VOA慢速英语--克林顿民主党提名的漫长道路

AS IT IS 2016-07-29 Clinton’s Long Path to the Democratic Nomination¹ 克林顿民主党提名的漫长道路

After losing the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama in 2008, Hillary Clinton said, "Although we were not able to shatter that highest and hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you it has 18 million cracks in it."

Eight years later, Clinton received the Democratic Party’s nomination at their convention in Philadelphia. The former first lady, senator and secretary of state is now looking to shatter the ultimate glass ceiling to become president of the United States.

Her main opposition² is businessman Donald Trump³, a first-time candidate for political office. Trump won over 16 other candidates to win the Republican nomination.

The general election will be held on November 8 this year.

Unexpected challenge on the way to the nomination

Hillary Rodham Clinton was expected to win the Democratic nomination easily when she announced her candidacy on April 12, 2015. Many well-known Democrats⁴, including Vice⁵ President Joe Biden, chose not to run against Clinton.

Clinton, however, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge. The senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders, attracted many supporters during the Democratic primaries. Tens of thousands turned out to hear Sanders’ messages of income inequality, making college tuition free and regulating big businesses.

At the same time, Clinton had to answer questions from Congress about her role as secretary of state during the attack in Benghazi. Four Americans, including a U.S. ambassador, were killed in the 2012 attack in Libya.

The committee who examined the case said the U.S. government did not provide enough security to protect the diplomatic post. But it did not hold Clinton responsible for the failure.

However, during the hearing about Benghazi, it was found that Clinton had used a private email server to conduct official business as secretary of state. Clinton, like many other government officials, was required to use a government server for work communication.

Faced with a series of investigations⁶, including one from the FBI, Clinton said using the private server was a mistake.

The FBI found no evidence that Clinton intentionally⁷ used the private server to send or receive classified documents. But the FBI director criticized Clinton for being “extremely careless” in handling the information.

Clinton’s background

Clinton was born on October 26, 1947 in Chicago. Her father, Hugh Rodham, was a successful owner of a small business selling drapes. Her mother, Dorothy, was abandoned as a child and sent to live with relatives. Clinton frequently says her mother’s experience as a child inspired her to “fight for the needs of children everywhere.”

After high school, Clinton attended Wellesley College, an all-women’s school in Massachusetts. Then she went to Yale Law School in Connecticut, where she met her future husband, Bill.

The two classmates moved to the southern state of Arkansas and got married in 1975. Their child, a daughter named Chelsea, was born in 1980.

Bill Clinton was elected attorney general and eventually became governor of Arkansas. As the state’s first lady, Hillary Clinton served on several committees on education, children and families. She also worked as a partner for the private Rose Law Firm.

During Bill Clinton’s campaign for president in 1992, critics questioned his wife’s decision to continue working while serving as the first lady of Arkansas.

Hillary Clinton replied, “I suppose I could have stayed home and baked cookies and had teas, but what I decided⁸ to do was to fulfill⁹ my profession, which I entered before my husband was in public life."

As first lady of the United States, Clinton remained active in politics. She is well known for leading a failed effort to establish universal health care. A similar program was later established under President Obama.

In 1998, Bill Clinton faced impeachment¹⁰ for charges related to a sex scandal with a White House intern¹¹. But the U.S. Senate did not convict him. Bill Clinton remained in office.

Hillary Clinton wrote in her autobiography¹², Living History, that she was “heartbroken” over her husband’s actions and considered leaving the marriage. She added, "The most difficult decisions I have made in my life were to stay married to Bill and to run for the Senate from New York....”

In 2000, Clinton became the first woman to be elected to the U.S. Senate from the state of New York.

Six years later, Clinton launched her own campaign for the presidency¹³. That time she lost the Democratic nomination to Barack Obama, a junior senator. Clinton then joined the Obama administration as his secretary of state.

In her career, Clinton has addressed many issues, including rebuilding New York after the September 11 terrorist attacks, negotiating with Iran, and providing better health care benefits to people who serve the public. But she is best known for improving the lives of children and women.

In 1995, she declared at a U.N. World Conference of women, “human rights are women’s rights.”

Earlier this year, after clinching¹⁴ the Democratic nomination in her second run for the presidency, Clinton reflected on her mother, Dorothy Rodham, during a victory speech in Brooklyn.

“I wish she could see what a wonderful mother Chelsea has become and could meet our beautiful granddaughter, Charlotte, and, of course, I wish she could see her daughter become the Democratic Party’s nominee¹⁵.”

Words in This Story

shatter – v. to break suddenly into many small pieces

glass ceiling – n. an unfair system or set of attitudes that prevents some people (such as women or people of a certain race) from getting the most powerful jobs

convention – n. a large meeting of people who come to a place for usually several days to talk about their shared work or other interests or to make decisions as a group

intentionally – adv. done in a way that is planned or intended

drapes – n. long heavy curtains

intern – n. a student or recent graduate who works for a period of time at a job in order to get experience

clinching – n. making certain the winning of (something)

1 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 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》

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

6 investigations   

（正式的）调查( investigation的名词复数 )； 侦查； 科学研究； 学术研究

参考例句：

• His investigations were intensive and thorough but revealed nothing. 他进行了深入彻底的调查，但没有发现什么。
• He often sent them out to make investigations. 他常常派他们出去作调查。

7 intentionally   

ad.故意地，有意地

参考例句：

• I didn't say it intentionally. 我是无心说的。
• The local authority ruled that he had made himself intentionally homeless and was therefore not entitled to be rehoused. 当地政府裁定他是有意居无定所，因此没有资格再获得提供住房。

8 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

9 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。

10 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

11 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

12 autobiography   

n.自传

参考例句：

• He published his autobiography last autumn.他去年秋天出版了自己的自传。
• His life story is recounted in two fascinating volumes of autobiography.这两卷引人入胜的自传小说详述了他的生平。

13 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

14 clinching   

v.（尤指两人）互相紧紧抱[扭]住( clinch的现在分词 )；解决（争端、交易），达成（协议）

参考例句：

• Joe gets clinching evidence of the brains role when he dreams. 乔做梦时得到了大脑发生作用的决定性依据。 来自辞典例句
• Clinching, wrestling, pushing, or seizing, without attempting a throw or other technique. 抱，扭摔，推或抓而没有摔或其它的技术。 来自互联网

15 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。