NPR边听边练311：美国的不平等

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　　一、泛听建议：

　　1、完整听一遍，掌握大意。

　　2、继续听，特别注意关键信息。遇到相似的词，写下来。

　　President Obama is turning his attention back to two long _1_ negative trends in American life, income inequality and a lack of upward mobility¹. NPR's Mara Liasson has more.

　　奥巴马总统现在将关注焦点转回美国生活中两大长期存在的消极趋势，即收入不平等以及缺乏上升流动性。NPR新闻的玛拉·利亚森将带来详细报道。

　　President Obama told a familiar and _2_ story describing Americans who feel the decks is stacked against them and that the American dream just isn't possible anymore. It's relentless² trend he says that has gone on for decades.

　　奥巴马总统讲述了一个既熟悉又令人沮丧的故事来描述那些感到情况对他们不利的美国人以及那些认为美国梦没有可能的人。他表示，这种趋势几十年来都没有停止过。

　　"That's a dangerous and _3_ inequality and lack of upward mobility that has jeopardized³ middle-class America's basic bargain: that if you work hard, you had a chance to get ahead."

　　“持续增加的不平等以及上升流行动缺乏现象非常危险，而且损害了美国中产阶级的基本利益，即只要努力工作就有机会获得成功。”

　　The president says this is the _4_ challenge of our time and to address it, he asked Congress once again to fund universal preschool, invest in education and infrastructure⁴ and raise the minimum wage. None of that is likely anytime soon, but the president says he'll continue to _5_ these issues for the rest of his term. Mara Liasson, NPR News, the White House.

　　总统表示，这是我们这个时代面临的重大挑战，为了解决这一问题，他再次要求国会为普及性早期教育拨款，在教育、基础设施方面投资，并提高最低工资。这其中没有一个可以马上实现，但是总统表示，他在任期之内将继续关注这些问题。NPR新闻，玛拉·利亚森白宫报道。

　　词汇解析：

　　1. be stacked against

　　情况对…不利；

　　eg. Everything seems to be stacked against us.

　　一切好像都对我们不利。

　　eg. And many are fed up with a system in which the deck seems stacked against middle-class Americans in favor of the wealthiest few.

　　许多人厌倦了似乎总是对美国中产阶级不利而对富有的少数人有利的这样一种体制。

　　eg. Mary is running for president of the student council, but the cards are stacked against her.

　　玛丽正角逐学生会主席，但情况于她不利。

　　2. get ahead

　　进步；获得成功；

　　eg. He wanted safety, security, a home, and a chance to get ahead.

　　他希望能获得人身安全和保障，能组建家庭并且有机会在事业上大展宏图。

　　eg. The young man worked very hard and soon began to get ahead.

　　那个年轻人很勤奋，他的事业很快有了进展。

　　参考答案：

　　1、standing 2、depressing 3、growing

　　4、defining 5、focus on

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