VOA慢速英语--马里兰州第一夫人领导新冠病毒援助运动

Maryland’s First Lady Leads Coronavirus Aid Campaign

Yumi Hogan helped the American state of Maryland secure 500,000 coronavirus tests from her native South Korea.

Hogan is the wife of Larry Hogan, Maryland's governor.

Now she is working to secure donations from the state's Asian-American communities to fight the coronavirus.

Asian Americans in Maryland already have donated about 560,000 pieces of personal protective equipment to the state government. The donated supplies include face masks, hand sanitizer products, and medical clothing. They were given to "Maryland Unites," a program that the governor launched in March. Its goal is to gather donations and sign up volunteers from private industry.

Yumi Hogan told VOA, "Through the donations, the Asian communities proved they can play an important role."

Among the donors¹ is Chiling Tong. She is the president of the Asian & Pacific Islander American Chamber² of Commerce and Entrepreneurship. Tong worked with Eugenia Henry, the Baltimore Chapter president of the Global Federation³ of Chinese Business Women Association. The two women mobilized the Asian-American community to donate 40,000 surgical⁴ masks and 10,000 face shields to Maryland.

Tong told VOA that the donations were aimed at showing thanks to the state's doctors and healthcare workers. She said that her ties with Yumi Hogan were important in her decision to donate. Tong added that Hogan "informed us about what PPE (personal protective equipment) the state of Maryland needs, how the state can accept and distribute them, which was very helpful for donors."

On April 18, a special Korean Air flight landed at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The airplane was carrying 500,000 coronavirus tests.

Two days later, Governor Hogan announced that he had purchased the test kits⁶ from South Korea because he could not secure them from the U.S. federal government. Hogan said that Maryland had to compete with every other state in America for tests. He also called his wife "a champion." He said the deal would not have happened if she did not help.

Yumi Hogan made a personal appeal to the South Korean Ambassador to the United States, Lee Soo Hyuk, as part of the effort.

U.S. President Donald Trump⁷ criticized the governor's deal to get test kits from South Korea. He said Hogan "could've saved a lot of money" if he would had called Vice⁸ President Mike Pence instead.

Yumi Hogan still remembers the day the test kits arrived with great emotion. She said she "was deeply moved" when the plane landed.

South Korean arts and culture

Maryland's first lady also has been active in supporting arts and cultural exchanges between the United States and South Korea.

In 2017, she led a business delegation⁹ to South Korea. During the trip, Maryland reached a sister-state agreement with South Jeolla province. Yumi Hogan returned home with a Korean plant called "Jjok" and later used it to introduce Korea's natural dye culture to Marylanders.

Hogan is an artist and enjoys painting. Art is what connected her with Larry Hogan 20 years ago. The two first met at an art show. They married in 2004. She has three daughters from an earlier marriage and is the first Korean American first lady of any state.

Role as Maryland's first lady

Yumi Hogan noted¹⁰ that she is not a politician but a mother. She said that is how she defines her position as Maryland's first lady.

"Children, women, people with disabilities, and financial difficulties, especially single mothers" are the ones who need attention, she said. Hogan helps sick children by providing art therapy through her non-profit group Yumi CARES.

She told VOA, "Even with a great legal system and administrative¹¹ system, there are still many people who need attention and care."

I'm Mario Ritter Jr.

Words in This Story

role –n. the part that someone plays in an activity

mobilize – v. to prepare and organize for future use

surgical – adj. related to a medical operation

distribute – v. to give away or deal out

mask – n. a covering for the face or parts of the face

kit⁵ – n. equipment or materials needed for a special purpose

first lady – n. the wife of a head of state or a governor

introduce – v. to bring into use for the first time; to make something known

dye – n. a substance used to add color or change the color of something

therapy – n. a treatment for a disease or sickness

1 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

3 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

4 surgical   

adj.外科的，外科医生的，手术上的

参考例句：

• He performs the surgical operations at the Red Cross Hospital.他在红十字会医院做外科手术。
• All surgical instruments must be sterilised before use.所有的外科手术器械在使用之前，必须消毒。

5 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

6 kits   

衣物和装备( kit的名词复数 )； 成套用品； 配套元件

参考例句：

• Keep your kits closed and locked when not in use. 不用的话把你的装备都锁好放好。
• Gifts Articles, Toy and Games, Wooden Toys, Puzzles, Craft Kits. 采购产品礼品，玩具和游戏，木制的玩具，智力玩具，手艺装备。

7 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。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

9 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。