VOA标准英语2009年-President Obama's Domestic Critics Not Imp

By Jim Malone
Washington
09 October 2009

 
Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Thorbjoern Jagland, holds a picture of US President Barack Obama, in Oslo, Norway, 09 Oct 2009
The announcement that President Barack Obama is this year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize brought a mixed reaction in the United States, largely reflecting the deep divisions in U.S. domestic politics. 

Mr. Obama said he was surprised and deeply humbled¹ by the Nobel Peace Prize.

But in his remarks at the White House, he was quick to note that most Americans remain focused on the domestic economy and jobs.

"I'm also aware that we are dealing² with the impact of a global economic crisis that has left millions of Americans looking for work," said President Obama. "These are concerns that I confront every day on behalf of the American people."

 
President Barack Obama speaks about winning the Nobel Peace Prize, 09 Oct 2009
Democrats³ were quick to offer congratulations, including two former Nobel winners, former President Jimmy Carter and former Vice⁴ President Al Gore⁵.

"It is an honor for him, first and foremost of course, but it is an honor for our country," said Al Gore. "I think it is extremely well-deserved."

The reaction from many Republicans was decidedly more negative.

The Republican Party national chairman, Michael Steele, issued a statement that said Americans want to know what the president has actually accomplished⁶. He added that Mr. Obama will not be getting any awards for job creation or fiscal⁷ responsibility.

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh also went on the attack.

"He is not only the first post-racial president, he is also the nation's first post-accomplishment president," said Rush Limbaugh. "He has risen above incompetence⁸. He is now judged on wishful thinking. This fully⁹ exposes, folks, the illusion that is Obama."

Political analysts¹¹ are already debating whether the Nobel award helps or hurts the president at home.

John Tirman is an expert on international affairs at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology:

"He is now viewed as the world's great diplomat¹², rightly or wrongly, and so it does give him a little political capital at home on foreign affairs," said John Tirman.

But many Republicans and a number of experts say it appears Mr. Obama won the Nobel Prize more for his rhetorical aspirations¹³ than concrete achievements.

Michael O'Hanlon is a foreign policy expert at the Brookings Institution in Washington.

"Domestically, I'm not sure that this helps Obama at all because it makes it easier for critics on the right to say, you see, we were right all along, he really is just about the rhetoric," said Michael O'Hanlon.

As for the impact on Mr. Obama's efforts on domestic issues like the economy and health care reform, not much says Heritage Foundation analyst¹⁰ Lisa Curtis.

"The health care debate has been very fractious here in the U.S. and I don't see that this winning the Nobel Peace Prize will help very much in that debate," said Lisa Curtis.

There were congratulations for the president from one prominent Republican. Senator John McCain, Mr. Obama's opponent in last year's presidential election, told the Cable News Network that Americans are always pleased when their presidents are recognized on the scale of something like the Nobel Peace Prize. 

1 humbled   

adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低

参考例句：

• The examination results humbled him. 考试成绩挫了他的傲气。
• I am sure millions of viewers were humbled by this story. 我相信数百万观众看了这个故事后都会感到自己的渺小。

2 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。

3 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》

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

5 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

6 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

7 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

8 incompetence   

n.不胜任，不称职

参考例句：

• He was dismissed for incompetence. 他因不称职而被解雇。
• She felt she had been made a scapegoat for her boss's incompetence. 她觉得，本是老板无能，但她却成了替罪羊。

9 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

10 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

11 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

12 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

13 aspirations   

强烈的愿望( aspiration的名词复数 )； 志向； 发送气音； 发 h 音

参考例句：

• I didn't realize you had political aspirations. 我没有意识到你有政治上的抱负。
• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。