voa标准英语2008年-Obama Announces Budget Team

President-elect Barack Obama made two more appointments to his economic team Tuesday and said budget reform was a major priority for his incoming administration. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
　

President-elect Barack Obama, flanked, by Budget Director-designate Peter Orszag, left, and Deputy Budget Director-designate Rob Nabors in Chicago, 25 Nov. 2008

At his campaign headquarters in Chicago, the president-elect announced that Peter Orszag will head the Office of Management and Budget.

Orszag is currently the director of the congressional budget office. Robert Nabors, a high-ranking congressional committee aide, will be Orszag's deputy.

Mr. Obama said budget reform was a necessity, not an option, and he said he will direct his new budget team to scour¹ the federal budget in search of cost savings² and inefficient³ government programs.

"We are going to go through our federal budget, as I promised during the campaign, page by page, line by line, eliminating those programs we don't need and insisting those that we do need operate in a sensible, cost-effective way," he said.

It was Mr. Obama's second news conference in as many days focused on turning around the ailing⁴ U.S. economy.
　

New York Federal Reserve Bank President Timothy Geithner (file photo)

On Monday, Mr. Obama named the key members of his economic team, including his nominee⁵ for Treasury⁶ secretary, Tim Geithner, and his main economic advisor⁷ in the White House, Lawrence Summers.

Mr. Obama and Democratic congressional leaders are working on an economic stimulus⁸ plan that could cost $500 billion. The hope is that the stimulus plan would save or create 2.5 million jobs over a two-year period.

Congressional leaders hope to have the plan ready for Mr. Obama's signature shortly after he takes office on January 20.

Mr. Obama said again Tuesday that he intends to focus full force on the economy in the early days of his administration.

"We don't intend to stumble into the next administration," he said. "We are going to hit the ground running. We are going to have clear plans of action. We intend to have the kind of economy recovery plan that is going to put 2.5 million people into jobs."

Meanwhile, the man Mr. Obama defeated in the election on November 4, Republican Senator John McCain of Arizona, held his first news conference since the election.
　

Sen. John McCain answers a question during a news conference about getting back to the job in the Senate, at McCain's offices in Phoenix9, 25 Nov. 2008

McCain said he intends to run for re-election to the Senate in two years, but laughed off the prospect¹⁰ of another run for president.

"We worked hard and we inspired a lot of people, Sarah Palin and I, and I think we look back with pride at the campaign we ran and accept very much that the people have made a decision. So, the decision that I am basically making is to continue to serve the state of Arizona and my country," he said.

Senator McCain praised some of President-elect Obama's appointments, especially the reported pick of Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano to be the next Homeland Security secretary.

McCain said he would soon visit Iraq and Afghanistan to assess the military situations there.

1 scour   

v.搜索；擦，洗，腹泻，冲刷

参考例句：

• Mother made me scour the family silver.母亲让我擦洗家里的银器。
• We scoured the telephone directory for clues.我们仔细查阅电话簿以寻找线索。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 inefficient   

adj.效率低的，无效的

参考例句：

• The inefficient operation cost the firm a lot of money.低效率的运作使该公司损失了许多钱。
• Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.他们的通讯系统效率非常差。

4 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。

5 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。

6 treasury   

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。

7 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

8 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

9 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

10 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。