美国国家公共电台 NPR--Biden gives speech on the state of democracy ahead of the midterms

Biden gives speech on the state of democracy ahead of the midterms

Transcript¹

President Biden gave an 11th hour pitch to voters on threats to democracy ahead of the midterm elections, using the backdrop of the Capitol to make his case.

RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:

In the final days of the midterm election season, President Biden is warning about the state of democracy. In a speech last night near the U.S. Capitol, Biden said there were about 300 candidates running this year who say that they do not accept the fact that Donald Trump² lost the election in 2020.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The president also talked about political violence. He referred to a man who broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week. The man attacked her husband, Paul Pelosi, and later told police he had a plan to send a message to Democrats³.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: We don't settle our differences, America, with a riot, a mob or a bullet or a hammer. We settle them peaceably at the ballot⁴ box.

MARTIN: NPR political reporter Deepa Shivaram joins us to talk through all these things. Good morning, Deepa.

DEEPA SHIVARAM, BYLINE⁵: Good morning.

MARTIN: So the White House had billed this speech by the president as an address on democracy. It was interesting to me that of all the places he could have chose to begin, he started the address by recounting that attack on Nancy Pelosi's husband.

SHIVARAM: Yeah, that is how the president started off his speech. And he didn't shy away from going into the details. He talked about how this man who broke into Nancy Pelosi's home and attacked her husband with a hammer was asking, where's Nancy? And he compared it to the January 6 insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol in 2021 and asked the same question. Biden talked about how there's been a rise in political violence against Democrats and Republicans and nonpartisan election workers in the aftermath of the 2020 election. And it's put democracy in a really fragile state.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BIDEN: We must, with one overwhelming unified⁶ voice, speak as a country and say there's no place - no place - for voter intimidation⁷ or political violence in America, whether it's directed at Democrats or Republicans. No place, period. No place ever.

SHIVARAM: And Biden said that he knows there are worries over the economy and health care, but that the state of democracy is really fragile right now, and it's also at stake in this election.

MARTIN: So there's less than a week of voting before voting wraps up. Millions of Americans have already done so. So if he was trying to gin up support from his base, was this a little late in the game?

SHIVARAM: Yeah, that's a fair question. You know, Biden made it clear in his speech that he was trying to reach all Americans. But you have to keep in mind that this was a political speech. It was an event with the Democratic National Committee, not an address from the White House or on Capitol Hill, though the location was near the U.S. Capitol. And with voting ending on Tuesday, there's definitely a push needed from Democrats to try and motivate some of their voters who haven't been engaged yet with the election or were not planning to get engaged. A number of polls show that voters are concerned about inflation and abortion⁸, but there is also a high concern among Democratic voters about the state of democracy, especially when it comes to protecting the right to vote. But the level of enthusiasm among Democratic voters is far below their Republican counterparts. And according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll that we released yesterday, that came up. And in this final push towards Tuesday, Democrats need to ramp⁹ up their base, especially in these states where some of these election deniers are running for office, like Nevada, Arizona and Wisconsin.

MARTIN: So President Biden gave this address near the U.S. Capitol - of course, the site of the January 6 insurrection. Did Biden go so far as to bring up the name of former President Trump in his remarks?

SHIVARAM: So he didn't mention Trump by name, but he did say that the former president and his big lie have fueled more election deniers like, he mentioned, the hundreds who are running for office this year.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BIDEN: American democracy is under attack because the defeated former president of the United States refuses to accept the results of the 2020 election. He refuses to accept the will of the people. He refuses to accept the fact that he lost.

SHIVARAM: And Biden went beyond Trump too. He said that these MAGA Republicans have emboldened¹⁰ violence and intimidation of voters and election officials. He called it corrosive¹¹ and destructive. And he did say that he thinks these Republicans are the minority of the party, but he said they were a driving force, and he called them loud and determined¹².

MARTIN: Deepa Shivaram, thank you so much for your reporting.

SHIVARAM: Thank you.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

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 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

5 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

6 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

7 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

8 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

9 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

10 emboldened   

v.鼓励，使有胆量( embolden的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Emboldened by the wine, he went over to introduce himself to her. 他借酒壮胆，走上前去向她作自我介绍。
• His success emboldened him to expand his business. 他有了成就因而激发他进一步扩展业务。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 corrosive   

adj.腐蚀性的；有害的；恶毒的

参考例句：

• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。
• Many highly corrosive substances are used in the nuclear industry.核工业使用许多腐蚀性很强的物质。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。