VOA标准英语2010年-Bill Clinton, Bill Gates Press US Cong

There was a different kind of health care debate Wednesday on Capitol Hill.  The topic was how the United States can best build on the success of its global efforts to combat AIDS and malaria¹.  Members of Congress received advice from two leaders in global health - a former U.S. president and a technology tycoon².

Bill Clinton and Bill Gates sat side-by-side at a witness table before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Their goal:  to convince Congress to spend more to fight disease and provide basic medical services in some of the poorest countries around the world.

Former President Clinton called it a "moral imperative," and a foreign policy priority. "This is not complicated," he said. "When people think you care whether their kids live or die, they like you pretty well!"

And to those concerned about the cost of foreign aid, Mr. Clinton said it costs far less to save lives than to lose them in battle. "We have to build a world with more partners and fewer adversaries,"  he said.

The former president cited Haiti as an example of a country where the link between health and security is strong. "If we can build a healthy Haiti and one where the economy works well, then there is much less incentive³ for it to be a drug transshipment point," he said.

Together, the William J. Clinton, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundations have saved countless⁴ lives in the world's poorest countries.

The Gates Foundation has invested billions of dollars in AIDS prevention and treatment, and other health challenges.  And the Clinton Foundation has worked with drug manufacturers to get medicines to those most in need.

Bill Gates - the founder⁵ of the Microsoft computer software firm - told the Senate committee that improving health is an important first step in bringing countries out of poverty, and making them stable and prosperous. "The countries we are talking about have terrible health problems.  We have to solve those problems to get them on the path to self-sufficiency," he said.

Gates said these efforts represent America at its best. "I do think this work has a substantial impact on how the country is viewed - a willingness to take our science, our innovation and have it benefit the poorest people in the world," he said.

Congress is working on legislation to fund an expanded U.S. government role in global health.  Unlike the debate over domestic health care reform, there has been a remarkable⁶ degree of bipartisanship in promoting health internationally.

Wisconsin Democrat⁷ Russ Feingold has worked on Senate legislation to fund the global battle against malaria and AIDS. "This has been an area at a time when people despair of bipartisanship - bipartisanship has been superb on both of these issues for years and, I think, Americans should know,"

The programs that form the basis for President Barack Obama's global health initiative were launched by his predecessor⁸, George W. Bush.  Top Democratic and Republican lawmakers are involved in drafting legislation to expand America's global health role. 
 

1 malaria   

n.疟疾

参考例句：

• He had frequent attacks of malaria.他常患疟疾。
• Malaria is a kind of serious malady.疟疾是一种严重的疾病。

2 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

3 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

6 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。