VOA标准英语10月-'Joe the Plumber' - Unexpected Star of US Preside

One of the unexpected stars of Wednesday night's U.S. presidential debate turned out to be someone who was not even on the stage in New York. A man called "Joe the Plumber¹" was mentioned a total of 23 times by the candidates, who each tried to use him to make their arguments. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington on who "Joe the Plumber" is and what role he might play in the remaining 19 days of the presidential race.
　

Sam Joe Wurzelbacher laughs while chatting with the press outside of his home in Holland, Ohio, 16 Oct 2008

Sam Joe Wurzelbacher unknowingly stepped into the election spotlight² when he met Senator Obama as the Democratic nominee³ campaigned Sunday in Toledo, Ohio. The bald, brawny⁴ plumber asked Obama about his plan to increase taxes for people who earn more than $250,000 a year.

Wurzelbacher explained that he wants to buy the small plumbing⁵ business where he works, and said he was worried that would put him into the upper tax bracket of Obama's plan.

Obama acknowledged that that might be the case and said he did not want to punish the plumber with higher taxes, but said "... I think that when we spread the wealth around, it is good for everybody." The exchange was captured on video, and was aired on the conservative Fox News cable network, who interviewed the plumber.
　

Senators Barack Obama (l) and John McCain debating at Hofstra University in New York, 15 Oct 2008

Early in Wednesday's debate, Senator John McCain brought up Wurzelbacher, and repeatedly used him as an example to attack Obama's plan, which Senator McCain said would tax the wealthiest Americans, calling it "class warfare⁶." McCain looked straight at the camera and spoke⁷ to Joe.

"Joe, I want to tell you, I will not only help you buy that business that you worked your whole life for and I will keep your taxes low and I will provide available and affordable⁸ health care for you and your employees," he said. "And I will not stand for a tax increase on small business income."

Obama defended his tax plan, saying he had explained to Joe at the rally that 98 percent of small businesses make less than $250,000 a year.

"What I essentially⁹ said to him was, five years ago, when you were not in a position to buy your business, you needed a tax cut then," he said. "And what I want to do is to make sure that the plumber, the nurse, the firefighter, the teacher, the young entrepreneur who does not yet have money, I want to give them a tax break now. And that requires us to make some important choices."

Both candidates then continued to direct their answers to "Joe the Plumber" throughout much of the debate, using him as a symbol of an ordinary American as they outlined their health care plans and detailed¹⁰ how they might effect Joe.

The 34-year-old single father was watching the debate at home in his living room, and said he was surprised to hear his name mentioned so many times. As the debate continued, his phone began ringing, with journalists trying to contact him.

In one interview, he would not say who he is planning to vote for, but had this commentary after the debate.

"I think McCain did much better this time, he really got out his points," said Wurzelbacher. "So, I was pleased with that. I mean Obama, you cannot take away that he is just a very, he is a damned good speaker. But McCain came across with some solid points and I was real happy about that. He came across with his tax cuts, which I think are ultimately very good."

Wurzelbacher said he is skeptical¹¹ of Obama.

"Obama, I mean he sits there and says he wants to help the middle class, but you know I am middle class," he said. "You have seen my house. You know I do not have any bells and whistles [fancy things] in here really. And you know, my truck is a couple of years old and I am going to have it for the, you know, next 10 years, probably. So, you know, I do not see him helping¹² me out."

On Thursday, Wurzelbacher held news conferences in front of a crowd of reporters gathered in his suburban¹³ Toledo, Ohio driveway. He said all the media attention made him feel like "Britney Spears with a headache." He said the McCain campaign had asked him to attend a weekend rally, but he already had plans to travel to New York.

On the campaign trail, McCain's vice¹⁴ presidential candidate Sarah Palin also talked about "Joe and Jane the Plumber" to attack Obama's tax plan, a sign that Joe may be invoked¹⁵ many times in the last days of the campaign.

1 plumber   

n.(装修水管的)管子工

参考例句：

• Have you asked the plumber to come and look at the leaking pipe?你叫管道工来检查漏水的管子了吗？
• The plumber screwed up the tap by means of a spanner.管子工用板手把龙头旋紧。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

4 brawny   

adj.强壮的

参考例句：

• The blacksmith has a brawny arm.铁匠有强壮的胳膊。
• That same afternoon the marshal appeared with two brawny assistants.当天下午，警长带着两名身强力壮的助手来了。

5 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 warfare   

n.战争(状态)；斗争；冲突

参考例句：

• He addressed the audience on the subject of atomic warfare.他向听众演讲有关原子战争的问题。
• Their struggle consists mainly in peasant guerrilla warfare.他们的斗争主要是农民游击战。

7 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。

8 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。

9 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

10 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

11 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

12 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。

13 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

14 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。

15 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》