纽约时报 美国大选背后的跌宕起伏(4)（在线收听）

As Mr. Sanders, 78, returned to Vermont, where he voted Tuesday morning,

当现年78岁的桑德斯返回佛蒙特州时，周二早上他在那里投票，

his allies acknowledged that they had been caught off guard by the swiftness with which Mr. Biden’s former adversaries had locked arms to oppose Mr. Sanders’s campaign.

他的盟友承认，拜登的前对手迅速出手反对桑德斯的竞选活动，他们对此措手不及。

They argued that Mr. Sanders was still far better equipped — financially and in his campaign organization — than Mr. Biden

他们认为，桑德斯在财务上和竞选组织上的条件要比拜登要好得多，

to compete for the nomination over a long primary race.

可以在漫长的初选比赛中竞争提名资格。

And they vowed to highlight to voters the sharp differences in their agendas.

他们发誓要向选民强调其议程上的重大分歧。

With their long tradition of elevating moderate Democrats, Virginia and North Carolina were fertile terrain for Mr. Biden.

弗吉尼亚州和北卡罗来纳州有着提拔温和派民主党人的悠久传统，这两个州对拜登而言极为有利。

He got a lift from his triumph in nearby South Carolina,

他在附近的南卡罗来纳州也获得了胜利，

a state many Super Tuesday voters were watching to see whether Mr. Biden could recover from his early struggles,

许多超级星期二的选民都在观察南卡罗来纳州，看看拜登是否可以从他早期的苦苦挣扎中恢复过来，

and then won a series of endorsements from party leaders, including many in Virginia.

然后赢得了包括弗吉尼亚州在内的许多党派领袖的一系列支持。

His advantage only grew after Ms. Klobuchar and Mr. Buttigieg, who were competing for some of the same voters,

克洛布彻女士和布蒂吉格也在争取同样的选票，只有在这两人退出竞选

withdrew from the race and gave their support to Mr. Biden.

并对拜登表示支持以后，拜登的优势才得以凸显。

Mr. Bloomberg had poured millions of dollars from his personal fortune into TV ads in the two states and made repeated appearances in both,

布隆伯格将个人财富中的数百万美元投入到了这两个州的电视广告上，并在这两个州多次露面，

with his advisers holding out the most hope in North Carolina.

他的顾问对北卡罗来纳州寄予了最大的希望。

And while he has been more focused on liberal states,

当他把更多注意力放在自由主义的州时，

Mr. Sanders made multiple stops in Virginia and North Carolina in the weeks after the New Hampshire primary last month.

桑德斯却在上个月新罕布什尔州初选后的数周内，多次到访弗吉尼亚州和北卡罗来纳州。

The Democratic campaign barreled into Super Tuesday in a state of extraordinary flux,

自拜登在周末赢得南卡罗来纳州以来，

as a loose alliance of party leaders, elected officials and centrist voting blocs seemed to fall in behind Mr. Biden

党派领袖、民选官员和中间派投票集团之间的松散联盟似乎都支持拜登，

since his weekend triumph in South Carolina.

民主党在“超级星期二”的竞选活动也异常活跃。

On Monday night, Mr. Biden made appearances in Texas with three former rivals —

周一晚上，拜登和三名竞争对手同时出现在得克萨斯州，

Ms. Klobuchar, Mr. Buttigieg and former Representative Beto O’Rourke —

他们分别是克洛布彻女士、布蒂吉格和前代表贝托·奥罗克，

who are now supporting his candidacy, while Mr. Sanders rallied supporters in Minnesota

这三人现在都支持拜登，而桑德斯在明尼苏达州召集其支持者，

in an effort to capture Ms. Klobuchar’s home state.

试图拿下克洛布彻女士的家乡州。

Few presidential candidates have endured the political roller coaster Mr. Biden has found himself riding in recent weeks.

很少有总统候选人能够忍受拜登最近几周所经历的过山车般的跌宕经历。

After finishing a distant fourth in Iowa and then coming in fifth in New Hampshire,

先是在爱荷华州获得第四名，然后又在新罕布什尔州获得第五名，

he was short on money, in danger of losing support to Mr. Bloomberg and facing a do-or-die primary in South Carolina.

拜登缺乏资金，支持率还可能低于布隆博格，并有可能在南卡罗来纳州面临一次生死攸关的初选。