VOA常速英语2007年-US Presidential Contenders Condemn Bhutto Assas

By Jim Malone
Washington
27 December 2007

The assassination¹ of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has taken center-stage in the U.S. presidential election campaign. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington on the reactions of some of the candidates.

Democrat² Hillary Clinton said she had come to know Ms. Bhutto during her years as First Lady. Campaigning in Iowa, Clinton said she was profoundly saddened and outraged³ by Ms. Bhutto's assassination.

Clinton's chief rival for the Democratic Party presidential nomination⁴, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois, said he was shocked and saddened by her death, and said she was a respected and resilient advocate for democracy in Pakistan.

Another Democratic contender, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, said the U.S. should not allow violence to disrupt Pakistan's return to democracy. Richardson also called on President Bush to force Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf to step down. Richardson served as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Clinton administration.

Republican presidential contenders were also quick to react to the Bhutto killing⁵.

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said those responsible for the assassination must be brought to justice and that her death is a reminder⁶ that terrorism anywhere is a threat to freedom.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt⁷ Romney also condemned⁸ the assassination during a campaign stop in New Hampshire.

"This points out again the extraordinary reality of global, violent, radical⁹ Jihadism," said Romney. "We do not know who is responsible for this attack, but there is no question but that the violence that we see throughout the world is violence that is not limited to Iraq and Afghanistan, but is more global in nature.

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee said the assassination was devastating¹⁰ news for the people of Pakistan.

Senator John McCain discussed the assassination during a campaign appearance in Iowa.

"If I were president of the United States, I would be on the phone right now, and I would be meeting with the National Security Council, and I would be seeing ways that we can help restore order or maintain order, whichever is the case in Pakistan," said McCain. "I know the players, I know the individuals and I know the best way to address this situation."

Some political observers believe the Bhutto killing could refocus the election debate on the dangers of terrorism, just one week before the first test of the 2008 campaign, the Iowa presidential caucuses¹¹ on January 3.

1 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

4 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。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。

7 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

9 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

10 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

11 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网