VOA标准英语2012--Obama's State of the Union Address to Focus on Economic Fair Play

Obama's State of the Union Address to Focus on Economic Fair Play

The economy will be front and center as the president makes the trip to Capitol Hill to address a joint¹ session of Congress.
Unemployment is falling, but not as quickly as Obama hoped. This threatens his re-election chances.
But Congress has historically low approval ratings - polls show that more than 80 percent of Americans disapprove² of the job it is doing.
In speeches across the country, Obama has targeted what he calls congressional dysfunction.
On Saturday, the president issued a video message previewing broad themes of what he calls his blueprint³ for America's economy. He said it will be based on a speech he gave in Osawatomie, Kansas, last year in which he spoke⁴ about the importance of the middle class and fair play.
"I talked in Osawatomie about - this is a make-or-break moment for the middle class and folks trying to work their way into the middle class," he said. "Because we can go in two directions. One is toward less opportunity and less fairness. Or we can fight for where I think we need to go: building an economy that works for everyone, not just a wealthy few."
His preview did not contain the kind of fiery⁵ remarks he made last week about the political environment.
"It is going to take more than a few years to meet the challenges that were decades in the making," said the president. "The American people understand that. What they don't understand is leaders who refuse to take action. They are sick and tired of watching people who are supposed to represent them [but] put party ahead of country, or the next election before the next generation."
Obama said he will offer proposals to help U.S. manufacturing, boost the energy sector⁶ through alternative sources, and provide Americans with more education and training.
Obama is likely to use the State of the Union address to list key accomplishments⁷: health-care reform, tightening⁸ controls on Wall Street, withdrawing troops from Iraq, setting the course toward a U.S. departure from Afghanistan, the killing⁹ of Osama bin¹⁰ Laden¹¹.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

3 blueprint   

n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划

参考例句：

• All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。
• The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

4 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。

5 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

6 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

7 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

8 tightening   

上紧，固定，紧密

参考例句：

• Make sure the washer is firmly seated before tightening the pipe. 旋紧水管之前，检查一下洗衣机是否已牢牢地固定在底座上了。
• It needs tightening up a little. 它还需要再收紧些。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

11 laden   

adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的

参考例句：

• He is laden with heavy responsibility.他肩负重任。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat.将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。