VOA标准英语2009年-US Senate Passes $838 Billion Economic Stimulus

The U.S. Senate has passed an $838 billion economic stimulus¹ bill, designed to create millions of new jobs and jolt² the economy out of recession. President Barack Obama called the vote "good news," but he cautioned there is more work to be done to turn the economy around.
　
Senate Majority Leader Harry³ Reid in Washington after Senate passed stimulus bill 10 Feb. 2009.

The vote in the Senate on Tuesday was 61 to 37, with only three Republicans joining majority Democrats⁴ to approve the massive economic recovery package, which combines government spending and tax cuts.

The three Republicans who crossed the aisle⁵ to support the measure are Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, and Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania. Ailing⁶ Democratic Senator Ted⁷ Kennedy, who has brain cancer, made his way to the Senate floor to cast his vote to make sure Democrats had the 60 votes needed.

President Obama got word of the bill's passage while he attending a town hall meeting in the economically-stricken area of Fort Myers, Florida. He interrupted his question-and-answer session to share the news, bringing members of the crowd to their feet to cheer.
　
President Barack Obama smiles upon his arrival at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Fla., 10 Feb 2009

"That's good news and I want to thank all of the members of the Senate who have moved the process forward," the president said. "We've still got to get the House bill and the Senate bill to match up before it gets sent to my desk, so we got a little more work to do over the next couple of days. But it's a good start. And you know why it passed - because they knew I was coming down to Fort Myers and they did not want to mess with people in Fort Myers. Right!

As Mr. Obama pointed⁸ out, the Senate measure now must be reconciled with a slightly different version of the bill adopted by the House of Representatives, before he can sign the final version into law. The president has urged the two chambers⁹ to quickly pass a compromise bill, saying that every day of delay means more Americans lose their jobs, their savings¹⁰ and their homes.

Just before Tuesday's Senate vote, Senate Minority leader, Republican Mitch McConnell spoke¹¹ for most Republican lawmakers in their rejection¹² of the economic stimulus plan. "This bill misses the mark. It is full of waste; we have no assurance it will create jobs or revive the economy," McConnell said. "The only thing we know for sure is that it increases our debt and locks in bigger and bigger interest payments every single year."

Democratic Senator Max Baucus disagreed with his colleague. He agreed with most Democrats that with the economy in steep decline, the only solution is for the government to stimulate¹³ recovery by spending.

"Every single dollar in this bill is stimulative¹⁴. Every dollar. All economists¹⁵ will say that," said Baucus.

Democratic Senate Majority leader Harry Reid promised to try to hammer out the details of a compromise measure with House leaders, and to get a final version of the stimulus package to the president as soon as possible.

1 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。

2 jolt   

v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸

参考例句：

• We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
• They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。

3 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。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

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 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

10 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。

11 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。

12 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

13 stimulate   

vt.刺激，使兴奋；激励，使…振奋

参考例句：

• Your encouragement will stimulate me to further efforts.你的鼓励会激发我进一步努力。
• Success will stimulate the people for fresh efforts.成功能鼓舞人们去作新的努力。

14 stimulative   

n.刺激，促进因素adj.刺激的，激励的，促进的

参考例句：

• Do you want to enjoy the absolutely stimulative experience? 你想享受魔兽游戏带来的绝对刺激的体验吗？ 来自互联网
• Discussed follow pattern of demand, the way that stimulative technology progresses. 探讨了遵循供求规律，促进技术进步的途径。 来自互联网

15 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》