VOA标准英语2012--Disasters Pose Leadership, Political Challenges for US Presidents
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2012年(十一月)
Disasters Pose Leadership, Political Challenges for US Presidents
Just a week before the U.S. presidential election, Hurricane Sandy battered 1 huge areas of the U.S. East Coast.
President Obama suspended campaigning to oversee 2 the response. "The election will take care of itself next week. Right now our number one priority is to make sure we are saving lives," Obama said.
As the storm eased, the president was in New Jersey 3, with the state's Republican governor, Chris Christie. The governor, a supporter of the Republican presidential candidate Mitt 4 Romney, praised Obama.
Romney, in a tight race with Obama, also temporarily suspended campaigning. He urged Americans to contribute to relief efforts.
"I appreciate your generosity 5, it is part of the American spirit, the American way to give to people who are in need," Romney said.
A politician’s handling of a disaster can leave a lasting 6 mark on public perception.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated 7 the U.S. Gulf 8 coast. In New Orleans, levees failed, leaving communities under water, and more than 1,800 people died.
Hurricane Katrina response
President George W. Bush flew over the area. And he praised Michael Brown, who headed the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The president was criticized for failing to lead a robust 9 government response. Brown was forced to resign.
Within weeks of the storm, President Bush's approval ratings dropped, in large part because of Katrina.
In August 1992, President George H.W. Bush's response after Hurricane Andrew lashed 10 the state of Florida was widely criticized as too slow. His approval ratings were already low because of the poor economy, and a few months later, he lost his race for re-election.
Mark Merritt, president of Witt Associates, an emergency management company that has worked with Democratic and Republican administrations, says President Obama de-politicized the response to Hurricane Sandy.
"I think the presidents that have been effective, President Clinton was probably the best, and President Obama is showing that type of leadership now is, when you put that aside it all works out for the best. People want to see a strong leader, they don’t want to see a politician," Merritt said.
Americans so far are giving Obama high marks on how he has handled Hurricane Sandy.
A Washington Post/ABC poll found that 78 percent described the president's response as excellent or good. The same poll showed two thirds of Romney supporters also praising the president's handling of the storm.
- He drove up in a battered old car.他开着一辆又老又破的旧车。
- The world was brutally battered but it survived.这个世界遭受了惨重的创伤,但它还是生存下来了。
- 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。
- He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
- They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。
- I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
- Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。
- We should match their generosity with our own.我们应该像他们一样慷慨大方。
- We adore them for their generosity.我们钦佩他们的慷慨。
- The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
- We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
- The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
- His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。
- 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。
- She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
- China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。