美国国家公共电台 NPR--House Speaker Kevin McCarthy oversaw his first State of the Union address

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy oversaw¹ his first State of the Union address

Transcript²

The role puts him in charge of a fractured Republican party with the slimmest of majorities. Residents of McCarthy's district are split between backing him and the party's more conservative members.

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:

Television viewers last night could see Kevin McCarthy in the frame. He was sitting behind President Biden, presiding over his first State of the Union speech as speaker of the House. This high-profile role puts him in charge of a fractured Republican Party. But what do his constituents³ in California think of his performance so far? Here's Joshua Yeager of KVPR in California's San Joaquin Valley.

JOSHUA YEAGER, BYLINE⁴: To better understand what motivates Speaker McCarthy, it's best to take a step back from the State of the Union to the state of the county - Kern County, to be exact. McCarthy's hometown, Bakersfield, is here. It's the population center of his central California district, where oil and agriculture reigns⁵ supreme⁶.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KEVIN MCCARTHY: For generations, Kern County has been an innovator⁷ in energy, agriculture and aerospace⁸.

YEAGER: County leaders held an annual address at the Kern fairgrounds last week. McCarthy couldn't attend, but he delivered a pre-recorded message to big applause from a crowd of hundreds. Seated front and center was Cathy Abernathy, a longtime Republican operator and McCarthy's biggest booster locally.

CATHY ABERNATHY: Kevin McCarthy has been active in this county for 25 years.

YEAGER: Abernathy's consulting firm helped McCarthy get elected first to the local community college district, then to the state assembly and finally to Congress.

ABERNATHY: I tell people Kevin McCarthy is an optimist⁹. I think that's the best way to understand him. He knows that there is a way to find a solution to most any problem.

YEAGER: Voters in this ruby-red district, though, have begun to question McCarthy's conservative bona fides.

JUDE HUPP: Oh, he could be a little more conservative.

YEAGER: That's Jude Hupp. The retired¹⁰ fuel salesman spreads aged¹¹ blue cheese across freshly baked bread at Luigi's, a century-old Italian deli and Bakersfield institution.

HUPP: McCarthy is not our ideal person to have there, but for what we're doing right now, yeah, it'll work.

YEAGER: Hupp reveled in seeing McCarthy struggle for the speaker's gavel.

HUPP: And I'm kind of glad that they stood off and got what they wanted before they went ahead and voted for him. That's just the way business works.

YEAGER: Across the restaurant, oil-field worker Coby Hannah agrees.

COBY HANNAH: They didn't make him sweat.

YEAGER: He says the region's declining oil industry has taken a financial toll¹². Still, Hannah supports McCarthy for now.

HANNAH: I've supported him. I voted for him every single time that he's ran. But we got to change what's going on, period.

YEAGER: If the first month is any sign of his speakership over the next two years, McCarthy may have a tough road ahead. But McCarthy may not get relief at home, or voters will also keep the pressure on.

For NPR News, I'm Joshua Yeager in Bakersfield.

1 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

2 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。

3 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》

4 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。

5 reigns   

n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期

参考例句：

• In these valleys night reigns. 夜色笼罩着那些山谷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Queen of Britain reigns, but she does not rule or govern. 英国女王是国家元首，但不治国事。 来自辞典例句

6 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

7 innovator   

n.改革者；创新者

参考例句：

• The young technical innovator didn't lose heart though the new system was not yet brought into a workable condition. 尽管这种新方法尚未达到切实可行的状况，这位青年技术革新者也没有泄气。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Caesar planned vast projects and emerged as a great innovator. 恺撒制定了庞大的革新计划。 来自英汉非文学 - 文明史

8 aerospace   

adj.航空的，宇宙航行的

参考例句：

• The world's entire aerospace industry is feeling the chill winds of recession.全世界的航空航天工业都感受到了经济衰退的寒意。
• Edward Murphy was an aerospace engineer for the US Army.爱德华·墨菲是一名美军的航宇工程师。

9 optimist   

n.乐观的人，乐观主义者

参考例句：

• We are optimist and realist.我们是乐观主义者，又是现实主义者。
• Peter,ever the optimist,said things were bound to improve.一向乐观的皮特说，事情必定是会好转的。

10 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

11 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

12 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。