VOA慢速英语2010年-IN THE NEWS - Obama Urges His Party No

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

President Obama gave his first State of the Union speech Wednesday night. He talked mostly about the economy, and he repeated some of his message the next day in Florida.

BARACK OBAMA: "The worst of the storm has passed. But I think all of you understand the devastation¹ remains². One in ten Americans still can't find work. That's why creating jobs has to be our number one priority in two thousand and ten."

President Obama just before delivering his State of the Union speech to Congress

His speech to both houses of Congress followed a defeat last week for his Democratic Party. The Republicans won a special Senate election in Massachusetts. They now have enough seats to block legislation in the Senate.

Independent voters helped elect President Obama but have since turned away from the Democrats³. Congressional elections are this November.

BARACK OBAMA: "I know it's an election year. And after last week, it's clear that campaign fever has come even earlier than usual. But we still need to govern. To Democrats, I would remind you that we still have the largest majority in decades, and the people expect us to solve problems, not run for the hills."

To help create jobs, he urged the Senate to join the House of Representatives in passing a second economic stimulus⁴ bill.

BARACK OBAMA: "People are out of work. They are hurting. They need our help and I want a jobs bill on my desk without delay."

He also called for a three-year freeze on some federal spending. And he set a goal to double American exports over the next five years.

Speaking to Democratic lawmakers after his speech

In addition, he said he takes his share of the blame for not explaining health care proposals more clearly to the public. But he added:

BARACK OBAMA: "Do not walk away from reform. Not now. Not when we are so close. Let us find a way to come together and finish the job for the American people."

President Obama again promised to remove all American combat troops from Iraq by the end of August. He predicted success in Afghanistan. And he had a warning for nations that violate international agreements "in pursuit of nuclear weapons." He said that is why North Korea now faces stronger sanctions.

BARACK OBAMA: "And as Iran's leaders continue to ignore their obligations, there should be no doubt: they, too, will face growing consequences. That is a promise."

Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell giving the Republican response in the state capital, Richmond

The new governor of Virginia gave the Republican response to the State of the Union speech. Bob McDonnell said Democrats are spending too much and creating a level of debt that cannot be supported.

BOB MCDONNELL: "What government should not do is pile on more taxation⁵, regulation and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class."

On Friday President Obama proposed tax credits for every new employee that a business hires this year. He also joined House Republicans for a sometimes tense meeting at their yearly gathering⁶.

And the Commerce Department reported that economic growth at the end of two thousand nine was the fastest in six years. This early estimate was higher than expected. However, it was largely the result of businesses cutting their supplies of unsold goods at a slower rate.

Investments in equipment rose sharply. But consumer spending increased just two percent. Still, a private report said consumer confidence in the economy reached a two-year high this month.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. For more news, and for transcripts⁷ and MP3s of our reports, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Mario Ritter.

 

1 devastation   

n.毁坏；荒废；极度震惊或悲伤

参考例句：

• The bomb caused widespread devastation. 炸弹造成大面积破坏。
• There was devastation on every side. 到处都是破坏的创伤。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 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。

3 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》

4 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

5 taxation   

n.征税，税收，税金

参考例句：

• He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。

6 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

7 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句