英伦广角 2009-11-08 奥巴马敦促通过医保改革法案

President Obama urged House Democrats¹ to pass a broad health care reform bill, calling it "This Generation's Moment.

"I urge members of Congress to rise to this moment, answer the call of history and vote yes for health insurance reform for America."

House speaker Nancy Pelosi said she's confident they'll have the 218 votes needed for approval.

"It's very humbling² to stand here at a time when we can associate ourselves with the work of those who pass Social Security, those who pass Medicare, and now we will pass health-care reform."

The health care overhaul³ is designed to expand coverage⁴ to millions of uninsured Americans, reining⁵ costs and barring insurance practices such as denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. In a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, Obama emphasized the need for health care reform and said vote against the bill would not inoculate⁶ Democrats against Republicans attacks. But House Republicans are united against the bill, saying it places new taxes on the wealthy and allows the government to bud into the private insurance market, Republican Eric Cantor of Virginia.

"There are two very distinct visions of the way forward for this country as far as health care is concerned. There is one version as the Leader just pointed⁷ out, represented by the majority's bill, which will put the government between patients and their doctors. The Republican version which won't. "

A House victory on the bill would be a big step forward for the overhaul, and would shift the political spotlight⁸ to the Senate, which is preparing it's own version. But failure in the House would be a huge blow to Obama, who has staked much of his political capital on the health care battle and has said he wants to sign a bill by year's end.

Karen Hendren, Reuters.

 

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 humbling   

adj.令人羞辱的v.使谦恭( humble的现在分词 )；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气

参考例句：

• A certain humbling from time to time is good. 不时受点儿屈辱是有好处的。 来自辞典例句
• It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-buildingexperience. 据说天文学是一种令人产生自卑、塑造人格的科学。 来自互联网

3 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。

4 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。

5 reining   

勒缰绳使（马）停步( rein的现在分词 )； 驾驭； 严格控制； 加强管理

参考例句：

• "That's a fine bevy, Ma'm,'said Gerald gallantly, reining his horse alongside the carriage. "太太！好一窝漂亮的云雀呀！" 杰拉尔德殷勤地说，一面让自己的马告近塔尔顿的马车。
• I was a temperamental genius in need of reining in by stabler personalities. 我是个需要由更稳重的人降服住的神经质的天才。

6 inoculate   

v.给...接种，给...注射疫苗

参考例句：

• A corps of doctors arrived to inoculate the recruits.一队医生来给新兵打防疫针。
• I was just meant to come out here and inoculate some wee babies.我是过来这边给小孩子们接种疫苗的。

7 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

8 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。