VOA标准英语2010年-Tea Party Bus Tour Heads for Washingto

Grassroots conservative and libertarian activists¹ gathered in Searchlight, Nevada to advocate for lower taxes and smaller government.

Thousands of grassroots conservative and libertarian activists with the Tea Party movement launched a national bus tour the past weekend in the small town of Searchlight, Nevada.

The Tea Party chose Searchlight because it is the home of one of the most powerful Democrats² in the U.S. Congress, Senate Majority Leader Harry³ Reid.

The Tea Party movement advocates lower taxes and smaller government.  It was inspired by tax protests like the Boston Tea Party in the years just before the American Revolution. 

Searchlight is the kind of place most people just pass through.

That is, until the Tea Party came to town. They came with their homemade signs and flags, and with costumes both elaborate and simple.

There was even entertainment -- Tea Party style.  Tea Party followers⁴ do not like taxes, big government or President Barack Obama.

The main draw at the rally was former Alaska Governor and U.S. vice⁵ presidential candidate Sarah Palin who mocked President Obama's campaign calls for "hope" and "change."

"So how is that 'hopey-changey' thing working out for ya?" Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin stated.

 

Palin urged the crowd to defeat Harry Reid and other Democrats in November. "And in these upcoming elections, we are saying that the big government, big debt, Obama-[House of Representatives Speaker Nancy]Pelosi-Reid spending spree is over.  You're fired!" she said.

The rally drew supporters from all across the country. Rusty⁶ Green says he hopes to make money because of the Tea Party movement. "This is one job that Obama has created," he said.  I travel all over the country and sell T-shirts and bumper⁷ stickers, and raise hell.  That's what I do for a living."

Hours after the rally in Searchlight, Democrats -- including former Vice President Al Gore⁸ -- paid tribute to Harry Reid in Las Vegas.

"Senator Harry Reid!  Thank you, Harry," Gore said.

Reid made no mention of the Searchlight rally.

"I wouldn't have this job, but for you.  There isn't a day that goes by that I don't realize how fortunate I am to be able to be in the Senate," Reid said.

But the Tea Party did seem to be on Al Gore's mind. "You know, anger is not a platform.  Divisiveness is not a strategy," he said.

Reid has his supporters back in Searchlight too. Verlie Doing owns the Searchlight Nugget Casino and Restaurant, and has known Harry Reid for decades.

"I totally resent the fact that they have come to Senator Reid's hometown and targeted him.  I just don't think that is the American way.  I really don't think so.  They are strangers.  They don't know him at all," she said.

Searchlight was once a booming mining camp.

But the gold was taken out of these hills long ago.

These days, modern prospectors⁹ are found at Doing's casino, staring for hours into video poker¹⁰ machines, or playing the slots in search of a payout.

It may not seem like much, but to Verlie Doing it is Searchlight's little slice of the American dream.

 

1 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

4 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

5 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。

6 rusty   

adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的

参考例句：

• The lock on the door is rusty and won't open.门上的锁锈住了。
• I haven't practiced my French for months and it's getting rusty.几个月不用，我的法语又荒疏了。

7 bumper   

n.(汽车上的)保险杠；adj.特大的，丰盛的

参考例句：

• The painting represents the scene of a bumper harvest.这幅画描绘了丰收的景象。
• This year we have a bumper harvest in grain.今年我们谷物丰收。

8 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

9 prospectors   

n.勘探者，探矿者( prospector的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The prospectors have discovered such minerals as calcite,quartz and asbestos here. 探矿人员在这里发现了方解石、石英、石棉等矿藏。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The prospectors have discovered many minerals here. 探矿人员在这里发现了许多矿藏。 来自辞典例句

10 poker   

n.扑克；vt.烙制

参考例句：

• He was cleared out in the poker game.他打扑克牌，把钱都输光了。
• I'm old enough to play poker and do something with it.我打扑克是老手了，可以玩些花样。