voa标准英语2008年-Bush Marks Last Thanksgiving as President

U.S. President George Bush is marking America's Thanksgiving holiday at Camp David - the presidential mountain retreat in Maryland. VOA White House Correspondent Paula Wolfson reports it will be a quiet holiday for the Bush family.
　

President George Bush boards Marine1 One on the South Lawn of the White House, prior to departing for Camp David for Thanksgiving, 26 Nov 2008

In his weekly radio address - released early to coincide with the holiday - Mr. Bush reflected on his last Thanksgiving Day as president.

He offered personal words of thanks to the American people.

"I am thankful for the good will, kind words and heartfelt prayers that so many of you have offered me during the past eight years," said President Bush. "I have been blessed to represent such decent, brave and caring people. For that, I will always be grateful and I will always be honored."

In his address, the president made special mention of Americans who serve their communities and their country - including members of the military who are far from home during the holiday season.

"Lately, I have been asked what I will miss about the presidency," said Mr. Bush. "And my answer is that I will miss being the Commander-in-Chief of these brave warriors². In this special time of year, when many of them are serving in distant lands, they are in the thoughts and prayers of all Americans."

Mr. Bush is expected to make holiday telephone calls to members of the military from Camp David on Thanksgiving Day.

He is scheduled to spend several days at the secluded³ mountain retreat with members of his immediate⁴ family.

President-elect Barack Obama will be observing Thanksgiving at his home in suburban⁵ Chicago, with a houseful of guests.

On Wednesday, the president-elect, his wife and their two children volunteered at a Chicago church, handing out food to the needy⁶. He said he wanted to make sure his daughters realize how fortunate they are and to impress upon them the importance of helping⁷ others.

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• 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。

2 warriors   

武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• I like reading the stories ofancient warriors. 我喜欢读有关古代武士的故事。
• The warriors speared the man to death. 武士们把那个男子戳死了。

3 secluded   

adj.与世隔绝的；隐退的；偏僻的v.使隔开，使隐退( seclude的过去式和过去分词)

参考例句：

• Some people like to strip themselves naked while they have a swim in a secluded place. 一些人当他们在隐蔽的地方游泳时，喜欢把衣服脱光。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This charming cottage dates back to the 15th century and is as pretty as a picture, with its thatched roof and secluded garden. 这所美丽的村舍是15世纪时的建筑，有茅草房顶和宁静的花园，漂亮极了，简直和画上一样。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

6 needy   

adj.贫穷的，贫困的，生活艰苦的

参考例句：

• Although he was poor,he was quite generous to his needy friends.他虽穷，但对贫苦的朋友很慷慨。
• They awarded scholarships to needy students.他们给贫苦学生颁发奖学金。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。