2007年VOA标准英语-Rock Star Sheryl Crow Adds Voice to Fight Again

By Rosanne Skirble
Washington
01 April 2007

The wife of presidential candidate John Edwards renewed her fight against breast cancer this week. Elizabeth Edwards is one of three million women in the United States living with the disease. Of the 275,000 new cases diagnosed each year, 40,000 die. As VOA's Rosanne Skirble reports, breast cancer survivor¹ and rock star Sheryl Crow was on Capitol Hill [Wednesday] to add her support for new breast cancer legislation.

 

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Singer and breast cancer survivor and activist Sheryl Crow

When Grammy award winner Sheryl Crow has something to say about politics or her personal life, it usually comes out in her lyrics³.

What Crow had to say this time was directed to members of the U.S. Congress. Diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago, she was on Capitol Hill to urge lawmakers to pass the 2007 Breast Cancer Environmental Research Act now before the Congress. "I'm really encouraged about this bill. I feel like the eyes of America are on us at this moment. We are moving forward. We are getting closer. We are not leaving any stone unturned. We have to look at the environment. We can not ignore it anymore," she says.

The bill calls for $40 million a year over five years to study the role the environment plays in breast cancer risk. Crow says this would be money well-spent. "We are not asking for money that is going to be taken away from the [national medical research] labs. We are not asking for less research monies to go to scientists. What we are asking for is more money. Now is not the time to be cutting money in cancer research," she says.

That message was not lost on the half dozen members of congress who shared the podium with Crow, including Senate majority leader and the bill's co-sponsor, Harry⁴ Reid. "I strongly believe that the environment is an area that we need to look [at] to find out why so many women are being diagnosed with breast cancer," he said.

Reid said he is outraged⁵ that an American woman has a one-in-eight chance of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. He assured Crow and advocates with the National Breast Cancer Coalition⁶ Fund that he would push the bill forward. "We are going to bring the bill to the floor and if it takes cloture vote after cloture vote, we are going to have the Senate dispose of this issue," he said.

That promise was echoed by House member and bill co-sponsor Lois Capps, a leader in the Congressional Women's Caucus⁷. "This bill must pass," she said. "I know that we are going to take this issue and make a difference in the cancer community all through the country and that is going to affect every one of our lives. So, thank you all for your support in this. I am very pleased to be a part of this team."

The law would establish breast cancer and environmental research centers to investigate causes of the disease. The bill has been introduced numerous times over eight years, but has always failed to pass. The bi-partisan members at the news conference assured Crow and advocates that this time would be different.

Crow said she is taking them at their word. "I'm very encouraged that it is going to happen this year," she said. "Also yesterday in [my] meeting with the women's [congressional] caucus I think the goal really was to get the bill marked up and passed by mother's day!"

1 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

4 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。

5 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

6 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

7 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。