VOA常速英语2007年-President Bush Urges US Congress to Boost Inves

By Alex Villarreal
Washington
01 December 2007

President Bush is calling on the US Congress to double the nation's investment in the fight against HIV/AIDS. His pleas come on the eve of World AIDS Day, Saturday, December 1. VOA's Alex Villarreal reports from Washington.

In 2003, Mr. Bush launched the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, a five-year, $15-billion plan to expand HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care around the world.

Marking World AIDS Day, President Bush said the program is a great start, but said much work remains¹.

He urged Congress to reauthorize the plan, this time, with a pledge of $30 billion.

"Now the time has come for the United States Congress to act again. I'm confident they will and I call on the Congress to show America's leadership by reauthorizing the emergency plan and doubling our commitment to this urgent cause," he said.

But not everyone is satisfied with the president's proposal. Soon after Mr. Bush made his remarks, hundreds of AIDS activists² gathered in Washington to call on the U.S. government to invest even more.

Even Washington D.C. Delegate to Congress, Eleanor Holmes Norton lent her voice to the protest.

"We need to talk directly to this president, we need to tell him the truth about getting serious about stopping the worldwide HIV/AIDS epidemic³. Get serious, Mr. President!" she said.

The demonstration⁴ ended in about 40 arrests, after a group of protesters tied themselves together in front of the White House in an act of civil disobedience.

The Washington protest was one of several taking place across the United States. More events are scheduled around the world.

1 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。

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。