英语新闻视频 9/11 health issue in spotlight

 

The health of emergency crews is in the spotlight¹ during this anniversary of 9/11. As Zeng Siwei tells us, many are claiming the New York city has failed to help them with severe medical problems.
Former police officer Richard Volpe visited Ground Zero during the anniversary of 9/11. He takes pride in being one of rescue workers here. But the heavy price he has paid for doing this duty frustrates² him.
Volpe's kidneys are failing and he will eventually need a transplant. He says New York city has done little to help him.
Richard Volpe said, "I don't hear of that I know of any illnesses from the site in Washington. I mean they sealed the whole site off. Everybody that was in there had proper respirators and the had the tie back suits. Here at the World Trade Center where the toxins³ were probably a million times worse than there, they didn't take any of those preventions."
Volpe has joined the lawsuit⁴ against the city and agencies involved in the clean up, saying they failed to adequately safeguard his health from toxins and for not compensating⁵ him for his mounting medical bills.
There are about ten thousand New Yorkers, mostly firemen and construction workers, in what has become one of the biggest health related class action lawsuits⁶ against the city.
Some of the city's political leaders are keen to address this very issue. There are calls for legislation to provide health coverage⁷ and financial compensation to responders.

1 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。

2 frustrates   

v.使不成功( frustrate的第三人称单数 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• What frustrates him is that there's too little money to spend on the project. 使他懊恼的是，可用于这个项目的资金太少。
• His trouble is that he frustrates much easily. 他的毛病是很容易泄气。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

3 toxins   

n.毒素( toxin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
• Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

5 compensating   

补偿，补助，修正

参考例句：

• I am able to set up compensating networks of nerve connections. 我能建立起补偿性的神经联系网。
• It is desirable that compensating cables be run in earthed conduit. 补偿导线最好在地下管道中穿过。

6 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

7 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。