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VOA标准英语 Obama Faces 100 Days Test

时间:2009-05-15 01:25:31

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President Barack Obama is going through a rite1 of political passage this week - he is marking his first 100 days in office. The significance of the 100 days marker goes back to the presidency2 of Franklin Roosevelt, who assumed power at the height of the Great Depression in 1933, and his first priority was reassuring3 the public that better days were ahead.

"You people must have faith. You must not be stampeded by rumors4 or guesses. Let us unite in banishing5 fear," he said.
 
A statue of President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, DC

Roosevelt was a master communicator and the first president to make effective use of the radio to build public support.

Roosevelt's ambitious legislative6 program aimed at reviving the economy and his decisive leadership style remain the gold standard for how a new president takes charge in the first 100 days in office.

Other presidents had to cope with domestic and foreign policy stumbles in their first 100 days.

In 1961, President John Kennedy took responsibility for the disastrous7 Bay of Pigs invasion involving U.S.-supported Cuban exiles trying to overthrow8 the government of Fidel Castro.

For Kennedy, it was an early political setback9 for a president untested on the world stage.

"On that unhappy island, as in some many other arenas10 in the contest for freedom, the news has grown worse instead of better," he said.

President Barack Obama faced an incredibly daunting11 economic situation in his first 100 days in office.

In some ways, Mr. Obama has modeled his initial approach in office on that of Franklin Roosevelt, mindful of Roosevelt's ability to communicate with the public and convey harsh realities and hope at the same time.

"By no means are we out of the woods just yet. But from where we stand, for the very first time, we are beginning to see glimmers12 of hope," he said.

Journalists and political experts are spending a lot of time evaluating Mr. Obama's first 100 days in office, even though many of them acknowledge the 100 days mark is an arbitrary number.

Stephen Hess is a political scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington:

"It is a useful way to assess each individual president, not in historical terms, but just looking back and saying how have they gotten off the ground," said Hess.
 
Treasury13 Secretary Timothy Geithner looks on as President Barack Obama makes remarks on housing refinancing, Thursday, April 9, 2009, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House in Washington

Political analyst14 Stuart Rothenberg says the president's early and continuing popularity is in large part due to Mr. Obama's ability to convince voters that he is willing to tackle the nation's economic problems head-on.

"You have to say the one thing that he has done is he has brought a fresh spirit to the American public, a sense of at least partial relief that the government is trying to turn the economy around, is hands-on, understands people's problems, and that is really important," Rothenberg said.

Opposition15 Republicans accuse the president of wanting to follow a far-left economic and social agenda, and they warn that his government spending plans will result in a huge jump in the national debt.

But analyst Rothenberg says so far, Mr. Obama has been able to deflect16 some of the partisan17 criticism.

"The strengths are clearly his personal ability to communicate with people, to communicate with the American public and to motivate and to change the mood in the country. And he has done a good job, I think, in trying to reach out to all Americans and not running a particularly partisan presidency, at least in rhetoric," he added.

But Republicans also complain that Mr. Obama has so far failed to follow through on his campaign promise to change the political tone in Washington and reach out to the opposition party.

That complaint may be highlighted in the next 100 days and beyond as the president moves to tackle politically divisive issues like health care reform and energy independence.

Brookings Institution expert Stephen Hess says Mr. Obama should push as much of his agenda as he can early on to maximize his political leverage18.

"This is a good way to proceed because a president is never as popular and never has as much public support as when he first gets elected, otherwise it's like an hourglass with the sand running out, so take advantage of that honeymoon19 knowing full well that you are not nearly going to get all that you propose," he said.

President Obama enjoys solid public support as he marks his first 100 days in office. The latest New York Times-CBS News poll shows his approval rating at 68 percent, while a Washington Post-ABC News poll registered his approval at 69 percent.


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 rite yCmzq     
n.典礼,惯例,习俗
参考例句:
  • This festival descends from a religious rite.这个节日起源于宗教仪式。
  • Most traditional societies have transition rites at puberty.大多数传统社会都为青春期的孩子举行成人礼。
2 presidency J1HzD     
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。
3 reassuring vkbzHi     
a.使人消除恐惧和疑虑的,使人放心的
参考例句:
  • He gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. 他轻拍了一下她的肩膀让她放心。
  • With a reassuring pat on her arm, he left. 他鼓励地拍了拍她的手臂就离开了。
4 rumors 2170bcd55c0e3844ecb4ef13fef29b01     
n.传闻( rumor的名词复数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷v.传闻( rumor的第三人称单数 );[古]名誉;咕哝;[古]喧嚷
参考例句:
  • Rumors have it that the school was burned down. 有谣言说学校给烧掉了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Rumors of a revolt were afloat. 叛变的谣言四起。 来自《简明英汉词典》
5 banishing 359bf2285192b48a299687d5082c4aed     
v.放逐,驱逐( banish的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • And he breathes out fast, like a king banishing a servant. 他呼气则非常迅速,像一个国王驱逐自己的奴仆。 来自互联网
  • Banishing genetic disability must therefore be our primary concern. 消除基因缺陷是我们的首要之急。 来自互联网
6 legislative K9hzG     
n.立法机构,立法权;adj.立法的,有立法权的
参考例句:
  • Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
  • Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。
7 disastrous 2ujx0     
adj.灾难性的,造成灾害的;极坏的,很糟的
参考例句:
  • The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
  • Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨,血本无归。
8 overthrow PKDxo     
v.推翻,打倒,颠覆;n.推翻,瓦解,颠覆
参考例句:
  • After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后,这个国家处于混乱中。
  • The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。
9 setback XzuwD     
n.退步,挫折,挫败
参考例句:
  • Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
  • She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。
10 arenas 199b9126e4f57770e1c427caf458ae03     
表演场地( arena的名词复数 ); 竞技场; 活动或斗争的场所或场面; 圆形运动场
参考例句:
  • Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
  • Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗?
11 daunting daunting     
adj.使人畏缩的
参考例句:
  • They were faced with the daunting task of restoring the house.他们面临着修复房子的艰巨任务。
  • Starting a new job can be a daunting prospect.开始一项新工作有时会让人望而却步。
12 glimmers 31ee558956f925b5af287eeee5a2a321     
n.微光,闪光( glimmer的名词复数 )v.发闪光,发微光( glimmer的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • A faint lamp glimmers at the end of the passage. 一盏昏暗的灯在走廊尽头发出微弱的光线。 来自互联网
  • The first glimmers of an export-led revival are apparent. 拉动出库复苏的第一缕曙光正出现。 来自互联网
13 treasury 7GeyP     
n.宝库;国库,金库;文库
参考例句:
  • The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
  • This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。
14 analyst gw7zn     
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家
参考例句:
  • What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务?
  • The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。
15 opposition eIUxU     
n.反对,敌对
参考例句:
  • The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
  • The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。
16 deflect RxvxG     
v.(使)偏斜,(使)偏离,(使)转向
参考例句:
  • Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
  • They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。
17 partisan w4ZzY     
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。
18 leverage 03gyC     
n.力量,影响;杠杆作用,杠杆的力量
参考例句:
  • We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
  • He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力,他的计划失败了。
19 honeymoon ucnxc     
n.蜜月(假期);vi.度蜜月
参考例句:
  • While on honeymoon in Bali,she learned to scuba dive.她在巴厘岛度蜜月时学会了带水肺潜水。
  • The happy pair are leaving for their honeymoon.这幸福的一对就要去度蜜月了。

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