NPR 2010-12-18
时间:2018-12-17 作者:英语课 分类:2010年NPR美国国家公共电台12月
President Obama signed the 858-billion-dollar tax-cut bill this afternoon, extending Bush-era tax rates for another two years. As NPR's Scott Horsley reports, the tax bill passed the House last night with nearly equal support from Democrats 1 and Republicans.
Many Democrats, including President Obama, wanted to extend tax cuts only for the middle class. But Mr. Obama agreed to a two-year extension even for the wealthy, saying that was the only way Senate Republicans would go along. A majority of House Democrats ultimately agreed with the president that it's worth striking the compromise in order to win extended unemployment benefits and a one-year cut in the payroll 2 tax. That payroll tax break's a sign to speed the economic recovery by leaving more than 100 billion extra dollars in workers' paychecks next year. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.
House lawmakers are backing a 160-billion-dollar spending bill to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. They voted 341-48 in favor of the legislation after House and Senate Democrats agreed to cut out several provisions, including one that would have repealed 4 "Don't Ask, Don't Tell". Well, while the Senate is now taking up the proposed repeal 3 of that policy as a stand-alone bill, the Pentagon is drafting guidance for troops in the event Congress votes to overturn the law banning openly gay military service. Marine 5 Col. Dave Lapan told reporters today that troops would also be reminded that "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" would remain in effect for at least two months after President Obama signs it into law. The repeal passed the House, but again faces resistance in the Senate.
As the year draws to a close, the US economy is getting stronger, according to the Conference Board, an industry research group. Its gauge 6 of leading indicators 8 rose 1.1 percent last month, the biggest jump since March. Danielle Karson reports the index suggests the pace of economic growth should pick up next year.
Economic growth was crawling at 2.5 percent in the third quarter, but last month's index, which measures data on real estate, manufacturing, employment and the financial markets, suggests there are new signs of life in the economy. Wells Fargo economist 9 Mark Vitner says nine of the ten indicators went up.
"Not only were we up big, but it was up across virtually every indicator 7. And the only one that was down was building permits, and you don't have to be an economist and know that housing is stuck in the doldrums, and we're not going to see a pickup 10 until we get past this foreclosure mess."
Reports show that new claims for jobless benefits falling, a sign that employers are laying off fewer workers, retail 11 sales are stronger and factory production is up. If the data stay strong, economists 12 expect overall growth could reach four percent next year. For NPR News, I'm Danielle Karson in Washington.
Dow Jones Industrial Average down slightly at 11,497 with NASDAQ up 11 at 2,648.
This is NPR.
Wikileaks founder 13 Julian Assange says he fears the US is secretly preparing to indict 14 him and his organization after Wikileaks released record amounts of classified documents without US authorization 15. A day after being released on bail 16 in Britain, Assange said Wikileaks would continue to release information that he says the public has a right to know. This, a day after Assange again was released on bail in Britain while he fights extradition 17 to Sweden, where he is wanted for questioning in a sex crimes investigation 18.
Separately, US diplomatic cables published in the Guardian 19 newspaper show officials feared lax security at Indian biological laboratories. As Larry Miller 20 reports from London, the documents released by Wikileaks indicate the US worried the facilities would be targeted by terrorists.
Concerns were raised in a confidential 21 cable from the US embassy in New Delhi that terrorists planning attacks anywhere in the world could use India's advanced laboratories to steal bacteria, parasites 22, viruses or toxins 23. Getting inside is not very difficult, according to one expert. Bribing 24 a guard with a pack of cigarettes would do it. Another said there would be Indian scientists willing to help terrorists through ideology 25 or for money. In another cable from earlier this year, India's home minister complained to the FBI director that Pakistan had "done damn near nothing" to prosecute 26 the Mumbai suspects. She said there'd be no peace talks until Pakistan did more to dismantle 27 terrorist networks targeting India. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.
Arizona suing Bank of America alleges 28 the institution violated state consumer fraud law by misleading people who wanted to get home loan modifications 29.
- 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》
- His yearly payroll is $1.2 million.他的年薪是120万美元。
- I can't wait to get my payroll check.我真等不及拿到我的工资单了。
- He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
- He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由,赞成废除该法令。
- The Labour Party repealed the Act. 工党废除了那项法令。
- The legislature repealed the unpopular Rent Act. 立法机关废除了不得人心的租借法案。
- Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
- 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。
- 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。
- Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。
- His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。
- The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
- It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。
- He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
- He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家,自以为什么都懂。
- I would love to trade this car for a pickup truck.我愿意用这辆汽车换一辆小型轻便卡车。||The luck guy is a choice pickup for the girls.那位幸运的男孩是女孩子们想勾搭上的人。
- In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
- These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。
- The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
- Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
- According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说,罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。
- You can't indict whole people for the crudeness of a few.您不能因少数人的粗暴行为就控诉整个民族。
- I can indict you for abducting high school student.我可以告你诱拐中学生。
- Anglers are required to obtain prior authorization from the park keeper.垂钓者必须事先得到公园管理者的许可。
- You cannot take a day off without authorization.未经批准你不得休假。
- One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
- She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。
- The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱,等待引渡到英国。
- He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。
- 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。
- The form must be signed by the child's parents or guardian. 这张表格须由孩子的家长或监护人签字。
- The press is a guardian of the public weal. 报刊是公共福利的卫护者。
- Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
- The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。
- He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
- We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。
- These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的,而与寄生虫无关。
- Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。
- The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
- Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- He tried to escape by bribing the guard. 他企图贿赂警卫而逃走。
- Always a new way of bribing unknown and maybe nonexistent forces. 总是用诸如此类的新方法来讨好那不知名的、甚或根本不存在的魔力。 来自英汉非文学 - 科幻
- The ideology has great influence in the world.这种思想体系在世界上有很大的影响。
- The ideal is to strike a medium between ideology and inspiration.我的理想是在意识思想和灵感鼓动之间找到一个折衷。
- 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?
- He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads.他请求美国立即提供援助,拆除这批弹头。
- The mower firmly refused to mow,so I decided to dismantle it.修完后割草机还是纹丝不动,于是,我决定把它拆开。
- The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
- Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。
- The engine was pulled apart for modifications and then reassembled. 发动机被拆开改型,然后再组装起来。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications. 原计划已经作了相当大的修改。 来自《简明英汉词典》