VOA标准英语10月-McCain, Obama Urge Congress to Act on Financial R

Both major U.S. presidential candidates are sounding a rare note of agreement as they urge Congress to act quickly on a plan to rescue the weakened U.S. financial sector¹. The latest on how the economic turmoil² is impacting presidential politics from VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone in Washington.

After days of clashing on the economy, Republican John McCain and Democrat³ Barack Obama both appeared to be on the same page in pushing Congress to try again on a financial rescue plan, one day after a compromise plan was voted down in the House of Representatives.
　

John McCain conducts a Small Business Roundtable Discussion with local business officials in Des Moines, Iowa, 30 Sep 2008

Senator McCain spoke⁴ to a group of small business owners in Iowa.

"We cannot allow a crisis in our financial system to become a crisis in confidence," he said. "I call on everyone in Washington to come together in a bipartisan way to address this crisis."

"I know that many of the solutions to this problem may be unpopular, but the dire⁵ consequences of inaction will be far more damaging to the economic security of American families, and the fault will all be ours," he added.

McCain and his Democratic rival, Senator Obama, both talked by phone with President Bush earlier in the day, who also urged Congress to act swiftly on a rescue plan.

Obama and McCain both proposed the government increase the limit on bank deposit insurance from the current figure of $100,000 to $250,000.
　

Barack Obama speaks during rally at the University of Nevada in Reno, 30 Sep 2008

Obama urged Americans to get behind the financial rescue plan during a campaign appearance in Reno, Nevada.

"To the Democrats⁶ and Republicans who opposed this plan yesterday, I say step up to the plate and do what is right for this country," he said. "And to all Americans, I say this. If and when I am President of the United States, this rescue plan will not be the end of what we do to strengthen our economy, it will only be the beginning."

Obama said unless there is congressional action, Americans will find it increasingly difficult to get a mortgage to buy a home or secure loans to buy a car or finance college.

The continuing focus on the economy in the election campaign seems to be helping⁷ Obama.

Public opinion polls during the past week show Obama pulling into a slight lead over McCain, and political experts like Tom DeFrank of the New York Daily News expect Obama will continue to focus on the economy in the final weeks of the campaign.

"Eighty percent of the people think the country is on the wrong track, and so Obama is going to spend most of his time hammering away on economic issues and saying that if you liked eight years of George Bush, you will love four more years with John McCain because that is what you will get with his economic and tax policies," he said.

The economy is likely to be a major topic in Thursday's one and only debate between the two vice⁸ presidential candidates, Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat Joe Biden.

1 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

2 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

3 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。

4 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。

5 dire   

adj.可怕的，悲惨的，阴惨的，极端的

参考例句：

• There were dire warnings about the dangers of watching too much TV.曾经有人就看电视太多的危害性提出严重警告。
• We were indeed in dire straits.But we pulled through.那时我们的困难真是大极了，但是我们渡过了困难。

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 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

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。