VOA标准英语2010年-Obama Puts Economic Focus on the Middl

U.S. President Barack Obama is shifting his economic focus to the middle class.  His State of the Union address Wednesday will detail a series of initiatives to help middle-income families.

President Obama spent his first year in office trying to prevent the collapse¹ of big financial firms, and stabilize² the national economy.  Now, he is taking a more populist approach - focusing on the day-to-day issues that create money woes³ for many families.

He says it is part of an effort to show the administration cares about workers who are struggling to pay their bills or have anxieties about losing their jobs.

"We have just come through what was one of the most difficult decades the middle class has ever faced - a decade in which median income fell, and our economy lost about as many jobs as it gained," he said.

The president spoke⁴ at a meeting of a White House advisory⁵ panel set up to study the problems facing the middle class and propose solutions.

Among the ideas embraced by the administration are steps to cut the costs of child care for working parents, and help them save for retirement⁶. 

The White House is also promising⁷ action to make it a little easier for middle-class students to pay for college, and to provide expanded community services to help families caring for elderly relatives.

President Obama is expected to talk about all these steps in his State of the Union address.  Aides say he will speak at length about job creation and other issues that affect the lives of ordinary Americans.

In his comments to the Middle Class Task Force, which is chaired by Vice⁸ President Joe Biden, Mr. Obama offered a preview.

"Hopefully, some of these steps will re-establish some of the security that has slipped away in recent years.  Because in the end, that is how Joe and I measure progress.  Not by how the markets are doing, but by how the American people are doing," said the president.

But Congressional Republicans say the president is not doing enough to create jobs.  In a written statement, the Republican leader in the House of Representatives, John Boehner of Ohio, said the initiatives announced by the White House do not go far enough and what is really needed is a set of new economic policies.

1 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

2 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

3 woes   

困境( woe的名词复数 )； 悲伤； 我好苦哇； 某人就要倒霉

参考例句：

• Thanks for listening to my woes. 谢谢您听我诉说不幸的遭遇。
• She has cried the blues about its financial woes. 对于经济的困难她叫苦不迭。

4 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。

5 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

6 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

7 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

8 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。