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奥巴马女选民支持率领先罗姆尼6%以上

Both major presidential candidates, President Barack Obama and his Republican challenger Mitt¹ Romney, are fighting hard in the final days of the campaign for a crucial group of voters - women. Most recent public opinion polls indicate that Obama still has a lead of six to eight percentage points among women voters, while Romney enjoys a similar lead among men. A closer look at the gender² gap sheds some light on how some young women feel about the two campaigns vying³ to win their votes.

美国的两位总统候选人奥巴马总统和共和党挑战者罗姆尼在大选前的最后几天都在拼命争取对入主白宫至关重要的妇女选票。最近的民意调查结果显示，奥巴马在妇女选民中的支持率仍然领先罗姆尼6到8个百分点，而罗姆尼在男性选民中则以同样幅度领先。

Campaigning in Iowa, Obama highlighted the Equal Pay Act - the first bill he signed into law.

奥巴马在艾奥华州竞选时特别强调平等工资法案，说这是他签署的第一个法案。

"When young women graduate, they should get equal pay for equal work," said the president. "That should be a simple question to answer. When Governor Romney was asked about it, his campaign said, 'We'll get back to you.'"

他说：“当年轻妇女毕业，她们应当同工同酬，这应当是一个简单的问题。但是当罗姆尼被问到这个问题的时候，他的竞选班子说，我们以后再回答你。”

Romney focuses on the economy, saying American women are suffering.

罗姆尼把竞选的重点放在经济上。他说，美国妇女在受苦。

"Why is it that there are 3.6 million more women in poverty today than when the president took office? This president has failed America's women," said Romney.

他说：“生活在贫困中的妇女比奥巴马当政时多了360万人，这是为什么？这位总统辜负了美国妇女。”

And Romney rejects Democratic attacks that his party wants to restrict access to birth control.

民主党人批评罗姆尼所在的共和党想要限制妇女使用避孕措施。

"Turns out, Romney does not oppose contraception at all. In fact, he thinks abortion⁴ should be an option in cases of rape⁵, incest or to save a mother's life," says one woman in a Romney political ad.

罗姆尼的竞选广告驳斥了这种说法：“结果是罗姆尼根本不反对避孕。事实上，他认为在强奸、乱伦或是为了拯救母亲的生命时，应当可以选择堕胎。”

But some political analysts⁶ say that Romney and other Republican candidates advocate restricting access to abortion and contraception.

但是一些政治分析人士说，罗姆尼等共和党候选人主张限制妇女堕胎和获得避孕药。

"From support of policies that would take away women's access to contraception, to women's reproductive health care, to defunding Planned Parenthood, to limit a woman's right to choose, to redefining rape, the Republican candidates this cycle have demonstrated a willingness to chip away at women's rights," said Jennifer Lawless, a professor at American University.

美利坚大学的劳力斯教授说：“这些共和党候选人支持剥夺妇女获得避孕药权益的政策，剥夺对妇女的生育医疗照顾，减少对计划生育项目的资助，限制妇女选择的权利，给强奸重下定义，这些共和党候选人表现出他们愿意削弱妇女的权利。”

American University student Elyse Preston said she plans to vote for Obama.

美利坚大学的学生爱丽丝.普利斯顿打算投奥巴马一票。

"In general, that Barack Obama and Democratic candidates seem to grasp and have a better understanding of the fact that women need to be recognized as independent and capable of making their own decisions about their own bodies and recognized as full functioning members of society," said Preston.

她说：“总的来说，奥巴马和民主党候选人看来知道，也更了解这样一个事实，那就是必须承认妇女是独立的，她们有能力就自己的身体做出决定。必须承认妇女是充分发挥作用的社会成员。”

Fellow student Rebecca Rutekovsky said the economy is her top issue and she is voting for Romney.

普利斯顿的同学瑞贝卡.鲁特克维斯基说，对她来说，经济最重要，她要选罗姆尼。

"I am looking for a little more of economic security, because I am worried about when I get out of college whether I am going to have a job or not," said Rutekovsky.

她说：“我要求更多的经济安全，因为我担心大学毕业以后能否找到工作。”

Lawless said women traditionally tend to favor Democratic candidates.

劳力斯教授说，妇女传统上倾向于投票给民主党候选人。

"What Mitt Romney needs to do is close that gap to the best of his ability, or do whatever he can to demobilize female voters," she said.

她说：“罗姆尼需要尽力缩小这个距离，或是尽可能地阻止妇女选民参加投票。”

Women made up 53 percent of the electorate⁷ in 2008, so how many of them turn out to vote could determine who wins on November 6.

在2008年的大选中，妇女选民占选民的53%。11月6号奥巴马罗姆尼谁胜谁负可能取决于有多少妇女参加投票。