VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Marks First Major Presidential Achievemen

President Barack Obama marked his first major political achievement on Tuesday when he signed the economic stimulus¹ bill into law in Denver, Colorado. The question now, most analysts² say, is whether Mr. Obama will be able to build momentum³ with his stimulus victory for the political battles yet to come.
　
President Barack Obama signs the economic stimulus bill into law in Denver, Colorado, 17 Feb 2009

At the signing ceremony in Denver, President Obama described the stimulus plan as the essential work of keeping alive the American dream of economic prosperity.

"It is the beginning of the first steps to set our economy on a firmer foundation, paving the way to long term growth and prosperity," he said.

The stimulus plan is a combination of government spending and tax cuts aimed at jump-starting the economy by creating jobs and boosting consumer spending.

Mr. Obama made passage of the plan his top priority in the early days of his administration. Even some of his critics acknowledged it was an impressive political debut⁴.

Karl Rove, the political strategist for former President George Bush, spoke⁵ on NBC television's Today program.

"It is a great accomplishment⁶, 667 hours and 10 minutes - that is how long the president has been president, and they got this bill done in less than that time," he said. "On the other hand, it was rushed at the end."

Even with the stimulus bill becoming law, the debate among economists⁷ over whether the plan will actually save or create jobs continues.

Economic experts Will Straw and Phillip Levy⁸ debated the plan on VOA's Encounter program.

"It has measures that will put Americans back to work. It has measures that will help those most affected⁹ by the crisis," said Straw.

"I think if we look at how we got into this crisis, we have a failure of the financial sector¹⁰, we have a downward spiral in the housing sector," Levy said. "And this plan doesn't really address either of those."

In his dealings with the Democratic-led Congress, President Obama took a bipartisan approach at first, hoping to win Republican support.

But in the end, only three Republicans supported the bill in the Senate, and no Republican voted for it in the House of Representatives.

Longtime political observer Tom DeFrank of the New York Daily News says the new president might have learned a lesson about the limits of bipartisanship.

"He's got a ways to go, but I think he should be applauded for trying," he said. "But I think even he and his aides are a little taken aback by how difficult it was to get the stimulus package through. He got virtually no Republican support."
　
President Barack Obama walks on South Lawn of the White House before departing for Denver to sign economic stimulus bill, 17 Feb. 2009

Nonetheless, Obama supporters are happy with quick congressional passage of the stimulus plan and offer it as a demonstration¹¹ of the president's calm, cool leadership style in a time of economic crisis.

"What I see is a man who has a remarkable¹² capacity to keep calm no matter how serious the currents that are flowing in politics," said former Democratic senator and presidential candidate George McGovern, who was a guest on VOA's Press Conference USA program.

Even supporters acknowledge that the massive stimulus plan is a huge gamble. But they say the federal government had to act, given the severity of the economic crisis.

Political expert Tom DeFrank told VOA's Issues in the News program that Mr. Obama showed great skill in getting the plan passed, and that now the president must hope it does what it is intended to do - revive the nation's economy.

"But I think the bottom line politically is that he has only been president a little more than a few weeks and he got, in pretty quick order, a huge stimulus package," he said. "Now, of course, it has to work."

Opinion polls show Mr. Obama remains¹³ popular with the public. But administration officials caution that it could be next year before there are signs of economic recovery. And analysts say the likelihood of more job losses in the months ahead could put the president's political skills to the test.

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 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

3 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

4 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

5 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。

6 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

7 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》

8 levy   

n.征收税或其他款项，征收额

参考例句：

• They levy a tax on him.他们向他征税。
• A direct food levy was imposed by the local government.地方政府征收了食品税。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

10 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

11 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

12 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

13 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。