美国国家公共电台 NPR--The fate of a bridge over the Ohio River shows political cooperation is possible

The fate of a bridge over the Ohio River shows political cooperation is possible

Transcript¹

President Biden and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell did some bipartisan bridge-building in Kentucky — at the site of an aging bridge between Kentucky and Ohio.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

The Republican majority in the House of Representatives is preparing for a third day of trying to elect a speaker. Other politicians, including President Biden, were free to move elsewhere yesterday. NPR's Asma Khalid reports on Biden's visit to the site of an old bridge across the Ohio River into Kentucky.

ASMA KHALID, BYLINE³: The president used the word embarrassing three times yesterday, in public, to describe the chaos⁴ in the House of Representatives.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN: It's embarrassing for the country.

KHALID: But in a split-screen moment, 500 miles from Washington in Covington, Ky...

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

KHALID: ...Biden was trying to give an example of how government ought to work. And frankly⁵, he wasn't the only one.

(SOUNDBITE OF MONTAGE)

ANDY BESHEAR: What's possible when we push partisanship⁶ aside?

SHERROD BROWN: This is what bipartisanship in the United States of America should look like.

MIKE DEWINE: It's Democrats⁷ and Republicans coming together.

KHALID: That was Kentucky's Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, Ohio's Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown and Ohio's Republican Governor Mike DeWine. All these men were talking about the infrastructure⁸ law Congress passed in 2021 because that money is starting to flow to bridges, like the one they were standing⁹ in front of. About $1.6 billion is going to improve the Brent Spence Bridge. It's a key artery¹⁰ that carries traffic across Kentucky and Ohio. But the president spoke¹¹ about this not just being a bridge between two states but a bridge between people.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

BIDEN: A bridge that continues and connects different centuries, different states, different political parties, a bridge to the vision of America I know we all believe in, where we can work together to get things done.

KHALID: Biden rode over the site with someone who's often been a roadblock to the Democratic agenda, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Biden said the two discussed foreign policy, specifically Ukraine, on the drive. It was an expression of unity¹², but they both acknowledged their differences.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

MITCH MCCONNELL: We all know these are really partisan² times, but I always feel, no matter who gets elected, once it's all over, we ought to look for things we can agree on and try to do those, even while we have big differences on other things.

KHALID: McConnell has been a partisan for decades. But for a day, these two Washington insiders, Biden and McConnell, could look out at a steamboat on the Ohio River by a metal bridge and show that Washington can work, even if back in Washington, the House of Representatives is not working.

Asma Khalid, NPR News.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

5 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

6 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学

7 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》

8 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。

9 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

10 artery   

n.干线，要道；动脉

参考例句：

• We couldn't feel the changes in the blood pressure within the artery.我们无法感觉到动脉血管内血压的变化。
• The aorta is the largest artery in the body.主动脉是人体中的最大动脉。

11 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。

12 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。