英语阅读.docx

英语阅读.docx

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英语阅读

美国总统的电台演讲

                                                           RemarksofPresidentBarackObama

                                                        WeeklyAddress

                                                    Saturday,August15th,2009 

President'sRadioAddress 

Thisweek,I’vebeentravelingacrossourcountrytodiscusshealthinsurancereformandtoheardirectlyfromfolkslikeyou–yourquestions,yourconcerns,andyourstories.

Now,Iknowthere’sbeenalotofattentionpaidtosomeofthetownhallmeetingsthataregoingonaroundthecountry,especiallythosewheretempershaveflared.YouknowhowTVlovesaruckus.

Butwhatyouhaven’tseen–becauseit’snotasexciting–arethemanyconstructivemeetingsgoingonalloverthecountrywhereAmericansareairingtheirhopesandconcernsaboutthisveryimportantissue.

I’vebeenholdingsomeofmyown,andthestoriesI’veheardhavereallyunderscoredwhyIbelievesostronglythathealthinsurancereformisachallengewecan'tignore.

They’restorieslikeLoriHitchcock’s,whoImetinNewHampshirethisweek.Lori’sgotapre-existingcondition,sonoinsurancecompanywillcoverher.She’sself-employed,andinthiseconomy,shecan’tfindajobthatoffershealthcare,soshe’sbeenuninsuredfortwoyears.

Orthey’restorieslikeKatieGibson’s,whoImetinMontana.WhenKatietriedtochangeinsurancecompanies,shewassuretolistherpre-existingconditionsontheapplicationandevencalledhernewcompanytoconfirmshe’dbecovered.Twomonthslater,shewasdropped–aftershe’dalreadygoneoffherotherinsurance.

Thesearethestoriesthataren’tbeingtold–storiesofahealthcaresystemthatworksbetterfortheinsuranceindustrythanitdoesfortheAmericanpeople.Andthat’swhywe’regoingtopasshealthinsurancereformthatfinallyholdstheinsurancecompaniesaccountable.

Butnow’sthehardpart.Becausethehistoryisclear–everytimewecomeclosetopassinghealthinsurancereform,thespecialinterestswithastakeinthestatusquousetheirinfluenceandpoliticalalliestoscareandmisleadtheAmericanpeople.

Asanexample,let’slookatoneofthescarier-soundingandmoreridiculousrumorsoutthere–thatso-called"deathpanels"woulddecidewhetherseniorcitizensgettoliveordie.ThatrumorbeganwiththedistortionofoneideainaCongressionalbillthatwouldallowMedicaretocovervoluntaryvisitswithyourdoctortodiscussyourend-of-lifecare–ifandonlyifyoudecidetohavethosevisits.Ithadnothingtodowithputtinggovernmentincontrolofyourdecisions;infact,itwouldgiveyoualltheinformationyouneed–ifyouwantit–toputyouincontrolofyourdecisions.WhenaconservativeRepublicanSenatorwhohaslong-foughtforevenmorefar-reachingproposalsfoundouthowfolksweretwistingtheidea,hecalledtheirmisrepresentation,andIquote,"nuts."

Sowhenfolkswithastakeinthestatusquokeepinventingtheseboogeymeninanefforttoscarepeople,it’sdisappointing,butit’snotsurprising.We’veseenitbefore.WhenPresidentRooseveltwasworkingtocreateSocialSecurity,opponentswarneditwouldopenthedoorto"federalsnooping"andforceAmericanstoweardogtags.WhenPresidentKennedyandPresidentJohnsonwereworkingtocreateMedicare,opponentswarnedof"socializedmedicine."Soundfamiliar?

Notonlywerethosefearsneverrealized,butmoreimportantly,thoseprogramshavesavedthelivesoftensofmillionsofseniors,thedisabled,andthedisadvantaged.

Thosewhowouldstandinthewayofreformwillsayalmostanythingtoscareyouaboutthecostofaction.Buttheywon’tsaymuchaboutthecostofinaction.Ifyou’reworriedaboutrationedcare,highercosts,deniedcoverage,orbureaucratsgettingbetweenyouandyourdoctor,thenyoushouldknowthat’swhat’shappeningrightnow.Inthepastthreeyears,over12millionAmericanswerediscriminatedagainstbyinsurancecompaniesduetoapreexistingcondition,orsawtheircoveragedeniedordroppedjustwhentheygotsickandneededitmost.Americanswhosejobsandhealthcarearesecuretodayjustdon’tknowifthey’llbenexttojointhe14,000wholosetheirhealthinsuranceeverysingleday.Andifwedon’tact,averagefamilypremiumswillkeeprisingtomorethan$22,000withinadecade.

Ontheotherhand,here’swhatreformwillmeanforyou.

First,nomatterwhatyou’veheard,ifyoulikeyourdoctororhealthcareplan,youcankeepit.Ifyoudon’thaveinsurance,you’llfinallybeabletoaffordinsurance.Andeveryonewillhavethesecurityandstabilitythat’smissingtoday.

Insurancecompanieswillbeprohibitedfromdenyingyoucoveragebecauseofyourmedicalhistory,droppingyourcoverageifyougetsick,orwateringdownyourcoveragewhenitcounts–becausethere’snopointinhavinghealthinsuranceifit’snottherewhenyouneedit.

