge ordered the tests, deferring²⁶ Von Brunn's arraignment²⁷ until the results become available. The next hearing is set for October 13th. For NPR News, I'm Elliott Francis in Washington.

Major find by oil company BP in the Gulf²⁸ of Mexico, though experts are cautioning major technical challenges remain. It could be years before any oil is brought to the surface. BP said today it's discovered, what they called a giant oil field, located in some 4,000 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico, southeast of Houston.

On Wall Street, the Dow was down 29 points.

1 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

2 recess   

n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处）

参考例句：

• The chairman of the meeting announced a ten-minute recess.会议主席宣布休会10分钟。
• Parliament was hastily recalled from recess.休会的议员被匆匆召回开会。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 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。

5 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

6 pharmaceutical   

adj.药学的，药物的；药用的，药剂师的

参考例句：

• She has donated money to establish a pharmaceutical laboratory.她捐款成立了一个药剂实验室。
• We are engaged in a legal tussle with a large pharmaceutical company.我们正同一家大制药公司闹法律纠纷。

7 inviting   

adj.诱人的，引人注目的

参考例句：

• An inviting smell of coffee wafted into the room.一股诱人的咖啡香味飘进了房间。
• The kitchen smelled warm and inviting and blessedly familiar.这间厨房的味道温暖诱人，使人感到亲切温馨。

8 lavish   

adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍

参考例句：

• He despised people who were lavish with their praises.他看不起那些阿谀奉承的人。
• The sets and costumes are lavish.布景和服装极尽奢华。

9 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。

10 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。

11 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

12 compliance   

n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从

参考例句：

• I was surprised by his compliance with these terms.我对他竟然依从了这些条件而感到吃惊。
• She gave up the idea in compliance with his desire.她顺从他的愿望而放弃自己的主意。

13 evacuees   

n.被疏散者( evacuee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Moreover, for multi-exits, evacuees select a exit based on game theory. 在有多个出口时，疏散人员根据对策论选择出口。 来自互联网
• Evacuees wade through flooded area following heavy monsoon rains in Peshawar on Saturday, July 31, 2010. 撤离灾区涉水通过后在白沙瓦沉重的季风降雨在周六，2010年7月31日。 来自互联网

14 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

15 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

16 marred   

adj. 被损毁, 污损的

参考例句：

• The game was marred by the behaviour of drunken fans. 喝醉了的球迷行为不轨，把比赛给搅了。
• Bad diction marred the effectiveness of his speech. 措词不当影响了他演说的效果。

17 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

19 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

20 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

21 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。

22 holocaust   

n.大破坏；大屠杀

参考例句：

• The Auschwitz concentration camp always remind the world of the holocaust.奥辛威茨集中营总是让世人想起大屠杀。
• Ahmadinejad is denying the holocaust because he's as brutal as Hitler was.内贾德否认大屠杀，因为他像希特勒一样残忍。

23 admonished   

v.劝告( admonish的过去式和过去分词 )；训诫；（温和地）责备；轻责

参考例句：

• She was admonished for chewing gum in class. 她在课堂上嚼口香糖，受到了告诫。
• The teacher admonished the child for coming late to school. 那个孩子迟到，老师批评了他。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

25 vows   

誓言( vow的名词复数 )； 郑重宣布，许愿

参考例句：

• Matrimonial vows are to show the faithfulness of the new couple. 婚誓体现了新婚夫妇对婚姻的忠诚。
• The nun took strait vows. 那位修女立下严格的誓愿。

26 deferring   

v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• Recently, the Supreme Court has focused on an additional reason for deferring to administrative agencies. 最近，最高法院强调了尊重行政机构的另一种理由。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Think of it as deferring part of the compiler's job to runtime. 可以认为这是将编译器的部分工作延迟到了运行时。 来自互联网

27 arraignment   

n.提问，传讯，责难

参考例句：

• She was remanded to juvenile detention at her arraignment yesterday. 她昨天被送回了对少年拘留在她的传讯。 来自互联网
• Wyatt asks the desk clerk which courthouse he is being transferred to for arraignment. 他向接待警员询问了马宏将在哪个法庭接受传讯。 来自互联网

28 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。