Bush: US Determined to Carry on Space Exploration

Broadcast: Feb 04, 2003

President Bush says America is determined¹ to carry on the space exploration that was so important to the crew of the space shuttle Columbia. Mr. Bush says the seven astronauts were on a scientific mission intended to benefit all mankind.

The president says the members of the shuttle crew lost their lives in the name of scientific discovery. "The seven brave men and women from the Columbia will be remembered for their achievements, their ¹⁾heroism² and their sense of wonder," he said.

Mr. Bush said their mission had all the promise of answering scientific problems that "elude³ us here on earth." He ²⁾vows, despite the loss, America will move ahead to explore the new frontiers of space.

"And while we ³⁾grieve the loss of these astronauts, the cause for which they died will continue. America's journey into space will go on," he said.

The president spoke⁴ to an audience at the National Institutes of Health, the government's main medical research facility. He said the spirit of modern science embodied⁵ in the space program can also be found at NIH.

He urged the agency to keep up its efforts to find cures for dangerous diseases and ease human suffering. But he added, the nation's medical researchers have an added responsibility in the days following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

"Now, our scientists have been called to face a different kind of challenge: Man's efforts to use diseases as weapons of war and terror. This threat has placed research scientists at the center of our mission to defend the American people," he said.

The president appealed to Congress to approve his request for $6 billion over 10 years to develop and stockpile improved vaccines⁷ or drugs for ⁴⁾smallpox⁸, ⁵⁾anthrax and ⁶⁾botulism ⁷⁾toxin.

"We will have a better and safer smallpox vaccine⁶, ⁸⁾antibodies to treat botox, ⁹⁾sophisticated devices that can confirm a case of anthrax infection almost instantly," he said.

The president unveiled his plan, formally known as Project Bio-Shield, last week in his State of the Union address. The trip to the National Institutes of Health, originally scheduled to promote the proposal, took on a new meaning after the shuttle disaster.

Earlier in the day, Mr. Bush met in private with the administrator⁹ of the national space agency, Sean O'Keefe. White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters, the president got an update on the investigation¹⁰, and stressed his pride in the people of NASA. On Tuesday, Mr. Bush will travel to Houston, Texas, to attend a memorial service for the shuttle crew at the Johnson Space Center.

Paula Wolfson VOA news, on WhiteHouse.

1)    heroism [5herEuizEm]n.英雄品质, 英勇, 勇敢的事迹

2)    vow[vaJ]v. 宣誓, 立誓, 发誓

3)    grieve[^ri:v]v. (使)悲痛, (使)伤心, 忧伤

4)    smallpox[5smC:lpRks]n. [医]天花

5)    anthrax[5AnWrAks]n. [兽]炭疽热

6)    botulism[5bCtju7lizEm]n. 波特淋菌中毒, 香肠中毒

7)    toxin[5tCksin]n. [生化][生]毒素

8)    antibody[5Anti7bCdi]n. 抗体

9)    sophisticated[sE5fistikeitid]adj. 诡辩的, 久经世故的

 

1 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

2 heroism   

n.大无畏精神，英勇

参考例句：

• He received a medal for his heroism.他由于英勇而获得一枚奖章。
• Stories of his heroism resounded through the country.他的英雄故事传遍全国。

3 elude   

v.躲避，困惑

参考例句：

• If you chase it,it will elude you.如果你追逐着它， 它会躲避你。
• I had dared and baffled his fury.I must elude his sorrow.我曾经面对过他的愤怒，并且把它挫败了；现在我必须躲避他的悲哀。

4 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。

5 embodied   

v.表现( embody的过去式和过去分词 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• a politician who embodied the hopes of black youth 代表黑人青年希望的政治家
• The heroic deeds of him embodied the glorious tradition of the troops. 他的英雄事迹体现了军队的光荣传统。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

7 vaccines   

疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His team are at the forefront of scientific research into vaccines. 他的小组处于疫苗科研的最前沿。
• The vaccines were kept cool in refrigerators. 疫苗放在冰箱中冷藏。

8 smallpox   

n.天花

参考例句：

• In 1742 he suffered a fatal attack of smallpox.1742年，他染上了致命的天花。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child?你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

9 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。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。