VOA慢速英语2014 AS IT IS 2014-04-10 Group Claims Older People Are Denied Basic Health Care 在内罗毕组织声称老年人不享有基本医疗

 

AS IT IS 2014-04-10 Group Claims Older People Are Denied Basic Health Care 在内罗毕组织声称老年人不享有基本医疗

Hello and welcome back.  I’m Jim Tedder¹ in Washington, with the program that helps you learn and improve your American English.  Today we talk about something that is important to all of us …our health.  First we’ll hear about some ideas to help older people live a better life.

Then we will mix health and politics in the United States.  Many experts believe President Obama’s new health care law will play a large part in how Americans vote this fall.

So pull up a chair and stay a while.  VOA Learning English is on the air.

This past Monday was World Health Day.  The event is held every year on April seventh to mark the anniversary of the launch of the World Health Organization in 1948. 

A non-governmental organization used the event this year to warn that 76 million older people around the world are not getting the health care they need.  Anna Matteo has more on the organization HelpAge International and its proposal to help older adults.

HelpAge International is seeking to increase understanding through a public awareness² campaign called Age Demands Action.  Amleset Tewodros is the group’s Country Director for Tanzania.  She says millions of older adults are not getting the care they need for diseases and long-term medical conditions. 

She says the Age Demands Action campaign empowers them to demand the right to health services.  She says it gives them a chance to present their demands and requests to local policy and decision-makers³. 

Amleset Tewodros says the major concern in modern health care is on infectious and childhood diseases.  She says health care programs usually do not have a life-long plan for good health.  She adds that lack of respect and discrimination can also be barriers to satisfactory health care for older people.

“Old age is associated with diseases.  So older people are not treated for the illnesses they present, but rather they’re looked at – ‘oh, you are old and resources are limited.  Those should be directed to young people, to children.’  So these are some of the constraints⁴ that are limiting older people’s access.” 

She notes that in many developing countries, policy makers are concerned about building hospitals and hospital admissions, which can be costly⁵.  As a result, she says, policy makers are less concerned about health promotion⁶ and prevention, especially for age-related diseases and conditions.  In addition, she says, many health care workers may not have enough training to help older patients.

The HelpAge International official says guaranteeing health care to everyone would help solve many of these problems.  She says many people now are unable to pay for a visit to the doctor or the cost of drugs.  She says political will can overcome concerns about cost.

“We have experiences in a number of countries where we have seen positive progress, which did not require a huge investment.  It is an issue of commitment and policy adjustment – making sure health policymakers, programmers, do take into account the specific need, the unique needs of older population groups and provide appropriate, affordable⁷ and accessible health care.  That is the message.” 

HelpAge International is warning that the life expectancy⁸ rate in nearly 40 countries is either unchanged at 60 years or has fallen.  It says community health care is necessary to guarantee older adults have a good quality of life.  I’m Anna Matteo.

Health Care Will Affect U.S. Elections This Fall

This November, Americans will vote in congressional elections.  President Barack Obama’s health care law will be a major issue in the election campaign.  The Obama administration recently announced that more than seven million people have signed up for the new health insurance program.  As a result, some congressional Democrats⁹ are now more hopeful about their chances of being re-elected.  Jonathan Evans explains how health and politics will come together in the voting booth.

The health care law is showing signs of gaining wider public acceptance.  Volunteers were busy at a recent sign-up event in Los Angeles.  Elliot Petty was one of those volunteers.

“You know it is really going great today.  People are really hungry for health care.”

Supporters of the new law want to sign up young people like Danny Segovia.  Until recently, he avoided buying a health care policy.

 

“If I get covered right now, then I am good.  I could feel comfortable about myself playing sports.”

President Obama recently noted¹⁰ the growing number of Americans signing up for the program, commonly called Obamacare.  He spoke¹¹ at the White House.

“I will always work with anyone who is willing to make this law work even better.  But the debate over repealing¹² this law is over.  The Affordable Care Act is here to stay!”

Democratic Party activists¹³ hope what the President says is true.  But Republican Party leaders continue to criticize the health care law.  The Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, believes the law is harmful to the American people and the economy.

“I can give you hundreds of letters from my constituents¹⁴ who have been harmed by this law.”

