VOA常速英语2021--首次有两位女性同框坐镇美国总统演讲

This is VOA News. Reporting by remote, I'm David Byrd. President Joe Biden will be making history when he addresses Congress in just over an hour. We get more from AP's Sagar Meghani. It began 14 years ago. "I have the high privilege and the distinct honor of presenting to you, the president of the United States." President George W. Bush said he had his own honor and privilege "as the first president to begin the State of the Union message with these words: Madam Speaker." Since then, Nancy Pelosi sat on the House chamber¹ rostrum for several presidential addresses, next to men. "I, Kamala Devi Harris, do solemnly swear ...." Tonight marks the first time two women will preside. Pelosi tells MSNBC it's exciting and wonderful and about time. The vice² president's office says the moment will speak for itself. Sagar Meghani, Washington. Live coverage³ of the president's speech begins at one hour UTC at voanews.com.

欢迎收听美国之音新闻。我是大卫·伯德，为您远程报道。一个多小时后，美国总统乔·拜登将在国会发表历史性讲话。请听美联社记者萨加尔·梅加尼带来详细报道。这一历史开始于14年前。“我非常荣幸地向你们介绍美国的总统。”乔治·沃克·布什表示，他非常荣幸“作为首位在国情咨文中加入议长女士的总统。”从那时起，南希佩洛西多次在总统演说时挨着男性坐在众议院主席台上。“我，卡马拉·德维·哈里斯，郑重宣誓……”今晚是第一次有两位女性坐镇总统演讲。佩洛西在接受MSNBC采访时说，此刻精彩又美好，而且早该如此。副总统办公室表示，这一刻也无需多言了。萨加尔·梅加尼，华盛顿报道。voanews.com将于协调世界时1小时后开始转播总统演讲的实况报道。

India's death toll⁴ from COVID-19 continues to climb, moving past 201,000 by early Thursday that puts the South Asian nation forth⁵ in the world behind the United States, Brazil and Mexico. Reuters Lucy Fielder has more. A grim scene captures the sheer number of dead: Row upon row of bodies burning on makeshift platforms as cremation⁶ grounds have become overrun. Across New Delhi, people are turning to temporary facilities, undertaking⁷ mass burials and cremations. Mourners have turned to parking lots and parks as families grow desperate to bury their loved ones. International help is starting to get through, though. Supplies arriving in New Delhi included ventilators and oxygen concentrators from Britain, with more sent from Australia, Germany and Ireland, while Singapore and Russia pledged oxygen cylinders⁸ and medical supplies. That's Reuters Lucy Fielder. This is VOA News.

印度新冠死亡人数继续攀升，到周四早些时候已经突破20.1万人，这使得这个南亚国家在世界新冠死亡人数上的排名仅次于美国、巴西和墨西哥。请听路透社记者露西·菲尔德带来详细报道。一个可怕的场景捕捉到了印度庞大的死亡人数：成排的尸体在临时搭建的平台上燃烧，火葬场已经人满为患。新德里各地区的人们开始使用临时设施来进行大规模的火化。亲人们在极为绝望地埋葬自己所爱的人后选择停车场和公园进行哀悼。不过，国际社会的援助已经开始抵达。抵达新德里的物资包括来自英国的呼吸机和制氧机，还有更多来自澳大利亚、德国和爱尔兰的物资，而新加坡和俄罗斯承诺提供氧气瓶和医疗用品。我是路透社记者露西·菲尔德。欢迎收听美国之音新闻。

1 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

2 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。

3 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

4 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 cremation   

n.火葬，火化

参考例句：

• Cremation is more common than burial in some countries. 在一些国家，火葬比土葬普遍。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Garbage cremation can greatly reduce the occupancy of land. 垃圾焚烧可以大大减少占用土地。 来自互联网

7 undertaking   

n.保证，许诺，事业

参考例句：

• He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
• He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。

8 cylinders   

n.圆筒( cylinder的名词复数 )；圆柱；汽缸；（尤指用作容器的）圆筒状物

参考例句：

• They are working on all cylinders to get the job finished. 他们正在竭尽全力争取把这工作干完。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• That jeep has four cylinders. 那辆吉普车有4个汽缸。 来自《简明英汉词典》