美国国家公共电台 NPR--California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein won't seek reelection in 2024

California Democrat¹ Sen. Dianne Feinstein won't seek reelection in 2024

Transcript²

Feinstein who is 89 years old and is California's long-serving U.S. senator, says she won't run for reelection. Two other high-profile Democrats³ had already announced they're running for her seat.

ASMA KHALID, HOST:

The nation's oldest sitting senator will not run for reelection next year. California's Dianne Feinstein is retiring. From member station KQED in San Francisco, Marisa Lagos reports.

MARISA LAGOS, BYLINE⁴: Dianne Feinstein first made national headlines in 1978 when she became San Francisco mayor following the assassinations⁵ of Mayor George Moscone and County Supervisor⁶ Harvey Milk. Then in 1992, she ran for U.S. Senate in what became known as the Year of the Woman. Here she is at the Democratic National Convention that summer.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

DIANNE FEINSTEIN: We Californians have a simple message. The status quo must go.

LAGOS: She was a fresh face, one of a record four women elected to the Senate that year, bringing the grand total to six. And she made history in that election alongside Barbara Boxer⁷. It was the first time two women had ever represented a single state in the U.S. Senate. Here's retired⁸ Senator Boxer.

BARBARA BOXER: The fact that two women could get elected together, two Jewish women from the Bay Area - it was stunning⁹. No one anticipated it at all.

LAGOS: Feinstein became a senator at 59. Now, at 89, she's squarely part of the establishment, the status quo. For much of her time in the Senate, Feinstein was a leader. She helped pass the now-expired assault weapons ban in 1994, and she went to battle with two presidential administrations, including Obama's, to fight for the release of information about the CIA's use of torture.

THAD KOUSSER: We were such a different country, such a different state.

LAGOS: Thad Kousser is a political science professor at the University of California, San Diego.

KOUSSER: California was a purple state. Certainly, this retirement¹⁰ feels like an epochal change in California politics.

LAGOS: Over Feinstein's tenure¹¹, California has turned solidly blue, and national party politics have become increasingly hostile, while Feinstein has remained a centrist dedicated¹² to reaching across the aisle¹³. That's led to criticism she's out of touch with the Democratic base. There are also questions about whether she's declined mentally. And even before Feinstein's announcement, two high-profile Southern California Congress members - Adam Schiff and Katie Porter - announced they would run for her seat. Kousser says they're both to the left of Feinstein.

KOUSSER: I think we're going to spend $100 million deciding which progressive Democrat is going to represent the state of California.

LAGOS: But for the next two years, Feinstein has promised to continue the battle she's been fighting for the last three decades.

For NPR News, I'm Marisa Lagos in San Francisco.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

5 assassinations   

n.暗杀( assassination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Most anarchist assassinations were bungled because of haste or spontaneity, in his view. 在他看来，无政府主义者搞的许多刺杀都没成功就是因为匆忙和自发行动。 来自辞典例句
• Assassinations by Israelis of alleged terrorists habitually kill nearby women and children. 在以色列，自称恐怖分子的炸弹自杀者杀害靠近自己的以色列妇女和儿童。 来自互联网

6 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

7 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

8 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

9 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。

10 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

11 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

12 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

13 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。