【英语时差8,16】无家可归人员救助法案

ANNCR: The Homeless Assistance Act- on today's Congressional Moment On a bitter cold late winter night in March, just outside the nation's Capitol, a group of homeless people slept on the rusty¹ metal grates over a city steam vent². What drew attention to this common scene was that one of the people was a Congressman³, Stewart McKinney of Connecticut. He worked with the homeless throughout his career to improve their lot in life, and he slept outdoors with them to call public attention to their plight⁴. McKinney's ongoing⁵ efforts, coupled with the growing number of homeless, brought the issue to the forefront of Congressional debate during the mid⁶ 1980s. A pivotal question was whether homelessness was a problem warranting federal intervention⁷. Many argued that it should continue to be handled at the local level. The Homeless Assistance Act, co-authored by McKinney and Minnesota Representative Bruce Vento, provided many forms of federal assistance, including emergency shelters, health care, job training, and education for homeless children. It addressed the symptoms of a greater problem, with even strong supporters of the bill saying it was just a first step. The bill passed Congress with bipartisan support, and on July 22, 1987, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill – renamed in McKinney's honor – into law. Two months earlier, Congressman McKinney had died of pneumonia⁸. Many believe that sleeping outdoors with the homeless worsened his medical conditions and contributed to his early demise⁹. 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 Web site at congress.indiana.edu.

 

1 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

2 vent   

n.通风口，排放口；开衩；vt.表达，发泄

参考例句：

• He gave vent to his anger by swearing loudly.他高声咒骂以发泄他的愤怒。
• When the vent became plugged,the engine would stop.当通风口被堵塞时，发动机就会停转。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

5 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

6 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。

7 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

8 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

9 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。