VOA标准英语2011-Obama to Speak at Arizona Memorial Servic

President Barack Obama will go to Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday to speak at a memorial service for those killed in Saturday's shootings. The president will try to help the nation deal with the rampage, which left six people dead and a U.S. congresswoman critically wounded.

President  Obama and his wife Michelle will cross the country to attend Wednesday night's memorial service at the University of Arizona.

The president will speak there, in an effort to help Americans cope with the tragedy.

After meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the White House Monday, Obama talked about the task he faces.

"It is going to be important, I think, for the country as a whole, as well as the people of Arizona, to feel as if we are speaking directly to our sense of loss, but also speaking to our hopes for the future, and how, out of this tragedy, we can come together as a stronger nation," said Obama.

On Saturday, a gunman approached Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords as she met with constituents¹ outside a shopping center in Tucson. The man shot her in the head, then turned the gun on others in attendance.

Six people were killed, including a federal judge and a nine-year-old girl. Giffords remained in critical condition Tuesday, but doctors expressed optimism about her recovery.

Authorities arrested 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner and charged him with the shooting.

President Obama has spent the past several days calling the families of shooting victims and talking with lawmakers and advisers² about how best to handle the situation.

He said Monday he is focused on offering prayers and support to shaken Americans.

"The main thing we are doing is to offer our thoughts and prayers to those who have been impacted, making sure that we are joining together and pulling together as a country. As President of the United States, but also as a father, obviously I am spending a lot of time just thinking about the families and reaching out to them."

Obama postponed³ a trip he had scheduled for Tuesday, to visit a General Electric factory in New York state. The first lady put off a Tuesday event with business leaders.

Congress has postponed all business scheduled for this week, except for a House resolution supporting the shooting victims, praising the bravery of the responders and reaffirming the right to peaceful assembly.

Lawmakers also have been talking with law enforcement officials about ways to enhance their safety.

Meanwhile, Americans have been debating whether harsh political rhetoric⁴ contributed to Saturday's attack, and whether such speech should be curtailed⁵.

1 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》

2 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

3 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

4 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

5 curtailed   

v.截断，缩短( curtail的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Spending on books has been severely curtailed. 购书开支已被大大削减。
• Their public health programme had to be severely curtailed. 他们的公共卫生计划不得不大大收缩。 来自《简明英汉词典》