VOA标准英语2010年-Obama Campaigns For His Economic Agend

U.S. President Barack Obama has again gone on the road to try to persuade Americans to support his economic agenda.  The president is campaigning for his plan to encourage hiring.
 
President Obama visited the Northeastern state of New Hampshire on Tuesday, to promote a plan he hopes will help ease the nation's ten percent unemployment rate.

Mr. Obama says money repaid by large banks that received government help should be lent to small businesses, where he says most of America's job creation takes place.

"I am announcing a proposal to take $30 billion of the money that was repaid by Wall Street banks-now that they are back on their feet - take that $30 billion and use it to create a new small business lending fund that would provide capital for community banks on Main Street," said President Obama.

As Mr. Obama admitted in last week's State of the Union address, the federal bailout of big financial institutions has been unpopular.  But he says it was necessary to prevent the U.S. financial system from collapsing¹.

That program, plus stubborn unemployment, are among the factors in the president's sagging² approval ratings and victories by the opposition³ Republican Party in several recent elections.

At a public forum⁴ in New Hampshire, Mr. Obama said he shares Americans' frustration⁵ with persistent⁶ joblessness.

"I have got to be honest with you-there is no magic wand that makes the economic problems that were years in the making disappear overnight," said Mr. Obama. "And sometimes it is easy for politicians to exploit the anger and the pain that people are feeling right now."

The president addressed Republican opposition to his policies.  He appealed for lawmakers from both parties to work together for the good of the country, while also blasting some Republicans as being willing to take positions simply for political gain.

"It is one thing to have an honest difference of opinion on something," said President Obama. "There is nothing wrong with that.  But you cannot walk away from your responsibilities to confront the challenges facing the country because you do not think it is good short-term politics."

New Hampshire is the scene of the first primary election of each presidential campaign season, and one of its two Senate seats will be up for election this November.

Meanwhile, Mr. Obama's proposed government budget is being criticized by lawmakers from both parties.  Republicans say it does not address deficits⁷ soon enough and raises taxes too much.  Democrats⁸ are questioning some of the president's proposed spending cuts. 

 

1 collapsing   

压扁[平]，毁坏，断裂

参考例句：

• Rescuers used props to stop the roof of the tunnel collapsing. 救援人员用支柱防止隧道顶塌陷。
• The rocks were folded by collapsing into the center of the trough. 岩石由于坍陷进入凹槽的中心而发生褶皱。

2 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

3 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。

4 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

5 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

6 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

7 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

8 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》