VOA标准英语2010年-Former US Presidents Make Televised Ap

Former U.S. Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton are going directly to the American people with a joint¹ appeal to help the Haitian earthquake victims. One day after they were asked by President Barack Obama to help mobilize public support, they were seen in a series of joint appearances on American television.

Their politics may be different.  But George W. Bush and Bill Clinton stress they are of one mind on Haiti.

President Clinton told NBC's "Meet the Press" that this is a time for Americans to put their political differences aside and unite to help the Haitian people.

"I think it reminds us of our common humanity.  It reminds us of needs that go beyond fleeting² disagreements.  Whatever our policy disputes are, they do not seem to matter much when people are dying," he said.

On the "Fox News Sunday" program, President Bush talked about the gut-wrenching images from Haiti that he has seen on television and in newspapers.

"I feel sick to my stomach.  I feel - it is really emotional.  And that is the way it is for a lot of Americans.  And therefore, a lot of Americans want to help. And our job is to make sure their help is not squandered³, that it is spent properly," he said.

President Obama has tapped Rajiv Shah, the head of the U.S. Agency for International Development, to oversee⁴ the government's aid efforts in Haiti.

Shah told ABC's "This Week" the challenge is enormous.

"We are getting more and more out each day and that is our metric of success.  Every single day we need to do more than we did before," he said.

American military forces are relying largely on helicopters to ferry loads of supplies to those most in need as many roads are impassable.  General Ken⁵ Keen - who is one of the officers in charge of the operation - says paratroopers have been able to do their job without major problems.   But he admits there are growing security concerns as tempers flare⁶ among the quake survivors⁷ and patience wears thin.

"We need a safe and secure environment to be successful.  But fortunately, we have a United Nations mission here, which has been doing this for several years," he said.

But Keen told "Meet the Press" the United Nations is transitioning to cope with a humanitarian⁸ disaster of epic⁹ proportions.  He said he did not know how many more American troops might be needed to help keep Haiti secure, but stressed any U.S. action would be in conjunction with the United Nations.

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 fleeting   

adj.短暂的，飞逝的

参考例句：

• The girls caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.女孩们只匆匆瞥了一眼司机。
• Knowing the life fleeting,she set herself to enjoy if as best as she could.她知道这种日子转瞬即逝，于是让自已尽情地享受。

3 squandered   

v.（指钱，财产等）浪费，乱花( squander的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He squandered all his money on gambling. 他把自己所有的钱都糟蹋在赌博上了。
• She felt as indignant as if her own money had been squandered. 她心里十分生气，好像是她自己的钱给浪费掉了似的。 来自飘（部分）

4 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

5 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

6 flare   

v.闪耀，闪烁；n.潮红；突发

参考例句：

• The match gave a flare.火柴发出闪光。
• You need not flare up merely because I mentioned your work.你大可不必因为我提到你的工作就动怒。

7 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

8 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

9 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。