奥巴马加入医疗改革运动

U.S. President Barack Obama's wife Michelle is joining her husband's campaign(运动) to reform the nation's health care system. The popular first lady is speaking out for the president's initiative, which has been losing support.

Mrs. Obama says health care reform is a women's issue. "Women play a unique and increasingly significant role in our families. We know the pain, because we are usually the ones dealing¹ with it," she said.

The first lady spoke² Friday to a gathering³ of women near the White House, and said the state of the U.S. health care system is unacceptable.
"For two years on the campaign trail, this was what I heard from women: That they were being crushed（压碎）, crushed by the current structure of our health care. Crushed," she said.

Friday's speech was Mrs. Obama's most high-profile appearance so far on behalf of her husband's health care plan. While the administration's proposed health insurance overhaul⁴ is being criticized by conservatives and some liberals, public opinion polls show that at least two of every three Americans see Mrs. Obama in a positive way.

Lately, President Obama has been traveling the country, trying to strengthen support for his initiative among union workers and young voters-groups that strongly backed him in last year's election.

Women also voted for Mr. Obama in large numbers, and the first lady is seeking to boost （提升，促进，改善）their support for health reform. "Plenty of women have insurance, but it does not cover basic women's health services like maternity⁵ care or preventive care like mammograms or pap smears⁶, which we all know we have to have," she said.

Mrs. Obama, a former hospital administrator⁷, picked up her husband's argument that fixing the U.S. health care system would help strengthen the nation's economy. "Under this plan we can save lives and we can save money. It is not just good medicine, but it is good economics as well. So I think this is a pretty reasonable plan. I do not know about you," she said.

Mr. Obama will continue the public relations campaign for his health care plan by appearing on five television talk shows on Sunday. On Monday, he will be the first sitting president to be a guest on David Letterman's late-night entertainment program.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

4 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

5 maternity   

n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的

参考例句：

• Women workers are entitled to maternity leave with full pay.女工产假期间工资照发。
• Trainee nurses have to work for some weeks in maternity.受训的护士必须在产科病房工作数周。

6 smears   

污迹( smear的名词复数 )； 污斑； （显微镜的）涂片； 诽谤

参考例句：

• His evidence was a blend of smears, half truths and downright lies. 他的证词里掺杂着诽谤、部份的事实和彻头彻尾的谎言。
• Anything written with a soft pencil smears easily. 用软铅笔写成的东西容易污成一片。

7 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。