万花筒 Kaleidoscope 2007-04-05&07, 美利坚总统的“精彩”演讲

I'd like to thank the Radio and TV Correspondents Association for providing dinner tonight. And I'd like to thank Senator Webb for providing security.
I'm glad to see everybody here is enjoying themselves. Don't think I haven't noticed all the drinking that's been going on. In my State of the Union address, I said we needed to increase the use of ethanol.
Well, where should I start? A year ago, my approval rating was in the 30s, my nominee¹ for the Supreme² Court had just withdrawn³, and my Vice⁴ President had shot someone. Those were the good old days. Sorry the Vice President couldn't be here. He's had a rough few weeks. To be honest, his feelings are kind of hurt. He said he was going on vacation to Afghanistan, where people like him.
You in the press certainly have had a lot to report lately. Take the current controversy⁵. I have to admit we really blew the way we let those attorneys go. You know you botched it when people sympathize with lawyers.
Speaking of subpoenas⁶, it's good to see Speaker Pelosi tonight. Well, some have wondered how the two of us would get along. Some say she's bossy⁷, she's opinionated, she's not to be crossed. Hey, I get along with my mother.
But between the Congress and the press, there is a lot of scrutiny⁸ in this job. Not a day goes by that I don't get scrutineered one way or the other. The press is a lot tougher the second term. It's reached the point I sometimes call on Helen Thomas just to hear a friendly voice.
No matter how tough it gets, however, I have no intention of becoming a lame⁹ duck President -- unless, of course, Cheney accidentally shoots me in the leg. Hey, I have 664 days left in the White House. So technically¹⁰, I'm a temporary guest worker. Considering what's next -- President Clinton, of course, wrote a very successful presidential memoir¹¹, with 10,000 pages or something. I'm thinking of something really fun and creative for mine -- you know, maybe a pop-up book.
I'm considering a number of titles -- which do you like? "How W Got His Groove¹² Back." "Who Moved My Presidency¹³?" Or, "Tuesdays With Cheney"?
By the way, I'm not sure whether or not Senator Obama is here -- the last I heard he was not coming to the Radio and TV Correspondents dinner -- not enough press. People Magazine recently had a photo of the Senator there on the beach in Hawaii, his sleek¹⁴, hairless pecs glistening¹⁵ in the surf. It shows how biased¹⁶ the press is. Have you ever seen a shot like that of Denny Hastert?
Before I sit down, I do want to say a couple of things. I'm very happy one person who could not be here last year is here tonight, and that's Bob Woodruff. Bob, we know it hasn't been easy. We admire you all the more for what you've overcome, and what you're still overcoming.
And, Ava and Christine and Nicole Bloom, many of us knew your dad. I know life is hard without him. He was such a fine guy. But one thing we've all seen this evening is that he has fine daughters and I know he would be really proud of you.
Someone who is not here tonight is Tony Snow. When Tony called me and told me the outcome of his surgery, my heart just sank. But I know Tony is a fighter. And, Tony, we're all looking forward to the day when you come back to the White House.
Last week we all heard the news about Elizabeth Edwards, and again, your heart just sinks for what she and her family faces. And so, to Bob Woodruff, the Bloom girls, Elizabeth Edwards, Tony Snow, and of course, our men and women in uniform, Laura and I and millions of other Americans are praying for you and your families.
May God bless you, and thank you very much.

[1]: Virginia's Democratic senator, Jim Webb, had to explain this week why an aide was carrying a loaded handgun as he tried to enter a Capitol complex building.
[2]: Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a campaign contributor during a weekend quail¹⁷ hunt on a friend's South Texas ranch¹⁸.
[3]: Vice President Dick Cheney's recent trip to Afghanistan was marked by a bombing near where he was meeting with officials.
[4]: Helen Thomas (born August 4, 1920) is a noted¹⁹ news service reporter, a Hearst Newspapers columnist²⁰, and member of the White House Press Corps²¹.
[5]: Daniel Hechter is internationally recognized brand by those who appreciate a sure sense of style, cosmopolitan²² flair²³ and understated confidence.
[6]: Bob Woodruff (born August 18, 1961) is an American television journalist, who was seriously injured in an explosion from an improvised²⁴ explosive device near Taji, Iraq, about 12 miles north of Baghdad.
[7]: Tony Snow, (born June 1, 1955) is the current White House Press Secretary for George W. Bush.On March 27, 2007, the White House announced that the his abdominal²⁵ growth was cancerous and had metastasized to Snow's liver.

