voa标准英语2008年-Obama And McCain Meet In Chicago

President-elect Barack Obama and his former Republican opponent Senator John McCain say they hope they can work together in the months ahead on a range of critical issues facing the country. The two former rivals met in Chicago Monday where they issued a joint¹ statement. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
　

US President-elect Barack Obama (R) meets with former Republican presidential candidate Arizona Senator John McCain at Obama's transition offices in Chicago, 17 Nov 2008

The two men met in President-elect Obama's transition headquarters in Chicago. It was their first meeting since the November 4 election.

Before the meeting began, Mr. Obama briefly² spoke³ with reporters.

"We are just going to have a good conversation about how we can do some work together to fix up the country, and also to offer thanks to Senator McCain for the outstanding service he has already rendered," said Mr. Obama.

Reporters asked Senator McCain if he planned to help the incoming Obama administration. McCain responded with one word - obviously.

Afterward⁴, the two men issued a joint statement that said Americans of all parties want their leaders to come together to change the bad habits of Washington. The statement went on to say that the two former rivals had a productive conversation about the need to launch a new era of reform to restore trust in government. Mr. Obama and Senator McCain also said they hope to work together on critical challenges like solving the financial crisis and protecting the nation's security.

The meeting came after a long and bruising⁵ presidential campaign in which the two rivals clashed over taxes, how to fix the ailing⁶ U.S. economy and the war in Iraq.

Senator McCain did give a gracious concession⁷ speech on election night, and he and Mr. Obama agreed to meet after McCain placed a concession phone call to the president-elect.

In an interview with the CBS program 60 Minutes, Mr. Obama said once he takes office in January he will do whatever it takes to stabilize⁸ the economy and create jobs.

Mr. Obama was also asked about his meeting last week with Senator Hillary Clinton and reports that he might ask her to be his secretary of state.

"She is somebody who I needed advice and counsel from. She is one of the most thoughtful public officials that we have. Beyond that, you are not getting anything out of me," he said.

Political experts note that the new president will face a wide range of challenges when he takes office on January 20. In addition to the economic situation, Mr. Obama will face military challenges in Iraq and Afghanistan, plus demands that he follow through on his domestic proposals on health care reform and energy policy.

William Galston of the Brookings Institution appeared on VOA's Encounter program.

"By the time he assumes office, I am quite sure that the central issue will continue to be overwhelmingly the condition of the economy," he said.. "And so, I would expect him to focus like a laser beam on the two aspects of this crisis, namely the meltdown of financial institutions and the spillover into the real economy, the threat of a recession that is both longer and deeper than anyone predicted just a few months ago," said Galston.

The Obama transition team is expected to announce additional White House staff appointments in the days ahead, as well as the first appointments to the new cabinet.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 briefly   

adv.简单地，简短地

参考例句：

• I want to touch briefly on another aspect of the problem.我想简单地谈一下这个问题的另一方面。
• He was kidnapped and briefly detained by a terrorist group.他被一个恐怖组织绑架并短暂拘禁。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

5 bruising   

adj.殊死的；十分激烈的v.擦伤(bruise的现在分词形式)

参考例句：

• He suffered cracked ribs and bruising. 他断了肋骨还有挫伤。
• He slipped and fell, badly bruising an elbow. 他滑倒了，一只胳膊肘严重擦伤。 来自辞典例句

6 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

7 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

8 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。