2007年VOA标准英语-Democratic Presidential Contenders Focus on Ira

Jim Malone
Washington
19 June 2007

Democratic presidential contenders focused their attention on the war in Iraq during appearances at two candidate forums² Tuesday in Washington. VOA national correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination³.

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Senator Hillary Clinton makes a point while addressing a forum sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, (AFSCME), 19 Jun 2007

The most recent polls show New York Senator Hillary Clinton solidifying⁵ her lead in the Democratic field.

Senator Clinton sought to strengthen her position as the frontrunner for the party nomination in separate campaign appearances before a union group and an organization of liberal activists⁶.

Clinton focused much of her remarks on the war in Iraq. She and the other seven Democratic candidates are seeking the support of anti-war activists who are expected to be a major force in the presidential primaries and caucuses⁷ next year.

"I believe that we have got to start engaging in diplomacy⁸ and that is what I would do, beginning now, if I were president," she said. "And if our president does not end our involvement in Iraq, when I am president, I will."

Senator Barack Obama waves to the audience while addressing a forum sponsored by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFSCME, 19 Jun 2007

Clinton favors a phased withdrawal⁹ of U.S. forces from Iraq beginning immediately, a view also held by Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

Obama is running second behind Clinton in public opinion polls.

"We have no good options in Iraq left," he said. "We have bad options and worse options. The best option, I believe, is to make certain that we begin a phased redeployment, that we are as careful getting out as we were careless getting in."

But some of the Democratic candidates who trail the top contenders are trying to highlight differences on Iraq.

 

"If I were president today, I would withdraw all our forces before the end of this calendar year," said New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson. "But where I differentiate¹⁰ with the other candidates is I leave no residual¹¹ forces."

Former North Carolina Senator John Edwards remains¹² third in most polls, though his support has slipped in recent months.

Edwards says the next president must manage more than just a troop withdrawal from Iraq.

"I would get Sunni and the Shia leadership engaged in serious discussions to see if they can reach some kind of political solution, political reconciliation," said Edwards. "Because without that there is never going to be peace in Iraq."

Congressman13 Dennis Kucinich, 19 Jun 2007

Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich is near the bottom of the eight candidate Democratic field in the polls. But Kucinich was quick to criticize fellow contenders like Clinton and Edwards who initially¹⁴ supported the use of force in Iraq.

"And we need a president who can defend our country, but also who knows when war is wrong and is ready to say so when it counts, not four years later, not five years later," said Kuchinich.

Political experts say Clinton has firmly established herself as the Democratic frontrunner in recent months by emphasizing her experience in government, first as First Lady during the presidency¹⁵ of her husband, Bill Clinton, and more recently as a U.S. Senator.

"There is one person who I think has the greatest chance, if you figure the odds¹⁶ of all 18 candidates, both Republicans and Democrats¹⁷, there is one candidate, if you had to pick one who has the best chance to be president, I think it is Hillary Clinton, the senator from New York," said Fred Barnes, editor of the Weekly Standard magazine.

But analysts¹⁸ note that while Senator Clinton has long held a lead among Democrats in public opinion polls, she also continues to draw high unfavorable ratings from Republicans and independent voters. That could cause her problems in the general election if she winds up as the Democratic nominee¹⁹.

Maurice Carroll directs public opinion surveys at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

"She is ahead and she has been ahead and she stays ahead without much change," said Carroll. "There is no question that Mrs. Clinton is very, very popular among Democrats, but she still has a high number of negatives in the Quinnipiac poll and in everybody's polls."

In the latest Quinnipiac poll, Clinton narrowly beat the top Republican contenders for president, including former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Arizona Senator John McCain and former Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson. Thompson is not in the race, but is expected to join it soon.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

2 forums   

讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭

参考例句：

• A few of the forums were being closely monitored by the administrators. 有些论坛被管理员严密监控。
• It can cast a dark cloud over these forums. 它将是的论坛上空布满乌云。

3 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。

4 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

5 solidifying   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的现在分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• The substances are formed from a mixture of liquids solidifying under pressure. 这些材料是由几种液体混合在一起并加压使之凝固而成的。
• Painting is an art solidifies time and space for solidifying. 绘画是凝固了的时间和空间的艺术。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 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

8 diplomacy   

n.外交；外交手腕，交际手腕

参考例句：

• The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy.会谈现在已经进入了“温和外交”阶段。
• This was done through the skill in diplomacy. 这是通过外交手腕才做到的。

9 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

10 differentiate   

vi.(between)区分；vt.区别；使不同

参考例句：

• You can differentiate between the houses by the shape of their chimneys.你可以凭借烟囱形状的不同来区分这两幢房子。
• He never learned to differentiate between good and evil.他从未学会分辨善恶。

11 residual   

adj.复播复映追加时间；存留下来的，剩余的

参考例句：

• There are still a few residual problems with the computer program.电脑程序还有一些残留问题。
• The resulting residual chromatism is known as secondary spectrum.所得到的剩余色差叫做二次光谱。

12 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

13 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。

14 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

15 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。

16 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

17 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》

18 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。

19 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。