VOA常速英语2021--美国卫生部长称拜登的疫苗强制令是合理的

U.S. weather authorities warned on Sunday that Tropical Storm Nicholas will bring heavy rain and potential flash flooding to parts of the U.S. Gulf¹ Coast.

美国气象部门周日警告称，热带风暴尼古拉斯将给美国墨西哥湾部分地区带来暴雨，并可能引发山洪暴发。

Some of the heaviest rain from the storm is expected to fall in areas of Louisiana recently devastated² by Hurricane Ida.

风暴带来的一些最强降雨预计将落在最近被飓风艾达摧毁的路易斯安那州地区。

Any heavy rain or flash flooding will further impede³ efforts to rebuild homes and infrastructure⁴ in that area.

任何暴雨或洪水都将进一步阻碍该地区重建房屋和基础设施的工作。

Coastal⁵ areas in Texas and Louisiana are expected to see 12 to 25 centimeters of rainfall in the next few days, the National Hurricane Center said.

美国国家飓风中心称，预计未来几天德克萨斯州和路易斯安那州沿海地区的降雨量将达到12至25厘米。

The Center also issued hurricane watches and storm surge warnings for parts of the Texas and Louisiana coast.

该中心还发布了德克萨斯州和路易斯安那州海岸部分地区的飓风监测和风暴潮警告。

Louisiana Public Service Commission says a little over six percent of the homes in Louisiana are still without power two weeks after Hurricane Ida.

路易斯安那州公共服务委员会表示，飓风艾达过去两周后，路易斯安那州仍有6%多一点的家庭处于断电状态。

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on Sunday defended President Joe Biden's new directives requiring millions of workers to get vaccinated⁶ against the coronavirus under the possible threat of losing their jobs although there is widespread opposition⁷ from Republican state governors.

美国卫生部长维韦克·莫西周日为乔·拜登总统的新指令进行了辩护，该指令要求数百万工作者在可能失去工作的威胁下接种冠状病毒疫苗，尽管共和党州长普遍反对。

Murthy told ABC's "This Week" that the step is not unusual, but instead, is an appropriate response.

莫西在接受美国广播公司“本周”节目采访时表示，这一举措并非不同寻常，而是一种恰当的反应。

With about 150,000 new Delta⁸ variant⁹ coronavirus cases and 1,500 more deaths being recorded daily in the United States, Biden last week directed businesses with more than 100 employees to mandate¹⁰ vaccinations¹² for their workers.

随着美国每天新增约15万例德尔塔变种感染病例和1500多例死亡病例，拜登上周指示拥有超过100名员工的企业强制员工接种疫苗。

Employees who refused to get vaccinated would undergo weekly testing for COVID-19.

拒绝接种疫苗的员工将每周接受新冠检测。

The president also ordered about two and a half million federal workers employed by the national government to get the shot if they haven't already.

总统还命令约250万受雇于国家政府的联邦工作人员接种疫苗，如果他们还没有接种的话。

He ended a previous option for government employees to opt¹³ out of a vaccination¹¹ in favor of weekly tests.

他终止了之前政府雇员可以选择不接种疫苗，而选择接受每周检测的做法。

Republican Governor Pete Ricketts of Nebraska told the "Fox News Sunday" that the president's orders are, in his words, "an egregious¹⁴ overreach" by the national government.

内布拉斯加州共和党州长皮特·里基茨在“福克斯周日新闻”中表示，用他的话来说，总统的命令是国家政府“过分的越权行为”。

He said, "You shouldn't have to make a choice between keeping your job or getting a jab in the arm. There's just a lot of people who don't know what to trust right now."

他说：“你不应该在保住饭碗和胳膊挨针之间做出选择。现在有很多人不知道该相信什么。”

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

3 impede   

v.妨碍，阻碍，阻止

参考例句：

• One shouldn't impede other's progress.一个人不应该妨碍他人进步。
• The muddy roads impede our journey.我们的旅游被泥泞的道路阻挠了。

4 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。

5 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

6 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

7 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。

8 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

9 variant   

adj.不同的，变异的；n.变体，异体

参考例句：

• We give professional suggestions according to variant tanning stages for each customer.我们针对每位顾客不同的日晒阶段，提供强度适合的晒黑建议。
• In a variant of this approach,the tests are data- driven.这个方法的一个变种，是数据驱动的测试。

10 mandate   

n.托管地；命令，指示

参考例句：

• The President had a clear mandate to end the war.总统得到明确的授权结束那场战争。
• The General Election gave him no such mandate.大选并未授予他这种权力。

11 vaccination   

n.接种疫苗，种痘

参考例句：

• Vaccination is a preventive against smallpox.种痘是预防天花的方法。
• Doctors suggest getting a tetanus vaccination every ten years.医生建议每十年注射一次破伤风疫苗。

12 vaccinations   

n.种痘，接种( vaccination的名词复数 )；牛痘疤

参考例句：

• Vaccinations ensure one against diseases. 接种疫苗可以预防疾病。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I read some publicity about vaccinations while waiting my turn at the doctor's. 在医生那儿候诊时，我读了一些关于接种疫苗的宣传。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

14 egregious   

adj.非常的，过分的

参考例句：

• When it comes to blatant lies,there are none more egregious than budget figures.谈到公众谎言，没有比预算数字更令人震惊的。
• What an egregious example was here!现摆着一个多么触目惊心的例子啊。