VOA常速英语:Tea Party Shakes, Shapes US Politics

短语讲解：

1. Protests against Wall Street and economic inequality have grown in New York, Washington and other U.S. cities, as citizens speak out against corporate interests.

speak out毫无保留地说出
例句：If you have any objections, just speak out.
如果你有什么反对意见, 就爽快地说出来。

2. The Tea Party wants to cut taxes and reduce the size of the central government, and it now plays a major role in the battle for the Republican Party's presidential nomination.

play a role in在...起作用
例句：The headmaster plays an important role in the good running of a school.
办好一所学校, 校长起重要作用。

3. The first Tea Party rallies drew a lot of people who had never been involved in politics.

involve in使参与〔陷入, 牵扯到〕
例句：She was involved in working out a puzzle.
她在聚精会神地解一道难题。

4. However, presidential candidate Herman Cain is very popular in the Tea Party and black Americans who do show up at rallies are often among the most vocal participants.

show up到场, 出席
例句：He promised to come on Tuesday but he never showed up.
他答应星期二来, 可是一直未露面。

5. In past elections, conservatives focused on issues like abortion and gay marriage, but Tea Party supporter Amy Long says the nation's fiscal health is paramount.

focus on集中于
例句：Today we're going to focus on the question of homeless people.
今天, 我们主要讨论无家可归者的问题。

6. "I care about the social issues and that is great, but now is not the time, I think, that I need the perfect candidate," said Long.

care about 在乎, 在意; 担心, 关心; 对…感兴趣
例句：I don't care much about music.
我对音乐不很感兴趣。

7. "I just want someone to get in there and get us out of debt."

get out of debt还债
例句：Getting out of debt must be set above buying anything new.
首先要还清债务, 然后才谈得上购置新东西。

8. Rice University political science professor Mark Jones says the Tea Party has drawn the lines for next year's presidential contest by clamoring for deficit reduction, but rejecting Democrat Party calls for increased revenue.

call for要求
例句：The letter calls for an investigation of the facts.
来信要求对这些事实进行调查。

9. But Jones adds that Tea Party pressure on Republicans to reject compromise gives President Obama a strong card to play with moderate voters.

play with玩弄…
例句：The boss attempted to play with his woman secretary.
老板企图玩弄他的女秘书。

10. And, although a majority of voters worry about the deficit and growing debt, polls show they are even more concerned about economic stagnation and unemployment.

worry about担忧, 烦恼
例句：He worried about how to make his living.
他为如何谋生发愁。
concern about使(自己)关心…
例句：We are concerned about his welfare.
我们关心他的健康。