AP美联社一分钟新闻 2008-11-18
时间：2019-01-11 作者：英语课 分类：美联社新闻一分钟2008年(十一)月
1. Former presidential rivals Barack Obama and John McCain are promising 1 to work together, both say they want to change the bad habits of Washington after meeting in Chicago. It was their first meeting since election.
2. Congress is back at work. Topping the agenda for a lame 2-duck session is how to help the auto 3 industry. The White House says that while it supports some form of federal help, it should not come from the 700-billion-dollar financial rescue package.
3. Calm winds and clear skies are allowing firefighters in southern California to make progress on two raging wildfires. The blazes have destroyed hundreds of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate 4. Meanwhile, residents of this Los Angeles mobile home park are seeing what's left of their lives. The wildfire destroyed nearly 500 homes in the area.
4. And the first significant snowfall of the season came early to parts of the Great Lakes. As much as two feet piled up in some areas. The blanket of snow spread from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to western New York.
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. lame-duck session:
就是指“跛脚鸭国会会议”，即新旧总统交接之间的国会会议。由于部分与会议员不会在下任国会出现，也许议员会对议题出现爱理不理的态度。
In U.S. politics, the period between (Presidential and Congressional) elections in November and the inauguration 5 of officials early in the following year is commonly called the lame duck period.
Until 1933, inauguration would occur on March 4. Congress would usually have two sessions, the second of which, being held usually from December to March, occurred after the election of the next Congress. This session was commonly called the "Lame duck session". Criticism of this process led to the passage of the 20th Amendment 6 in 1933, which moved the convocation of the new Congress to January 3 and the inauguration of the president to January 20, thus shortening the lame duck period.
In regard to the President, lame-duck refers to the incumbent 7 President after their succesor has been elected. However, since the 22nd Amendment introduced term limits to the office, preventing the President from seeking a second re-election, any President is a lame duck after their second term's mid-term elections.
- 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。
- The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
- I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。
- Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
- The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。
- We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
- They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。
- The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
- Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。
- The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
- The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。