VOA标准英语2009年-Obama's Speech in Congress Expected to Address

U.S. President Barack Obama will address a joint¹ session of Congress for the first time, about the challenges the nation faces. The economy will be the main topic in the nationally-broadcast speech.
　
President Barack Obama (file photo)

The economic crisis has occupied much of President Obama's time and attention in his 36 days in office. And his press secretary, Robert Gibbs, says it will be the primary focus of this address. "I think what you will hear tonight is the president talking about the tough times that we are in, and a path that we have to take to put this economy back on track and get people back to work," he said.

Mr. Obama will speak to Congress and the American people about his priorities and economic plans.

As the president addresses the nation, Americans continue to be pelted² with bad economic news. U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has told Congress the economy is suffering a "severe contraction³" and that it will likely continue to shrink during the first half of this year.

Meanwhile, U.S. consumer confidence continues to plummet⁴. The New York-based Conference Board's index shows consumer confidence dropped from 37 in January to 25 in February, an all-time low since the index was created more than four decades ago. A year ago, the index stood at 76.

Despite these developments and other bad news - including soaring unemployment, sinking home values and frozen credit - White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the president will offer Americans some encouragement.

"You will hear him, at the end of this speech, talk very extensively about how our country has always met the many challenges that it has, and this time is no different. He expects that America will come through stronger than ever before," he said.

Former president Bill Clinton criticized Mr. Obama recently for focusing too much on the negative in his talks on the economy and not offering enough hope.

But two recent public opinion polls say Mr. Obama is getting high marks from most Americans, with approval ratings of more than 60 percent.

The president recently signed a $787-billion economic stimulus⁵ package, introduced plans to help homeowners who are in danger of foreclosure refinance their mortgages, and said he wants to cut the federal government's deficit⁶ in half within four years.

U.S. news reports say Mr. Obama will likely make his third choice for Commerce Secretary in the coming days. The official says Democrat⁷ Gary Locke, the former governor of the northwestern state of Washington, is expected to be named to lead the Commerce Department. Locke was the first Chinese-American state governor.

Mr. Obama's first choice for Commerce Secretary, Democratic New Mexico governor Bill Richardson, withdrew his nomination⁸ in January because of investigations⁹ of wrongdoing in his state's government. The president then turned to Republican Senator Judd Gregg, who accepted but then withdrew, saying he disagreed with Mr. Obama's policies.

Although the president will speak to a joint session of Congress, this will not be a State of the Union Address, the nationally broadcast report usually delivered at this time of year. Mr. Obama will deliver his first formal State of the Union speech in 2010.

Attorney General Eric Holder¹⁰ will watch the president's speech from a secret location for security reasons. One member of the president's Cabinet and several members of Congress stay away from such speeches in case disaster strikes the House chamber¹¹.

1 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

2 pelted   

（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮

参考例句：

• The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。
• The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。

3 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

4 plummet   

vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌；n.铅坠；重压物

参考例句：

• Mengniu and Yili have seen their shares plummet since the incident broke.自事件发生以来，蒙牛和伊利的股票大幅下跌。
• Even if rice prices were to plummet,other brakes on poverty alleviation remain.就算大米价格下跌，其它阻止导致贫困的因素仍然存在。

5 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。

6 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

7 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

8 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

9 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

10 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

11 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。