VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Promotes His Economic Plan in Florida

For the second straight day and less than a day after his first presidential news conference, President Barack Obama has traveled the United States, trying to build public support for his economic stimulus¹ proposal. This time, he spoke² and took questions from a crowd in Fort Myers, Florida - a city with the nation's highest rate of home loan foreclosures.
　
President Barack Obama smiles upon his arrival at Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers, Florida, 10 Feb 2009

"We know that in order to address our economic crisis, we are going to have to help homeowners, not just banks, but the homeowners as well," he said.

President Obama said he will unveil an overall housing strategy in the next few weeks. But he's already looking at ways to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

As the president spoke in Florida, the U.S. Senate passed its version of the economic stimulus plan. The legislation will go to a committee which will work out differences with the recovery plan that passed the House of Representatives in January. The resulting bill will go to the president for his signature.

"We have had a good debate. That is part of what democracy is all about," he said. "But the time for talk is over. Folks here in Fort Myers and across America - they need help; they need action and they need it now."

Mr. Obama was introduced in Fort Myers by Charlie Crist, the popular Governor of Florida, who is one of few nationally-known Republican politicians to endorse³ the president's economic recovery plan.

"This is not about partisan⁴ politics; this is about rising above that, helping⁵ America and reigniting our economy," he said.

On Monday, the president addressed a community meeting in Elkhart, Indiana, which has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation. Later in the week, he will visit a factory in Peoria, Illinois, where workers are facing job cuts.

1 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。

2 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。

3 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

4 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。