杰西·汉尔姆斯将于2003年退休

54 杰西·汉尔姆斯将于2003年退休

DATE=8-25-01
TITLE=IN THE NEWS #495 - Senator Helms To Retire
BYLINE=Jill Moss¹
 
(Start at 1'08")This is Steve Ember with the VOA Special English program IN THE NEWS.  
Wednesday, one of America's most powerful (1)Senators announced his plans to retire when his term ends in Two-Thousand-Three.  Jesse Helms has served in the United States Senate for almost thirty years.  He is a Republican from North Carolina.
Senator Helms made his (2)announcement in Raleigh, where he once worked as a political (3)commentator on radio and television.  He told local voters he will not (4)seek re-election in Two-Thousand-Two.  He said he would be eighty-eight at the end of another six year term.  He said he and his family decided² he should not run again.
Mister Helms has (5)suffered from health problems in recent years, including (6)prostate cancer.  He also has a nerve condition which caused him to lose feeling in his feet.  He now travels around the Capitol building in a small electric powered (7)vehicle.  
Senator Helms is a leading supporter of (8)conservative issues in the United States Congress.  He has opposed civil rights legislation and the rights of women to end (9)pregnancies.  He opposes any (10)expanding of the federal government.  For years he strongly (11)criticized the Chinese government and the United Nations.  In Nineteen-Ninety-Six, he helped pass the Helms-Burton law, which increased restrictions³ on trade with Cuba.  
Mister Helms was first elected to the Senate in Nineteen-Seventy-Two.  He took control of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in Nineteen-Ninety-Five, after the Republicans gained control of the Senate.  During his chairmanship, he helped (12)defeat a (13)nuclear test ban treaty.  He also (14)blocked several presidential nominations⁴. 
Senator Helms also used his leadership position to help reorganize America's foreign policy agencies.  Recently, he released American debt payments to the United Nations in return for reforms in the organization.  He lost his chairmanship of the Foreign Relations Committee after the Democrats⁶ regained⁷ control of the Senate in June.  
Political experts say Mister Helms' retirement⁸ will mark the end of a period in politics that helped reshape the conservative movement.  His decision may affect control of the Senate in Two-Thousand-Two.  Democrats now have fifty seats, the Republicans forty-nine.  One seat is held by an independent.  Both major parties think they can win Mister Helms' seat.
One Republican reportedly interested in (15)replacing Mister Helms is Elizabeth Dole⁹.  She is a North Carolina native who campaigned unsuccessfully for president two years ago.  Mrs. Dole has served on the cabinets of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George Bush Senior. 
One Democrat⁵, North Carolina's Secretary of State Elaine Marshall, has already announced she will campaign for job.  Several other Democratic and Republican candidates are expected to seek Senator Helms' seat.
This VOA Special English program, IN THE NEWS, was written by Jill Moss.  This is Steve Ember.

(1) senator[ 5senEtE ]n.参议员, (大学的)评议员, (古罗马的)元老院议员
(2) announcement[ E5naunsmEnt ]n.宣告, 发表, 一项公告, 一项私人告示
(3) commentator[ 5kCmenteitE ]评论员,讲解员
(4) seek[ si:k ]v.寻找, 探索, 寻求
(5) suffer[ 5sQfE ]vt.遭受, 经历, 忍受vi.受痛苦, 受损害
(6) prostate[ 5prCsteit ]adj.前列腺的n.前列腺
(7) vehicle[ 5vi:ikl ]n.交通工具, 车辆, 媒介物, 传达手段
(8) conservative[ kEn5sE:vEtiv ]adj.保守的, 守旧的n.保守派
(9) pregnancy[ 5pre^nEnsi ]n.怀孕
(10) expand[ iks5pAnd ]vt.使膨胀, 详述, 扩张vi.张开, 发展
(11) criticize[ 5kritisaiz ]v.批评, 责备
(12) defeat[ di5fi:t ]n.击败, 战胜, 失败vt.击败, 战胜, 使失败, 挫折v.击败
(13) nuclear[ 5nju:kliE ]adj.[核]核子的, 原子能的, 核的, 中心的
(14) block[ blCk ]n.木块, 石块, 块, 街区, 印版, 滑轮, 阻滞, (一)批vt.防碍, 阻塞
(15) replace[ ri(:)5pleis ]vt.取代, 替换, 代替, 把...放回原处

1 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

4 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

5 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

6 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》

7 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。

8 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

9 dole   

n.救济，（失业）救济金；vt.（out）发放，发给

参考例句：

• It's not easy living on the dole.靠领取失业救济金生活并不容易。
• Many families are living on the dole since the strike.罢工以来，许多家庭靠失业救济金度日。