2007年VOA标准英语-US Army's Top Hospital Faces Criticism over Mai

By Jim Fry
Washington, DC
22 February 2007
 
watch Walter Reed Conditions

The U.S. Army's second in command says he is disappointed in the living conditions that wounded soldiers endure at the Army's main hospital for the wounded.

A newspaper investigation¹ in Washington, D.C. revealed what it called neglect of the soldiers, and frustration² among those soldiers and their families.  The Army is promising³ action and some in Congress want an investigation. VOA's Jim Fry reports:

Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. prides itself as the Army's premier⁴ health care facility for the nation's war wounded.  The Army holds out as an example, the amputee center -- where soldiers receive the latest computerized artificial limbs. But just across Georgia Avenue is a residence for recuperating⁵ soldiers known only as Building 18. Here The Washington Post  found soldiers who wait months -- even years -- for follow-up care or discharge from the Army. Some live in substandard conditions, with black mold, damaged walls and holes in ceilings.

Army Veteran Rob Timmins of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America reacts to the treatment.  "This is not the way we should treat our American heroes who have given life, limb over in Iraq and Afghanistan."

 
General Richard Cody
At the Pentagon, the vice⁶ chief of staff of the Army, General Richard Cody, said after visiting Building 18 this week he is already taking action to fix what he calls a leadership problem. "And we were absolutely disappointed in the status of the rooms and found the delays and lack of attention to the detail of the repairs inexcusable."

Washington's representative to Congress also visited Building 18, bringing with her TV cameras and reporters. She visited soldiers living in one of the rooms.

In one crowded hallway, she encountered Major General George Weightman, the hospital's commander. He said 26 rooms are getting needed repairs in a 30-year-old building that needs a major overhaul⁷: "We have our facilities engineers looking at this building now to determine exactly what the scope of that is.  Not only what systems need to be involved but what the timeline would be as we did that."

Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton was not shown mold on walls or holes in ceilings and she told reporters she did not expect to find a dump. "I think that by talking to the two soldiers I was able to get a flavor for what the real problem is. It seems that what was exposed in the Post piece was a completely dilapidated, broken, medical administrative⁸ system."

 
Army Specialist Nick Helfferich
Army Specialist Nick Helfferich -- wounded in Iraq -- told reporters that paperwork bounces around the hospital. "Say like from a doctor then to a counselor⁹ then it has got to be reviewed by these people. They have got to write a summary on it.  Then someone has got to sign it.  Then I go to sign it.  You know."

Another wounded soldier -- Specialist John Gentry¹⁰ -- said delays are to be expected in the Army.  "And I have seen the rooms they were talking about.  They were not that bad.  I have lived in a lot worse.  I do not know --some people just need to suck it up (be able to handle it)."

 
Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton
Walking through Building 18's day room, Norton said she is not worried about the Army fixing the physical deficiencies: "The facility problem?  Knowing the Army -- they will have this place done in a week if they go about it right.  Then what?  Then what happens to a soldier who now at least has a decent place to live but has a bureaucracy that has not been renovated¹¹?"

She wants Congress to investigate.  And, in fact, one senator has already announced he will convene¹² a hearing next month.

 

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 premier   

adj.首要的；n.总理，首相

参考例句：

• The Irish Premier is paying an official visit to Britain.爱尔兰总理正在对英国进行正式访问。
• He requested that the premier grant him an internview.他要求那位总理接见他一次。

5 recuperating   

v.恢复（健康、体力等），复原( recuperate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He's still recuperating from his operation. 他动了手术，还在恢复。
• He is recuperating from a serious back injury. 他背部受了重伤，目前正在康复中。 来自辞典例句

6 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。

7 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

8 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。

9 counselor   

n.顾问，法律顾问

参考例句：

• The counselor gave us some disinterested advice.顾问给了我们一些无私的忠告。
• Chinese commercial counselor's office in foreign countries.中国驻国外商务参赞处。

10 gentry   

n.绅士阶级，上层阶级

参考例句：

• Landed income was the true measure of the gentry.来自土地的收入是衡量是否士绅阶层的真正标准。
• Better be the head of the yeomanry than the tail of the gentry.宁做自由民之首，不居贵族之末。

11 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

12 convene   

v.集合，召集，召唤，聚集，集合

参考例句：

• The Diet will convene at 3p.m. tomorrow.国会将于明天下午三点钟开会。
• Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.1991年10月，高级官员在伦敦会齐。