Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, tests positive again for COVID

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, tests positive again for COVID

　　Transcript¹

　　President Biden's press secretary Jen Psaki has COVID-19 again. It's the second time a positive test will keep her from going on a foreign trip with Biden. He tested negative and will carry on.

　　A MARTINEZ, HOST:

　　White House press secretary Jen Psaki has tested positive for the coronavirus again. It means she'll have to miss President Biden's upcoming trip to Europe, where he plans to meet with allies about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. She's the latest in a recent burst of high-profile cases across Washington. NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordo?ez has more.

　　FRANCO ORDO?EZ, BYLINE²: When Jen Psaki came back last fall from her first positive case of the coronavirus, she tried to inject a bit of levity³ into her experience.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　JEN PSAKI: It's great to be back with all of you, although as a longtime hater of heels, I do miss my slippers⁴ so - which I'm sure some of the women in this room can agree with.

　　ORDO?EZ: It was right before a wave of highly contagious⁵ omicron cases swept the country, testing hospital resources. But a few months later, as cases came down, President Biden tried to signal that the nation had turned a corner. He took the stage to give his State of the Union address three weeks ago without a mask.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: Tonight I can say we're moving forward safely back to more normal routines. We've reached a new moment in the fight against COVID-19.

　　ORDO?EZ: But his and the American people's eagerness to get back to normal have again hit the realities of a pandemic that has not gone away. Last night former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she tested positive for the coronavirus. Earlier this month, it was Doug Emhoff, the second gentleman, and former President Barack Obama. Last week, Taoiseach Michael Martin of Ireland couldn't celebrate St. Patrick's Day with Biden. He instead had to dial in on a video call to the Oval Office, even though he was just steps away, isolating⁶ in the Blair House.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　TAOISEACH MICHAEL MARTIN: Last year, we met virtually across the Atlantic.

　　BIDEN: ...We're closer...

　　MARTIN: This year, we're meeting virtually across the road (laughter). So we're getting closer.

　　ORDO?EZ: And then yesterday Psaki tested positive, and Deputy press secretary Chris Meagher had to step in.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

　　CHRIS MEAGHER: Obviously, we've had some last-minute adjustments to the briefing, which is why I'm up here today.

　　ORDO?EZ: President has since taken a PCR test, which the White House said was negative, and as of now, they don't expect any changes to his schedule, including his testing schedule.

　　Franco Ordo?ez, NPR News, the White House.

　　(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

3 levity   

n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变

参考例句：

• His remarks injected a note of levity into the proceedings.他的话将一丝轻率带入了议事过程中。
• At the time,Arnold had disapproved of such levity.那时候的阿诺德对这种轻浮行为很看不惯。

4 slippers   

n. 拖鞋

参考例句：

• a pair of slippers 一双拖鞋
• He kicked his slippers off and dropped on to the bed. 他踢掉了拖鞋，倒在床上。

5 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

6 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句