VOA常速英语:White House: June Jobs Numbers 'Disappointing'

短语讲解：

1. With the United States' unemployment rate at its highest level this year, President Barack Obama is calling on lawmakers to pass a series of his administration's proposals to improve the economy.

call on号召; 要求, 请求
例句：The government called on the workers to oppose waste.
政府号召工人反对浪费。

2. Republicans are blaming the president's policies for the country's economic troubles.

blame for因…怪罪, 责怪(某人)
例句：He blamed his brother for breaking the window.
他责备他兄弟打破了窗玻璃。

3. The U.S. Labor Department says only 18,000 jobs were added to the nation's economy in June, the smallest increase in nine months.

add to增加, 添加
例句：The office looked exactly the same as before, only some charts were added to the wall.
办公室里还是那个老样子, 只是墙上多了一些图表。

4. "Today, Congress can advance trade agreements that will help businesses sell more American-made goods and services to Asia and South America, supporting thousands of jobs here at home," Obama added.

at home在国内
例句：These things can all be manufactured at home.
这些东西国内都能制造。

5. "That could be done right now."

right now 立即
例句：Let's go right now before it gets too late.
我们马上就去, 不然就太晚了。

6. The president said continuing uncertainty over the debt limit is one factor keeping businesses from hiring.

keep from阻止; 免于
例句：I don't want to keep you from your work.
我不想耽误你的工作。

7. That is the least that they should expect of us, not the most that they should expect of us.

expect of对(某人)寄予…的期待, 指望(某人)…
例句：There's no need to give me the money; I don't expect it of you.
没有必要给我钱, 我没指望你会给钱。

8. They called the June unemployment figures "completely unacceptable," and blamed excessive government spending for the lack of new jobs.

lack of缺乏，缺少
例句：The lack of rain aggravated the already serious lack of food. 
缺少雨水加重了业已严重的食物缺乏。 

9. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, a Republican presidential candidate, said President Obama is "out of answers and running out of time."

run out of 用完, 耗尽
例句：The soldiers ran out of ammunition and had to withdraw.
士兵们用光了弹药, 不得不撤退。