VOA标准英语2010年-BP, Obama Public Approval Ratings Fall

BP stock continues to suffer, having plunged¹ to a 13-year low, even as the company tries to rescue its damaged reputation amid the ongoing² oil spill in the Gulf³ of Mexico with a $50 million public relations campaign.  But most crisis management experts are calling BP's new ad campaign shallow and premature⁴, saying it lacks details about how the company plans to deal with the worst oil spill in U.S. history.  But it is not only BP's image that is suffering.  Even U.S. President Barack Obama is getting poor marks for his handling of the crisis.

"The Gulf spill is a tragedy that never should have happened," said a BP television ad.

In the battle to win hearts and minds, BP's newest ad, which features the company's chief executive officer, appears to be winning few converts.

"I'm Tony Hayward," said another ad. "BP has taken full responsibility for cleaning up the spill in the Gulf."

Despite an expensive, multimedia⁵ campaign, public relations experts say BP's image remains⁶ that of a big, faceless corporation that says it cares, even if few believe it.

"Right off the bat, they failed to manage the pictures," said Gene⁷ Grabowski.

Gene Grabowski is senior vice⁸ president at Levick Strategic Communications, a leading crisis management firm here in Washington.

"We didn't see faces of BP employees working on the ships to control the spill," he said. "We didn't see BP employees in the war room.  We didn't see the CEO, Tony Hayward, with his sleeves rolled up in the war room, walking his team through the process.  As a matter of fact, Tony Hayward didn't take his coat off until probably the sixth or seventh week into the crisis."

The commercials are the first of many BP ads expected to air in the coming weeks.  The oil giant has also purchased Internet search terms on Google and Yahoo to direct inquiries⁹ to its website.

President Obama has been critical of BP's public relations campaign.

"And what I don't want to hear is when they're spending that kind of money on their shareholders¹⁰ and spending that kind of money on TV advertising¹¹ that they're nickel-and-diming fishermen or small businesses here in the Gulf [of Mexico] who are having a hard time," said President Obama.

National and regional public opinion surveys show that the president should be doing more to end the crisis.  According to a recent Quinnipiac University poll, 54 percent of people in Florida, for example, disapprove¹² of how Mr. Obama is handling the disaster.

Although the president has visited the Gulf coast three times since the spill began, he is getting poor grades from people who spoke¹³ to VOA.

"He's been down there to my knowledge twice, but I don't think he's really done that much," said a woman.

Despite lobbying efforts by some organizations to boycott¹⁴ BP gasoline stations, consumers do not appear to be punishing BP.

Those we spoke with say price still determines where they buy their gas.

One woman said that boycotting¹⁵ BP would achieve nothing.

"Should we boycott BP and then expect them to pay for everything, "she asked.

But according to communications analyst¹⁶ Gene Grabowski, public opinion could change if the crisis worsens.

"I think BP has to find a path forward, show us what that path is, stop apologizing - stop blaming and start doing," he said.

Despite BP's efforts to contain the leak, experts say oil likely will spew into the Gulf of Mexico for at least two more months - until relief wells can be drilled.  Meanwhile, oil residue¹⁷ continues to spread along the U.S. coastline, threatening livelihoods¹⁸ and sensitive wildlife in the areas. 

 

1 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

4 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

5 multimedia   

adj.多种手段的，多媒体的；n.多媒体

参考例句：

• Multimedia is the combination of computer and video technology.多媒体是计算机和视频技术的结合。
• Adam raised the issue of multimedia applications and much useful discussion ensued.亚当提出了多媒体应用的问题，从而引发了许多有益的讨论。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 gene   

n.遗传因子，基因

参考例句：

• A single gene may have many effects.单一基因可能具有很多种效应。
• The targeting of gene therapy has been paid close attention.其中基因治疗的靶向性是值得密切关注的问题之一。

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。

9 inquiries   

n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听

参考例句：

• He was released on bail pending further inquiries. 他获得保释，等候进一步调查。
• I have failed to reach them by postal inquiries. 我未能通过邮政查询与他们取得联系。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

11 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

12 disapprove   

v.不赞成，不同意，不批准

参考例句：

• I quite disapprove of his behaviour.我很不赞同他的行为。
• She wants to train for the theatre but her parents disapprove.她想训练自己做戏剧演员，但她的父母不赞成。

13 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。

14 boycott   

n./v.(联合)抵制，拒绝参与

参考例句：

• We put the production under a boycott.我们联合抵制该商品。
• The boycott lasts a year until the Victoria board permitsreturn.这个抗争持续了一年直到维多利亚教育局妥协为止。

15 boycotting   

抵制，拒绝参加( boycott的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• They're boycotting the shop because the people there are on strike. 他们抵制那家商店，因为那里的店员在罢工。
• The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. 主要反对党都抵制此次选举。

16 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

17 residue   

n.残余，剩余，残渣

参考例句：

• Mary scraped the residue of food from the plates before putting them under water.玛丽在把盘子放入水之前先刮去上面的食物残渣。
• Pesticide persistence beyond the critical period for control leads to residue problems.农药一旦超过控制的临界期，就会导致残留问题。

18 livelihoods   

生计，谋生之道( livelihood的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• First came the earliest individualistic pioneers who depended on hunting and fishing for their livelihoods. 走在最前面的是早期的个人主义先驱者，他们靠狩猎捕鱼为生。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件
• With little influence over policies, their traditional livelihoods are threatened. 因为马赛族人对政策的影响力太小，他们的传统生计受到了威胁。