听遍美国政治新闻--评估美国的备战状态

Calculating America’s Preparedness

If any American doubted the threat of biological【生化的】attack, “Anthrax” 【炭疽】them religion. At the Department for Health and Human Services a new office has been established(1) to deal with public health emergencies(2). Some medicines have been purchased and 3 million dollars has been appropriated(3) to buy other pharmaceuticals【药物】 to fund research and beef up the public health system. But experts say we aren’t ready yet and may never be. “We need to constantly be looking at where are our vulnerabilities【薄弱环节】 and what needs to be done to shore them up. It would be naive【天真】 and wishful thinking that we will some day achieve(4) a state of full preparedness.”With the saran【沙林】gas attack on the Tokyo subway system in 1995, preparations for a chemical attack were put in high gear. First responders were equipped(5) and trained and those preparations have intensified(6) Since September 11th . Our readiness-a mixed picture. “I don’t think you can give a blanket 【综合的】statement to say ‘our-is the nation ready?”.I think it very much depends on where and what kind of attack with what particular agent and then how many casualties(7) would be involved.”

Radiological【放射的】attack was the fear during the cold war. Then the U.S. was ready, is it Now? “I think we used to be more prepared and I think by the time September 11th came many of the federal capabilities(8)to respond to radiological emergencies had decayed(9) or degenerated(10) .”Since September 11th nuclear response teams have been deployed(11) around the country, radiation detection【探测】gear is being used more and research into new detection and response technology is picking up. Rome wasn’t built in a day and a nation cannot be secured in a matter of months. But if the threat from weapons of mass destruction, it is as great as president Bush made it sound in his speech, experts say we have reason to be concerned, because we’re not as prepared as we could be, not yet. Jean Meserve, CNN Washington.


听音瓶颈词汇

1. establish []v.建立
2. emergency []n.紧急情况
3. appropriate[]v.专款拔用
4. achieve []v.取得
5. equip[]v.配备
6. intensify []v.加强
7. casualty[]n.伤亡
8. capability []]n.能力
9. decay []v.腐烂；衰减
10. degenerate []v.退化
11. deploy []v.部署

听音高级短语

beef up 加强
shore up 巩固
in high gear 搭上高速齿轮；以高速档
depend on 依靠
used to 过去经常
pick up 采纳；完善
Rome wasn’t built in a day 罗马非一日建成

听音超级句型

We need to constantly be looking at where are our vulnerabilities and what needs to be done to shore them up.
我们需要不断地去发现我们容易受攻击的薄弱环节，以及采取措施去巩固它们。

I don’t think you can give a blanket statement to say...
我想你不能够笼统的说…

Rome wasn’t built in a day and a nation cannot be secured in a matter of months.
“罗马非一日建成”，一个国家的安全网也不能在短短几个月内建好。