Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney accused rival John McCain of dirty tricks during a lively debate Wednesday evening. The Republican candidates squared off at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, each invoking the legacy of the late president.
星期三晚上，共和党总统候选人提名竞争者罗姆尼在一场电视实况转播的辩论会上，指责他的对手麦凯恩玩弄肮脏的把戏。两位竞争者在对阵的时候都自称继承里根的思想。
With the former presidential aircraft, Air Force One, as a backdrop, Republican frontrunners Mitt Romney and John McCain engaged in a spirited exchange over the question of whether Romney had supported a public deadline for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. President Bush and Senator McCain have rejected a deadline, which they say would hurt the effort of U.S. troops and undercut the Iraqi government.
名列前茅的共和党总统候选人提名竞争者罗姆尼和麦凯恩就罗姆尼是否支持提出一个公开的从伊拉克撤军的最后期限的问题展开了激烈的辩论。布什总统和麦凯恩参议员反对提出这样的一个公开的最后期限。他们说，提出这样的期限会损害驻伊拉克美军的努力，并对伊拉克政府造成损害。
Romney said he has never supported a deadline, and he asked why McCain raised the issue just days before the Florida primary. McCain won the Florida contest Tuesday by five percentage points.
罗姆尼说，他从来没有表示支持提出这样一个最后期限。他质问为什么麦凯恩要在佛罗里达州初选之前的几天提出这样的问题。麦凯恩星期二以5%的优势赢得了那里的初选。
"It's an attempt to do the Washington-style old politics, which is lay a charge out there, regardless of whether it's true or not. Don't check. Don't talk to the other candidate. Just throw it out there," he said.
罗姆尼说：“这是在玩弄华盛顿司空见惯的政治老把戏。这种把戏就是：提出一个指称，不管不问指称是否属实，不和其他的候选人讲话，先提出指称再说。”
Romney said he wanted U.S. and Iraqi leaders to discuss timetables and milestones privately, and will not support a troop withdrawal until Iraq is secure. He said McCain was using the kind of dirty tricks that Ronald Reagan would have found reprehensible.
罗姆尼说，他希望美国和伊拉克领导人私下讨论时间表和阶段问题，并且不支持在伊拉克还没有稳定之前撤出美军。他说，麦凯恩动用了里根会感到厌恶的肮脏把戏。
Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and Texas congressman Ron Paul also took part in the debate, which was broadcast on CNN. Former New York City mayor Rudolph Giuliani, who dropped out of the race Wednesday and endorsed John McCain, did not take part.
前阿肯色州州长哈克比以及来自德克萨斯州的国会众议员保罗也参加了由有线电视新闻网实况转播的辩论。前纽约市市长朱利亚尼星期三退出了竞选，并表示支持麦凯恩。朱利亚尼没有参加辩论。
McCain complained that he and Huckabee were the target of unfair attacks by Romney, a former Massachusetts governor and millionaire businessman, in televisions ads in earlier state contests.
麦凯恩抱怨说，在率先举行初选的那些州里，百万富豪罗姆尼通过电视广告对他和哈克比进行了不公正的攻击。
"As far as Washington politics is concerned, I think my friend Governor Huckabee, sir, will attest, the millions of dollars of attack ads and negative ads you leveled against him in Iowa, the millions of dollars of attack ads you attacked against me in New Hampshire, and have ever since. A lot of it's your own money, you're free to do with what you want to. You can spend it all," he said.
他说：“就华盛顿的政治把戏而言，我认为我的朋友哈克比可以作证。你花费了几百万美元在爱奥华州通过广告对他进行攻击，在新罕布什尔州花费几百万美元对我进行攻击，而且自那时以来还在攻击，其中一大部分费用出自你自己。你有想做什么就做什么的自由。你可以把钱花光。”
Congressman Ron Paul, a vocal opponent of the war and advocate of limited government, criticized the others for supporting continued spending in Iraq.
保罗众议员直言不讳地批评伊拉克战争，并主张小政府。他批评其他候选人支持在伊拉克继续耗资。
He said "The dollar is crashing and you're talking about these technicalities about who said what, when?"
他说：“美元在大贬值，你们却在斤斤计较谁在什么时候说了什么话这样的鸡毛蒜皮。”
McCain and Romney each questioned the other's commitment to conservative goals such as cutting taxes, ideas once championed by President Reagan. Each of the candidates was asked whether the late president would endorse him. Mike Huckabee turned the question around.
麦凯恩和罗姆尼相互质疑对方是否致力于实现保守派的减税等目标。前总统里根生前大力主张减税。所有参加辩论的人都被问到一个问题，这就是里根总统是否会对他表示支持。哈克比把这个问题倒过来回答。
"I'm not going to pretend he would endorse me. I wish he would. I'd love that. But I endorse him," he said.
“我不会假装觉得他会支持我。我希望他支持我。我喜欢他支持我。但是，我支持他。”
Huckabee said the former president inspired the country.
哈克比说，前总统里根让全美国感到有一种理想。
Mr. Reagan's widow, Nancy, was in the audience, along with California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. News reports Wednesday said Schwarzenegger plans to endorse John McCain Thursday, giving another boost to the Arizona senator's campaign.
里根的遗孀南希以及加州的州长施瓦辛格出席了辩论会。有报导说，施瓦辛格计划星期四对麦凯恩表示支持。这样，来自亚利桑纳州的麦凯恩参议员的竞选就又多了一些胜算。
Wednesday's debate comes six days before Super Tuesday, when more than 20 states, including California, will hold primaries or caucuses that could position either McCain or Romney as a clear frontrunner in the race for the Republican presidential nomination.
下个星期二是所谓的超级星期二，有20多个州要举行初选或党团会议，其中包括加利福尼亚州。届时，是麦凯恩还是罗姆尼会成为共和党总统候选人提名获得者可能会大致见出分晓。 |