VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Holds His 1st American Indian Summit

By Kent Klein
The White House
05 November 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama has followed through on a campaign promise to hold an annual meeting with American Indian leaders. The president says he wants to reverse the government's history of marginalizing the native peoples.

 
Audience members raise their hands to ask Pres. Barack Obama a question at the Department of Interior in Washington, 05 Nov 2009
President Obama says Thursday's meeting is the largest gathering¹ of tribal² leaders in U.S. history. And he says he is determined³ to be a good partner with the 564 American Indian tribes represented at the gathering.

"You will not be forgotten as long as I am in this White House," said the president.

The gathering at the Interior Department in Washington is the first time in 15 years that a president has met with leaders of the American Indian tribes.

Mr. Obama opened the meeting by acknowledging the government's history of mistreating the Indians.

"It is a history marked by violence and disease and deprivation⁴. Treaties were violated. Promises were broken," he said. "You were told your lands, your religion, your cultures, your languages were not yours to keep. And that is a history that we have got to acknowledge if we are to move forward," he added.

Six cabinet secretaries and several members of Congress were taking part in the day-long meeting.

 
Pres. Barack Obama signs memorandum⁵ for closer consultation⁶ between Native American tribes and federal government at the Dept. of Interior in Washington, 05 Nov 2009 
Before taking questions from tribal leaders, the president signed a memorandum asking every cabinet agency to give him a detailed⁷ plan to improve the government's relations with American Indians. 

"You may be skeptical⁸ that this time will be any different. You have every right to be, and nobody would have blamed you if you did not come today," he said. "But you did, and I know what an extraordinary leap of faith that is on your part. And that is why I want you to know that I am absolutely committed to moving forward with you and forging a new and better future together," he stressed.

Officials at the summit planned to discuss issues that Indians face, including poverty, housing, health care, education and public safety.

Mr. Obama says it is only the first of a number of meetings to address those issues.

"Today's summit is not lip service. We are not going to go through the motions and pay tribute to one another and then furl up the flags and go our separate ways. Today's sessions are part of a lasting⁹ conversation that is crucial to our shared future," he promised.

The president has also fulfilled a campaign promise to appoint an American Indian policy adviser¹⁰ to his senior White House staff.

Administration officials at Thursday's summit were expected to promote the $787 billion economic stimulus¹¹ program. About $3 billion of the economic recovery money has gone to the tribes.

1 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。

2 tribal   

adj.部族的，种族的

参考例句：

• He became skilled in several tribal lingoes.他精通几种部族的语言。
• The country was torn apart by fierce tribal hostilities.那个国家被部落间的激烈冲突弄得四分五裂。

3 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。

4 deprivation   

n.匮乏；丧失；夺去，贫困

参考例句：

• Many studies make it clear that sleep deprivation is dangerous.多实验都证实了睡眠被剥夺是危险的。
• Missing the holiday was a great deprivation.错过假日是极大的损失。

5 memorandum   

n.备忘录，便笺

参考例句：

• The memorandum was dated 23 August,2008.备忘录上注明的日期是2008年8月23日。
• The Secretary notes down the date of the meeting in her memorandum book.秘书把会议日期都写在记事本上。

6 consultation   

n.咨询；商量；商议；会议

参考例句：

• The company has promised wide consultation on its expansion plans.该公司允诺就其扩展计划广泛征求意见。
• The scheme was developed in close consultation with the local community.该计划是在同当地社区密切磋商中逐渐形成的。

7 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

8 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

9 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

10 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

11 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。