VOA标准英语2009-Obama Urges Physicians to Support Health Car

U.S. President Barack Obama is continuing his campaign to reform the American health care system. He is urging the nation's doctors to put aside their skepticism and back changes that he says are needed to bring skyrocketing medical costs under control.
　
President Obama speaks in Chicago at the annual meeting of the American Medical Association, 15 Jun 2009

President Obama went before the nation's largest organization of physicians to make the case for health care reform.

"The cost of our health care is a threat to our economy," he said. "It is an escalating¹ burden on our families and businesses. It is a ticking time bomb for the federal budget.

In a speech to members of the American Medical Association at their annual meeting in Chicago, the president spoke² in stark³ terms.

He talked about big corporations like General Motors that are in trouble in part because of the high cost of providing health insurance to employees.

"If we do not fix our health care system, America may go the way of GM - paying more, getting less and going broke," said Mr. Obama.

The president faced a tough audience. There is consensus⁴ in the medical community about the need for reform to improve the affordability⁶ and accessibility of quality care. But there is no unity⁵ on the best medicine to heal the ailing⁷ system.

The president went out of his way to assure them that he does not support a government take-over. But he said there needs to be a way to provide health insurance to those of modest means. And he took on a major concern for doctors: the fear of a malpractice lawsuit⁸.

President Obama said he does not favor limits on the amount of money juries can award in malpractice lawsuits⁹. But he said he is open to other options, and he pledged to work with the medical community.

"I need your help, doctors, because to most Americans, you are the health care system," he said.

Republican leaders in the U.S. Congress responded to the president's remarks by charging once again that he wants a health care system run by bureaucrats¹⁰ in Washington.

 

1 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

4 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

6 affordability   

可购性

参考例句：

• Performance-Based Logistics Affordability: Can We Afford Categorical Conversion to Performance-Based Acquisition? 基于性能的后期的可承受性：能否担负得起向基于性能的采办的无条件的转变？
• There would be no crisis of affordability, as't for food or clothing. 就想食物与服装一样，因为供给没有危机。

7 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

8 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

9 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

10 bureaucrats   

n.官僚( bureaucrat的名词复数 )；官僚主义；官僚主义者；官僚语言

参考例句：

• That is the fate of the bureaucrats, not the inspiration of statesmen. 那是官僚主义者的命运，而不是政治家的灵感。 来自辞典例句
• Big business and dozens of anonymous bureaucrats have as much power as Japan's top elected leaders. 大企业和许多不知名的官僚同日本选举出来的最高层领导者们的权力一样大。 来自辞典例句