VOA慢速英语:Obama Signs Historic Health Care Bill Into Law

take effect生效, 奏效

例句：The prescribed medicine failed to take effect.
      医生开的药没有见效。

2.For example, in six months the new law will bar insurance companies from denying coverage to children with pre-existing health conditions.

bar from禁止(接近〔做〕…)

例句：The members voted to bar women from the club.
      会员表决不让妇女加入该俱乐部。

      After the member was caught cheating, he was barred from the club.
      那会员行骗被抓后, 被开除会籍。

3.In all, the plan aims to make health insurance available to thirty-two million people now without it.

in all总共, 合计;总之

例句：There are fifteen books on the first shelf, twenty-one on the second, that makes thirty-six in all.
      书架的第一层有15本书, 第二层有21本, 总共是36本。

表达总数达到，总计的短语有：

total up to加起来有

例句：The cost totaled up to 100 dollars.
      这些费用合计起来有100美元。

come to共计

例句：Ask the waiter what our bill comes to.
      问问侍者我们一共应付多少钱。

amount to共计

例句：The bill amounts to $500.
      这张账单共计500美元。

4.If not, they could face a fine of two thousand dollars a year for every worker.

If not是if领导的省略句形式。

省略是一个重点语法项目，但因为省略，倒致理解起来有一定难点，这就需要充分认识到省略句的结构与特征。下面看一看省略在状语从句中的运用。

为了简洁起见，有的状语从句(如时间状语从句、条件状语从句、方式状语从句等)有时可省略从句的主语和部分谓语(尤其是当从句主语与主句主语一致，且从句谓语包括有动词be时)：

I’d like to see you whenever (it’s) convenient. 在你方便的时候我想来看看你。

If (you are) traveling north，you must change at Leeds. 如果你是向北行，你必须在里兹换车。

【注】有些由if构成的省略结构，已属固定短语，如if any, if necessary, if possible, if not, if so：

There are few, if any, mistakes in that book. 那本书就是有错误也不多。

If necessary, ring me at home. 如果必要，可以打电话到我家找我。

If possible, I wish to go there next summer. 如果可能，我希望明年夏天去。

He may be busy. If so, I’ll call later. If not, can I see him now? 他可能很忙，要是这样，我以后再来拜访。要是不忙，我现在可以见他吗?

5.We have now just enshrined, as soon as I sign this bill, the core principle, that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care.

when it comes to当提到……；当谈到……

例句：When it comes to politics I know nothing.
      说到政治，我是一窍不通。

      When it comes in, I'll forward it to your address.
      如果收到行李的话，我会送你住的地方。