John Thune is a Republican Senator from South Dakota.  He is also against the health care law.

“And of course, there is the Obamacare legislation, which passed several years ago and continues to wreak¹⁵ havoc¹⁶ on job creation in this country.”

But Democratic Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois disagrees.  He believes the two parties should work together on possible changes to the law.

“But not a single Republican has been willing to sit down and work on bipartisan compromises and changes.  Not one.”

Carroll Doherty works for the Pew Research Center.  He says opposition¹⁷ to the law will increase the number of Republican voters in November.

“Well, it is an animating¹⁸ factor for the Republican base.  With turnout being so important this is an issue that I think does really get people upset and excited, especially on the Republican side.”

John Fortier is with the Bipartisan Policy Center.  He says health care will not be the only issue in the election campaign this year.

“I think the two biggest factors underlying¹⁹ a midterm election are:  how is the economy doing, and how is the president in the White House doing?  And ultimately midterm elections do not go very well for the president’s party, they tend to go against it.”

The results of the elections may have a major effect on President Obama’s final two years in office.  I’m Jonathan Evans.

And I’m Jim Tedder in Washington.  Before we leave you to make room for more Learning English programs, here is just a small bit of American history.  In 1847, on this date, Joseph Pulitzer was born.  He was a journalist and newspaper publisher for whom the famous prizes are names.  By the way, you may have heard someone call it the “PEW-lit-zer Prize,” but that is not the way Joseph pronounced his name.  It is always correctly pronounced as “PULL-it-zer.” 

In New Orleans, Louisiana, today nearly half a million people are celebrating the “French Quarter Festival” with art, food, and lots of what this wonderful city is known for …jazz music.  We’ll see you tomorrow!

1 tedder   

n.（干草）翻晒者，翻晒机

参考例句：

• Jim Tedder has more. 吉姆？特德将给我们做更多的介绍。 来自互联网
• Jim Tedder tells us more. 吉姆？泰德给我们带来更详细的报道。 来自互联网

2 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 constraints   

强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• Data and constraints can easily be changed to test theories. 信息库中的数据和限制条件可以轻易地改变以检验假设。 来自英汉非文学 - 科学史
• What are the constraints that each of these imply for any design? 这每种产品的要求和约束对于设计意味着什么？ 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓

5 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

6 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

7 affordable   

adj.支付得起的，不太昂贵的

参考例句：

• The rent for the four-roomed house is affordable.四居室房屋的房租付得起。
• There are few affordable apartments in big cities.在大城市中没有几所公寓是便宜的。

8 expectancy   

n.期望，预期，（根据概率统计求得）预期数额

参考例句：

• Japanese people have a very high life expectancy.日本人的平均寿命非常长。
• The atomosphere of tense expectancy sobered everyone.这种期望的紧张气氛使每个人变得严肃起来。

9 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》

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 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。

12 repealing   

撤销，废除( repeal的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• In addition, repealing the alternative minimum tax would also help. 此外，废除替代性最低税也会有所帮助。
• Repealing the investment tax credit. 取消投资税款扣除。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 constituents   

n.选民( constituent的名词复数 )；成分；构成部分；要素

参考例句：

• She has the full support of her constituents. 她得到本区选民的全力支持。
• Hydrogen and oxygen are the constituents of water. 氢和氧是水的主要成分。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 wreak   

v.发泄；报复

参考例句：

• She had a burning desire to wreak revenge.她复仇心切。
• Timid people always wreak their peevishness on the gentle.怯懦的人总是把满腹牢骚向温和的人发泄。

16 havoc   

n.大破坏，浩劫，大混乱，大杂乱

参考例句：

• The earthquake wreaked havoc on the city.地震对这个城市造成了大破坏。
• This concentration of airborne firepower wrought havoc with the enemy forces.这次机载火力的集中攻击给敌军造成很大破坏。

17 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

18 animating   

v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命

参考例句：

• Nature has her animating spirit as well as man who is nature's child. 大自然就象它的孩子――人类一样，有活生生的灵魂。 来自辞典例句
• They were doubtlessly the animating principle of many hours that superficially seemed vacant. 在表面看来无所事事的许多时刻中，它们无疑是活跃的因素。 来自辞典例句

19 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。