Insurancecompanieswillnolongerbeabletoplacesomearbitrarycapontheamountofcoverageyoucanreceiveinagivenyearorlifetime,andwewillplacealimitonhowmuchyoucanbechargedforout-of-pocketexpenses–becausenooneinAmericashouldgobrokejustbecausetheygetsick.

Finally,we’llrequireinsurancecompaniestocoverroutinecheckupsandpreventivecare,likemammogramsandcolonoscopies–becausethere’snoreasonweshouldn’tbesavinglivesanddollarsbycatchingdiseaseslikebreastcancerandprostatecanceronthefrontend.

That’swhatreformmeans.Forallthechatterandthenoiseoutthere,whateveryAmericanneedstoknowisthis:

Ifyoudon’thavehealthinsurance,youwillfinallyhavequality,affordableoptionsoncewepassreform.Ifyoudohavehealthinsurance,wewillmakesurethatnoinsurancecompanyorgovernmentbureaucratgetsbetweenyouandthecarethatyouneed.Andwewilldeliverthisinafiscallyresponsibleway.

Iknowthere’splentyofrealconcernandskepticismoutthere.Iknowthatinatimeofeconomicupheaval,theideaofchangecanbeunsettling,andIknowthattherearefolkswhobelievethatgovernmentshouldhavenoroleatallinsolvingourproblems.ThesearelegitimatedifferencesworthyoftherealdiscussionthatAmericadeserves–onewherewelowerourvoices,listentooneanother,andtalkaboutdifferencesthatreallyexist.Becausewhiletheremaybedisagreementsoverhowtogoaboutit,thereiswidespreadagreementontheurgentneedtoreformabrokensystemandfinallyholdinsurancecompaniesaccountable.

Nearlyfiftyyearsago,inthemidstofthenoisyearlybattlestocreatewhatwouldbecomeMedicare,PresidentKennedysaid,"Irefusetoseeusliveontheaccomplishmentsofanothergeneration.Irefusetoseethiscountry,andallofus,shrinkfromthesestruggleswhichareourresponsibilityinourtime."Nowitfallstoustomeetthechallengesofourtime.Andifwecancometogether,andlistentooneanother;Ibelieve,asIalwayshave,thatwewillrisetothismoment,wewillbuildsomethingbetterforourchildren,andwewillsecureAmerica’sfutureinthisnewcentury.

美国总统的电台演讲

                                                           RemarksofPresidentBarackObama

                                                        WeeklyAddress

                                                    Saturday,August22nd,2009 

President'sRadioAddress 

Eachandeverydayinthiscountry,Americansaregrapplingwithhealthcarepremiumsthataregrowingthreetimestherateofwagesandinsurancecompanypoliciesthatlimitcoverageandraiseout-of-pocketcosts.Thousandsarelosingtheirinsurancecoverageeachday.

Withoutrealreform,theburdensonAmerica’sfamiliesandbusinesseswillcontinuetomultiply.We’vehadavigorousdebateabouthealthinsurancereform,andrightlyso. ThisisanissueofvitalconcerntoeveryAmerican,andI’mgladthatsomanyareengaged.

Butitalsoshouldbeanhonestdebate,notonedominatedbywillfulmisrepresentationsandoutrightdistortions,spreadbytheveryfolkswhowouldbenefitthemostbykeepingthingsexactlyastheyare.

Sotoday,Iwanttospendafewminutesdebunkingsomeofthemoreoutrageousmythscirculatingontheinternet,oncableTV,andrepeatedatsometownhallsacrossthiscountry.

Let’sstartwiththefalseclaimthatillegalimmigrantswillgethealthinsuranceunderreform.That’snottrue. Illegalimmigrantswouldnotbecovered.Thatideahasneverevenbeenonthetable.Somearealsosayingthatcoverageforabortionswouldbemandatedunderreform.Alsofalse.Whenitcomestothecurrentbanonusingtaxdollarsforabortions,nothingwillchangeunderreform. Andaseverycrediblepersonwhohaslookedintoithassaid,therearenoso-called"deathpanels"–anoffensivenotiontomeandtotheAmericanpeople.Thesearephonyclaimsmeanttodivideus.

Andwe’veallheardthechargethatreformwillsomehowbringaboutagovernmenttakeoverofhealthcare.Iknowthatsoundsscarytomanyfolks.Itsoundsscarytome,too.Buthere’sthething:

it’snottrue.InosoonerwantgovernmenttogetbetweenyouandyourdoctorthanIwantinsurancecompaniestomakearbitrarydecisionsaboutwhatmedicalcareisbestforyou,astheydotoday.AsI’vesaidfromthebeginning,underthereformweseek,ifyoulikeyourdoctor,youcankeepyourdoctor.Ifyoulikeyourprivatehealthinsuranceplan,youcankeepyourplan.Period.

Now,thesourceofalotofthesefearsaboutgovernment-runhealthcareisconfusionoverwhat’scalledthepublicoption. Thisisoneideaamongmanytoprovidemorecompetitionandchoice,especiallyinthemanyplacesaroundthecountrywherejustoneinsurerthoroughlydominatesthemarketplace. Thisalternativewoul