VOA标准英语2010年-US Congress Waging Fierce Final Battle

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Democratic Party allies in Congress are making one last push for health care reform after more than a year of debate.  Republicans and grass roots conservative activists¹ are making their own last ditch attempt to block the health care bill, and the passionate³ battle over reform has spread from the halls of Congress into the streets surrounding the Capitol. 

They have come to Washington from across the country in a combative⁴ mood with one mission in mind - to stop President Obama's health care bill.

Opposition⁵ Republicans bent⁶ on killing⁷ the bill like Indiana Congressman⁸ Mike Pence whip the  crowd into a frenzy⁹.

"Let's go from here," he said "Let's scrap¹⁰ the bill.  Let's build health care reform that respects the limited government and liberty of the American people, so help us God!" 

Grassroots conservatives, many of them members of the so-called Tea Party movement, are out in force at the rally, eager to spread their anti-Obama, anti-tax, anti-big government message.

For many of these activists, stopping health care reform is the first step toward defeating Democrats¹¹ in Congress in November and President Obama in 2012.

They are rallying around Minnesota Republican Representative Michele Bachmann and other rising conservative stars.

"And we are going to win in November and President Obama will be a one-term president!," said Michele Bachmann.

After more than a year of debate, the president is equally determined¹² to make one last push for health care, including a recent stop in Ohio.

"And so I am calling on Congress to pass these reforms and I am going to sign them into law," said President Obama. "I want some courage.  I want us to do the right thing, Ohio, and with your help we are going to make it happen!" 
Democrats need every vote to pass Mr. Obama's top domestic priority,  and the president did win over one liberal holdout.

"I've decided¹³ to cast a vote in favor of the legislation," said Dennis Kucinich.

Congressman Dennis Kucinich

 Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich had opposed the bill because he said it did not go far enough.  Now he says Mr. Obama's presidency¹⁴ may hang in the balance.

"How can we empower our president and the Congress and the government to start to move the country forward, notwithstanding the differences we have," he said.

But even on the political left, not everyone is happy.

Health care activists who favor a more comprehensive approach to reform staged their own protest outside the Capitol, complete with signs and even a special song for the occasion.

Donna Smith is a cancer survivor¹⁵ and health care activist².  She had hoped President Obama would fight harder for comprehensive reform.

"I ended up bankrupted by cancer and by my husband's serious illness," she said. "That should not be happening in this country, and this bill doesn't stop that, that is my concern.  So, am I disappointed?  Sure, absolutely."

Despite the objections from both the left and right, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi remains¹⁶ confident that Democrats will prevail in the health care battle.

"We will do what is necessary to pass a health care bill to improve quality, lower cost and make America healthier," said Nancy Pelosi.

With passions running high on both sides of the health care debate, it's likely they will only intensify¹⁷ in the hours leading up to final congressional action.
 

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

4 combative   

adj.好战的；好斗的

参考例句：

• Mr. Obama has recently adopted a more combative tone.奥巴马总统近来采取了一种更有战斗性的语调。
• She believes that women are at least as combative as are.她相信女性至少和男性一样好斗。

5 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

6 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 frenzy   

n.疯狂，狂热，极度的激动

参考例句：

• He was able to work the young students up into a frenzy.他能激起青年学生的狂热。
• They were singing in a frenzy of joy.他们欣喜若狂地高声歌唱。

10 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

11 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》

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

14 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

15 survivor   

n.生存者，残存者，幸存者

参考例句：

• The sole survivor of the crash was an infant.这次撞车的惟一幸存者是一个婴儿。
• There was only one survivor of the plane crash.这次飞机失事中只有一名幸存者。

16 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。

17 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。