2006年VOA标准英语-Polls Show US Democrats' Election Prospects Imp

By Jim Malone
Washington
10 October 2006

Several new public opinion polls indicate opposition¹ Democrats² are on track to make substantial gains in next month's congressional midterm elections. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the U.S. election campaign from Washington.

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The latest surveys suggest Democratic prospects³ are improving because of public unhappiness over Iraq and a congressional scandal involving a former Republican congressman⁴ from Florida.

The polls were conducted in recent days by several major news organizations, including ABC News and the Washington Post, CBS News and the New York Times, and the USA Today newspaper and the Gallup polling organization.

The polls show voters prefer Democrats on a range of issues including Iraq, the economy, and in some cases, even in handling the overall war on terrorism.

Democrats say they are ready to accommodate what they see as a public mood for change.
 

Rep. Rahm Emanuel (file photo)   
  
Illinois Congressman Rahm Emanuel is leading the Democratic effort to win a majority in the House of Representatives. He spoke⁵ on ABC's This Week program.

"They do not want to stay on the course you have set for this country," he said. "They want a new direction. They want a change."

Republican prospects have dimmed in recent days because of the congressional scandal involving former Representative Mark Foley, a Republican from Florida. Foley resigned after it came to light that he had inappropriate e-mail contact with young House pages.

Illinois Republican Congressman Ray LaHood acknowledges that the Foley scandal combined with public uneasiness over Iraq have created a very difficult election climate for the Republican Party.

 
Rep. Ray LaHood (file photo)
  
He spoke about the challenge for Republicans on the CBS program, Face the Nation.

"To persuade the American people that we can govern," he said. "But this is going to be the most difficult 30 days in the last 12 years since we have been the majority party [in Congress]."

Most political analysts⁷ predict that Republicans will have a difficult time trying to retain control of both the House and Senate in November.

"The mood of the electorate⁸ is sour," said Stephen Wayne, a professor of government at Georgetown University in Washington. "Less than 30 percent of the people approve of the job that Congress is doing. A month before the election, more people say that they would rather have the Democrats in control of Congress than the Republicans."

Independent political analyst⁶ Stuart Rothenberg says public skepticism about the war in Iraq is a major factor in this year's election.

"The number-one reason for the mood is, I think clearly, the war in Iraq," he said. "The daily dose of bad news, whether it is about U.S. casualties and fatalities⁹, or about [casualties among] Iraqis, or about the inability of the government in Iraq and security forces to stabilize¹⁰ the situation there."

Rothenberg and other analysts believe it is likely Democrats will win the 15 additional seats they need to retake the House.

Most experts predict it will be tougher for Democrats to gain the six seats they need to win back control of the Senate.

Republicans caution that they have plenty of time to rally their core supporters with four weeks to go until Election Day.

1 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。

2 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》

3 prospects   

n.希望，前途(恒为复数)

参考例句：

• There is a mood of pessimism in the company about future job prospects. 公司中有一种对工作前景悲观的情绪。
• They are less sanguine about the company's long-term prospects. 他们对公司的远景不那么乐观。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

6 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

9 fatalities   

n.恶性事故( fatality的名词复数 )；死亡；致命性；命运

参考例句：

• Several people were injured, but there were no fatalities. 有几个人受伤，但没有人死亡。
• The accident resulted in fatalities. 那宗意外道致多人死亡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。