VOA标准英语2009年-Obama Asks for Patience With His Economic Plan

U.S. President Barack Obama spent a second day in California Thursday, promoting his economic recovery plan and asking Americans to be patient. The president also announced new aid for California's struggling homeowners.
　
President Obama (left) with California Governor Schwarzenegger, 19 Mar¹ 2009

President Obama told people in the nation's largest state, which has been hit especially hard by the economic crisis, that "there will be brighter days ahead." But he cautioned that improvements to the economy will take time, and he asked for patience. "We are not always going to be right. And I do not want everybody disappointed if we make a mistake here or there. The important point is, are we moving in the right direction?," he said.

Mr. Obama spoke² to several hundred people at a community forum³ in Los Angeles. He responded to a complaint about cuts in jobs and salaries for California teachers by urging people not to expect "something for nothing" from their government. "Nothing is free. So, the reason I make that point is, you cannot ask local elected officials to raise teacher salaries and cut taxes and balance the budget and increase roads. At some point, you have got to make some choices," he said.

Mr. Obama also announced new help for California homeowners trying to avoid foreclosure. He said the state will receive $145 million to help the communities hit hardest by the housing crisis.

California's Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who introduced the president, is one of several moderate state governors in his party who support Mr. Obama's economic plan. "I want to thank him publicly for the courageous⁴ leadership and the great commitment that he has displayed over these last few months," he said.

Congress recently passed Mr. Obama's $787 billion dollar economic recovery plan without a single Republican vote in the House of Representatives and with only three opposition-party votes in the Senate. Some Republican governors have refused to accept federal stimulus⁵ money for their states. The president is hoping to get more Republican support for his economic initiatives through his partnership⁶ with moderates like Schwarzenegger.

"One of the great innovators of state government, somebody who has been leading California through some very difficult times, and somebody who has turned out to be just an outstanding partner," he said.

Earlier, Mr. Obama promoted his initiatives to spend billions of dollars on energy research. The president toured an electric car factory near Los Angeles, and said the government will make more than 2 billion dollars available to American companies to produce electric vehicles and batteries.

"Even as our American automakers are undergoing some painful adjustments, they are also retooling⁷ and reimagining themselves into an industry that can compete and win, and millions of jobs depend on it," he said.

Mr. Obama vowed⁸ to put one million plug-in hybrid⁹ cars on U.S. roads by 2015. His economic recovery plan and his federal budget proposal both emphasize alternative energy.

Before returning to Washington late Thursday, the president was to tape an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," becoming the first sitting U.S. president to be a guest on a late-night entertainment program.

1 mar   

vt.破坏，毁坏，弄糟

参考例句：

• It was not the custom for elderly people to mar the picnics with their presence.大人们照例不参加这样的野餐以免扫兴。
• Such a marriage might mar your career.这样的婚姻说不定会毁了你的一生。

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 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

4 courageous   

adj.勇敢的，有胆量的

参考例句：

• We all honour courageous people.我们都尊重勇敢的人。
• He was roused to action by courageous words.豪言壮语促使他奋起行动。

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 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

7 retooling   

v.（给…）更换工具， （给…）更换机械设备( retool的现在分词 )；改组，革新

参考例句：

• The factory is retooling to start making the new line of cars. 工厂正在重新装备以便开始制造新系列车型。 来自辞典例句
• Among her suggestions: retooling factories to focus on rebuilding America's transportation system. 她的建议包括围绕重新建设美国交通系统这个重心来重组汽车工业。 来自互联网

8 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

9 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。