1 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

2 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。

3 withdrawn   

vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出

参考例句：

• Our force has been withdrawn from the danger area.我们的军队已从危险地区撤出。
• All foreign troops should be withdrawn to their own countries.一切外国军队都应撤回本国去。

4 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。

5 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

6 subpoenas   

n.（传唤出庭的）传票( subpoena的名词复数 )v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• My company has complied with committee subpoenas by supplying documents confirming all that I have said. 本公司按照委员会的要求，提供了能够证实我刚才发言的文件。 来自辞典例句
• Congressional Investigations: Subpoenas and Contempt Power. Report for Congress April 2, 2003. 金灿荣：《美国国会的监督功能》，载《教学与研究》2003年第2期。 来自互联网

7 bossy   

adj.爱发号施令的，作威作福的

参考例句：

• She turned me off with her bossy manner.她态度专橫很讨我嫌。
• She moved out because her mother-in-law is too bossy.她的婆婆爱指使人,所以她搬出去住了。

8 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

9 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

10 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

11 memoir   

n.[pl.]回忆录，自传；记事录

参考例句：

• He has just published a memoir in honour of his captain.他刚刚出了一本传记来纪念他的队长。
• In her memoir,the actress wrote about the bittersweet memories of her first love.在那个女演员的自传中，她写到了自己苦乐掺半的初恋。

12 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

13 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

14 sleek   

adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢

参考例句：

• Women preferred sleek,shiny hair with little decoration.女士们更喜欢略加修饰的光滑闪亮型秀发。
• The horse's coat was sleek and glossy.这匹马全身润泽有光。

15 glistening   

adj.闪耀的，反光的v.湿物闪耀，闪亮( glisten的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼里闪着晶莹的泪花。
• Her eyes were glistening with tears. 她眼睛中的泪水闪着柔和的光。 来自《用法词典》

16 biased   

a.有偏见的

参考例句：

• a school biased towards music and art 一所偏重音乐和艺术的学校
• The Methods: They employed were heavily biased in the gentry's favour. 他们采用的方法严重偏袒中上阶级。

17 quail   

n.鹌鹑；vi.畏惧，颤抖

参考例句：

• Cowards always quail before the enemy.在敌人面前，胆小鬼们总是畏缩不前的。
• Quail eggs are very high in cholesterol.鹌鹑蛋胆固醇含量高。

18 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

19 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

20 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

21 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

22 cosmopolitan   

adj.世界性的，全世界的，四海为家的，全球的

参考例句：

• New York is a highly cosmopolitan city.纽约是一个高度世界性的城市。
• She has a very cosmopolitan outlook on life.她有四海一家的人生观。

23 flair   

n.天赋，本领，才华；洞察力

参考例句：

• His business skill complements her flair for design.他的经营技巧和她的设计才能相辅相成。
• He had a natural flair for business.他有做生意的天分。

24 improvised   

a.即席而作的,即兴的

参考例句：

• He improvised a song about the football team's victory. 他即席创作了一首足球队胜利之歌。
• We improvised a tent out of two blankets and some long poles. 我们用两条毛毯和几根长竿搭成一个临时帐蓬。

25 abdominal   

adj.腹（部）的，下腹的；n.腹肌

参考例句：

• The abdominal aorta is normally smaller than the thoracic aorta.腹主动脉一般比胸主动脉小。
• Abdominal tissues sometimes adhere after an operation.手术之后腹部有时会出现粘连。