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Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama forcefully rejected the idea of running as Hillary Clinton's vice² presidential running mate Monday. Obama's comments came in the wake of suggestions from the Clinton campaign that the two candidates form a dream ticket, with Clinton in the top spot.

竞争美国民主党总统候选人提名的奥巴马参议员星期一断然拒绝了有关作为希拉里.克林顿的副总统竞选夥伴的建议。在此之前，从克林顿竞选班子里传出这两位民主党参选人结成以希拉里为主的梦幻组合的建议。

Campaigning in Mississippi in advance of Tuesday's primary, Obama left no doubt that he rejects the idea of joining a ticket in which he would agree to be the vice presidential running mate of Hillary Clinton.

奥巴马在星期二密西西比州即将举行初选之前举行了竞选活动。他断然拒绝了有关让他作为希拉里.克林顿的副总统竞选搭档结成一个组合的建议。

"With all due respect, I have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton," said Obama. "I have won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So, I do not know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency³ to the person who is in first place."

奥巴马说：“在我对克林顿表示应有尊重的同时，我想指出，我赢得的州是克林顿赢得的州的两倍。我比克林顿参议员赢得了更多的党内代表的票数。所以，我不理解一个屈居第二的参选人居然提出让一个名列前茅的人作她的副总统竞选夥伴。”

Obama's comments came after remarks from Hillary Clinton last week suggesting the possibility of the two rivals running together on the same ticket, with Clinton in the top spot.

在奥巴马发表这番讲话之前，克林顿参议员上星期暗示，两名竞争对手携手组成一个搭档，以克林顿为首。

"I have had people say, I wish I could vote for both of you," she said. "Well, that might be possible someday."

克林顿说：“我曾听人说，‘我希望我能够投票给你们两位’。好啊，希望将来有这种可能性。”

Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, also promoted the idea, noting that each contender would bring strengths to a combined ticket.

希拉里.克林顿的丈夫、前总统比尔.克林顿也赞赏这个主意。他指出，如果两人联合起来，两位竞争者将带来各自独特的优势。

"He would win the urban areas and the upscale voters, and she wins the traditional rural areas that we lost when President Reagan was president," he said. "If you put those two things together, you have an almost unstoppable force."

前总统克林顿说：“奥巴马会赢得都市区和高层次的选民的支持，希拉里则能够得到传统农村地区选民的支持，这部分选民是我们在里根当总统的时候失去的。如果我们能够把两股力量凝聚在一起，我们的力量几乎是不可阻挡的。”

Clinton and Obama are engaged in a close battle for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination⁴. Obama continues to lead the delegate count by about 100 following his victory Saturday in the Wyoming caucuses⁵.

希拉里.克林顿和奥巴马争夺民主党总统候选人提名的竞争难分胜负。奥巴马星期六在怀俄明州党内预选中获胜，党代表票数继续领先，他比克林顿多大约100票。

Obama is favored to do well in the Mississippi primary on Tuesday, while Clinton hopes to regain⁶ her momentum⁷ with a victory in the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. Opinion polls there give her the lead.

奥巴马被看好星期二在密西西比州的初选中取胜，而克林顿希望在4月22号宾夕法尼亚州的初选中再次推动胜利的势头。

Clinton has questioned whether Obama is ready to serve as president and commander in chief, and that line of attack may have helped her win last week's primaries in Texas and Ohio.

克林顿质疑奥巴马是否胜任总统和三军统帅，这些攻击可能帮助了她上星期赢得德克萨斯和俄亥俄州的初选。

But Obama tried to turn that around Monday by asking why would Clinton want him as her vice presidential running mate if he is not fit to serve as commander in chief?

可是奥巴马试图在星期一扭转局势。他质问克林顿，如果他不适合担任三军统帅的话，克林顿为什么要请他作竞选夥伴当副总统候选人。

"Getting all the [retired] generals to say, well, we are not sure he is ready," he said. "I am ready on day one. He may not be ready yet. But I do not understand. If I am not ready, how is it that you think I should be such a great vice president? Do you understand that?"

他说：“让所有退休将军说，我们不确定他是否胜任，而我从第一天起就准备好了，他可能还没有准备好。可是我不明白，如果我不能胜任，那么，你为什么认为我会成为一个很好的副总统呢？你们大家明白吗？”

The Clinton camp had suggested that a combined ticket would be formidable against the presumed Republican nominee⁸, Senator John McCain. But Obama told supporters Monday in Mississippi that Democrats⁹ must choose between the two of them for the party nomination.

克林顿阵营建议奥巴马和克林顿联合起来，这样会有更大的力量来击败预测中的共和党提名人约翰.麦凯恩参议员。可是，奥巴马星期一在密西西比对支持者说，民主党必须在他和克林顿两个人当中选择总统候选人。

Political experts believe the idea of a joint¹⁰ ticket, in either combination, could remain viable¹¹ if the Democratic race remains¹² close right up until the national nominating convention in Denver in late August.

John Fortier is an expert on U.S. politics at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington and a recent guest on VOA's Encounter program.

"The bitterness also will be interesting to watch if we really do come to a very, very close resolution where the candidates feel that they have to come together as a ticket," said Fortier. "It is in some ways unbelievable that they would come together, and yet in other ways it seems almost the way to resolve those differences. And that will be a drama, if it plays out that way, that we will be watching in June or July."

Political rivals have joined forces in the past after bitter presidential campaigns with positive results. Republican candidate Ronald Reagan chose George H.W. Bush as his running mate in 1980, and Democrat¹ John Kennedy did the same in 1960 when he picked Lyndon Johnson as his vice presidential candidate.

以往，政治对手曾经在艰苦的总统选战后联合起来，获得积极效果。1980年，共和党总统候选人里根选择老布什做为他的竞选夥伴。1960年民主党人肯尼迪也同样选择约翰逊当他的副总统候选人。