2007年VOA标准英语-Controversial Moore Film Shown at Cannes

By Anita Elash
Paris
19 May 2007

The latest movie by the controversial U.S. filmmaker Michael Moore has opened at the Cannes Film Festival in France. Moore is known for his harsh criticism of American culture. This time, he is taking on the U.S. health care system. And the U.S. government is reported to be investigating whether it can take him to court. Anita Elash reports for the VOA.

American director Michael Moore pauses before answering questions at a press conference for the film 'Sicko,' at the Cannes, southern France 19 May 2007

Michael Moore is a favorite at the Cannes Film Festival. So when his film opened on Saturday in Cannes, it played to a packed house. The film is called "Sicko" (slang for sick), and its main message is that the U.S. health care system is driven by private industry greed. The film asks why 50 million Americans have no health care coverage¹, and why many who have health insurance still have trouble getting treatment.

Moore told a news conference he hopes the U.S. government will get the message.

 "It is my profound hope that people will listen this time with this film because I don't want to wait ten or twenty years before we have universal health coverage in America and I don't want to wait before we as Americans take a look into our soul so that we can become better citizens in this world," he said.

Moore's last film, Fahrenheit² 9/11, criticized U.S. President George Bush, especially for his reaction to the September eleventh attacks and the U.S. invasion of Iraq. The film won the top prize at Cannes in 2004.

This time, the U.S. government apparently³ has Moore in its sights. To make "Sicko," he traveled to Cuba with some rescue workers who became ill after cleaning up debris⁴ from the terror attacks in New York. In the film, he shows them getting health care in Cuba that he says was unavailable to them in the United States.

The U.S. treasury⁵ department is reported to be investigating Moore for having possibly violated the ban on travel to Cuba. Moore says he could face prison, but the U.S. government has not commented.  The film is scheduled to open in the U.S. at the end of June.

1 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

2 Fahrenheit   

n./adj.华氏温度；华氏温度计(的)

参考例句：

• He was asked for the boiling point of water in Fahrenheit.他被问到水的沸点是华氏多少度。
• The thermometer reads 80 degrees Fahrenheit.寒暑表指出华氏80度。

3 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

4 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

5 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。