Obama Puts Economic Focus on Middle Class 奥巴马把经济重点放在中产阶级

 

Obama Puts Economic Focus on Middle Class 奥巴马把经济重点放在中产阶级

自7月24日开始，奥巴马就经济问题在全美进行多场演讲。在24日的演讲中，他说，尽管美国经济复苏取得进展，但贫富悬殊局面仍在加剧，美国应解决这一问题并壮大中产阶级，他发誓将利用总统职权实现这些执政目标。

At a college in the small town of Galesburg, Illinois, President Obama reminded Americans that he is committed to extending the economic recovery to the poor and the middle class.

“The only thing I care about is how to use every minute of the remaining 1,276 days of my term to make this country work for working Americans again," he said. 

The speech was the first of three the president will give on the economy this week, with more expected in the coming months.  It was the latest of numerous White House re-starts on the economy. 

Obama accused opposition¹ Republicans in Congress of blocking his economic plans for political reasons.

“But with this endless parade of distractions² and political posturing³ and phony scandals, Washington has taken its eye off the ball.  And I am here to say this needs to stop. This needs to stop," he said. 

As in the past, he called for improvements to infrastructure⁴, the tax code, the home mortgage system, education and the minimum wage, as well as implementing⁵ his health care reform plan - which House Republicans have voted to repeal⁶.

Polls show Americans are worried about the sluggish⁷ economy. 

Steve Bell heads economic studies at Washington’s Bipartisan Policy Center.

“By about a two-to-one margin⁸, Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction, it has gotten off track.  It has been that way now for about six or seven years," he said. 

Bell says Americans can see that the slow economic recovery is not reaching the working class.

“Bit by bit, Americans feel in their, you know, feel in their bones when things in their community are not going right," he said. 

But, he says, the president’s economic proposals face as much Republican opposition as ever.

Before Obama delivered his speech, the top Senate Republican, Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, dismissed it. 

“It’s just such a colossal⁹ waste of time and energy - resources that would be better spent actually working with both parties in Congress to grow the economy and create jobs," he said. 

Despite the opposition, the president hopes to increase public pressure on Congress to avoid showdowns over taxes and spending in the coming months.

1 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。

2 distractions   

n.使人分心的事[人]( distraction的名词复数 )；娱乐，消遣；心烦意乱；精神错乱

参考例句：

• I find it hard to work at home because there are too many distractions. 我发觉在家里工作很难，因为使人分心的事太多。
• There are too many distractions here to work properly. 这里叫人分心的事太多，使人无法好好工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 posturing   

做出某种姿势( posture的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• She was posturing a model. 她正在摆模特儿的姿势。
• She says the President may just be posturing. 她说总统也许只是在做样子而已。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 implementing   

v.实现( implement的现在分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• -- Implementing a comprehensive drug control strategy. ――实行综合治理的禁毒战略。 来自汉英非文学 - 白皮书
• He was in no hurry about implementing his unshakable principle. 他并不急于实行他那不可动摇的原则。 来自辞典例句

6 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。

7 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

8 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

9 colossal   

adj.异常的，庞大的

参考例句：

• There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。
• Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。