VOA标准英语2012--Florida Primary Voters Focused on Economy

Florida Primary Voters Focused on Economy

If you are looking for the good life in central Florida, you could do a lot worse than Winter Park near Orlando. The calendar may say January, but the sunshine draws locals outside for a glass of wine and, in some cases, the taste of a good cigar.
Not far away, Orlando’s skyscrapers¹ beckon² as another workday begins with the ever-present presidential campaign as a backdrop. It is a different scene south of the city where abandoned stores and fenced-off lots tell a tale of broken dreams and a local economy still struggling to rebound³.
The candidates, including Mitt⁴ Romney, talk a lot about the economy in their speeches. Romney blames the president. “He is so detached from reality that he does not know what it’s like here in Florida," he said.
Romney supporter Lucia Mezzancello says there is only one issue for her. “Economy and jobs, one in the same. He is a job creator. His success can filter down," she said.
At the same rally, Bob Bowman worries about Florida’s depressed⁵ housing market. “I own three houses here in Florida. All of them are down [in value]. Luckily I do not have a mortgage on any of them, but if I were to try to sell one right now, I would be crying," he said.
Jobs and housing are also a focus for Romney’s main rival, Newt Gingrich.
The economy is clearly on the minds of Florida’s early voters including Van Tran, whose spa business recently closed. “I would like to see the economy turn around and come back the way we were before. I would love to see that and everyone is struggling, fighting for that," he said.
For Kathy McArthur, the issue is jobs. “If we want a stronger America then we can not send jobs overseas. We have to have them here," she said.
After the candidates move on, Florida will once again be left to face an uncertain future where the promise of the good life can often run headlong into a sobering economic reality.

1 skyscrapers   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• A lot of skyscrapers in Manhattan are rising up to the skies. 曼哈顿有许多摩天大楼耸入云霄。
• On all sides, skyscrapers rose like jagged teeth. 四周耸起的摩天大楼参差不齐。

2 beckon   

v.(以点头或打手势)向...示意，召唤

参考例句：

• She crooked her finger to beckon him.她勾勾手指向他示意。
• The wave for Hawaii beckon surfers from all around the world.夏威夷的海浪吸引着世界各地的冲浪者前来。

3 rebound   

v.弹回；n.弹回，跳回

参考例句：

• The vibrations accompanying the rebound are the earth quake.伴随这种回弹的振动就是地震。
• Our evil example will rebound upon ourselves.我们的坏榜样会回到我们自己头上的。

4 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

5 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。