【英语时差8,16】希尔伯顿法

The Hill–Burton Act – on Today's Congressional Moment. Few people remember this today, but universal health–care was on the national agenda six decades ago. President Harry¹ Truman tried, and failed, to convince the Congress to pass universal coverage². What he got instead was the Hill–Burton Act, the federal government's first venture into building hospitals. The act is named for its two sponsors in the Senate, Lister Hill, a democrat³ from Alabama — whose physician father was the first American to suture a human heart — and Harold Burton, a republican from Ohio. They recognized that existing hospitals had been neglected during the years of the Depression and World War II, and that there was a desperate need for clinics and small hospitals, particularly in poor, rural areas. Their bill was path–breaking. It required facilities getting federal funds to provide medical services free or at reduced rates for people unable to pay. The measure also increased access to health care for Americans at a time when private capital for investment in hospitals was scarce. Over the years, the act pumped billions of dollars into projects and equipment in 4,000 communities around the country. Especially if you live in a rural county, odds⁴ are good that the hospital or clinic you visit today was built using Hill–Burton funds. STANDARD CLOSING: This is Lee Hamilton. Congressional decisions impact all our lives. To find out more about how Congress works, or to get involved in your government, visit the Center On Congress website at congress.indiana.edu.

1 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

2 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。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？