美国国家公共电台 NPR--House Democrats come together to work on a messaging strategy to attract voters

House Democrats¹ come together to work on a messaging strategy to attract voters

Transcript²

House Democrats are gathering³ in Baltimore to discuss their messaging strategy with the goal of winning back the House next year. President Biden was the headliner.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

House Democrats are meeting in Baltimore. They're making plans to flip⁴ a few seats in the next election if they can and win back control of the House. Those very few seats matter a lot. For two years, as you may recall, Democrats held narrow control of both the House and Senate, which meant they could pass a lot of their agenda. Now Republicans decide what's voted on in the House, which generally means the Democrats cannot pass anything unless Republicans agree to schedule the vote. Republicans control committees. They control investigations⁵. That is what Democrats hope to change. And NPR congressional reporter Barbara Sprunt has been listening to them in Baltimore, one of my favorite cities. Barbara, good morning.

BARBARA SPRUNT, BYLINE⁶: Good morning.

INSKEEP: OK. So we should note that President Biden spoke⁷ to the House Democrats. Here's a little bit of what he had to say.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: If we did nothing, nothing but implement⁸ what we've already passed and let the people know who did it for them, we win.

INSKEEP: Interesting. Is that true, though?

SPRUNT: Well, it's hard to say at this point. 2024 remains⁹ a ways away. But it does give Democrats a strategy, a record to run on. Biden pointed¹⁰ to the bipartisan infrastructure¹¹ bill, legislation to boost the domestic manufacturing of semiconductor¹² chips. And he made the case to lawmakers last night that it's politically beneficial for them to go home to their districts and simply explain to voters what they've done.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BIDEN: Folks, y'all know how much we've gotten done. But a lot of the country still doesn't know it. That's why the big job in front of us is implementing¹³ the laws we passed so people start to see it in their lives, all the benefits that are there because you produced it for them. You stepped up and got it done.

SPRUNT: He talked about getting shovels¹⁴ in the ground and cranes in the air on the infrastructure front. And he referenced a tunnel, as an example of one of these infrastructure projects, that's being rebuilt here in Baltimore. He pulled up a mock-up of a sign for the renamed tunnel called the Frederick Douglass Tunnel. And it had the words President Joe Biden at the top with big letters, so a very visual example of how Democrats want to, you know, take credit for these projects and stay fresh in voters' minds. He was really in his element in the speech. In many ways, it's a speech he's given before. We saw a lot of this messaging during the State of the Union. And it really built on that.

INSKEEP: What was the dynamic between Biden and House Democrats like?

SPRUNT: Well, this is a reminder¹⁵ of how much difference a year can make. The dynamic has changed quite a bit. At one point, Biden traveled up to Capitol Hill to plead with Democrats for unity¹⁶. You'll remember there were significant splits between centrists and progressive Democrats, who couldn't agree on the price tag for major legislation like Build Back Better.

INSKEEP: Oh, yeah.

SPRUNT: But now, as you said, Democrats are in the minority. They find themselves not just uniting against the GOP majority, but also uniting around Biden himself.

INSKEEP: Well, is it clear, then, how House Democrats are going to wage this campaign?

SPRUNT: Well, in the reality of that divided government, you know, Democrats will have a hard time passing new legislation. They do seem on board with the strategy that Biden outlined last night to defend what's already been done and make sure voters back home know about it.

INSKEEP: NPR's Barbara Sprunt. Thanks, as always

SPRUNT: Thank you.

1 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》

2 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。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

5 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

6 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。

7 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

8 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

11 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

12 semiconductor   

n.半导体

参考例句：

• In the beginning,engineers hoped to use semiconductor lasers.在开始时，工程师们希望能够利用半导体激光器。
• The main agent of the company brand semiconductor sales.本公司主要代理各品牌半导体销售。

13 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

14 shovels   

n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 )；锹；推土机、挖土机等的)铲；铲形部份

参考例句：

• workmen with picks and shovels 手拿镐铲的工人
• In the spring, we plunge shovels into the garden plot, turn under the dark compost. 春天，我们用铁锨翻开园子里黑油油的沃土。 来自辞典例句

15 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

16 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。