voa标准英语2008年-After Obama Victory, Work Begins on Presidentia

Americans are marking the election of Barack Obama as the country's 44th president, and the first African-American to reach the summit of U.S. politics. VOA's Dan Robinson reports.
　

President-elect Barack Obama stands on stage along with his wife Michelle and daughters during election night gathering1 in Grant Park, Chicago, 04 Nov 2008

No longer just a first-term senator from Illinois, now President-elect Obama appeared with his wife Michelle and their two daughters, along with family members and Vice² President-elect Joseph Biden before tens of thousands of people in Chicago's Grant Park.

Amid thunderous cheers, Senator Obama said the outcome shows that change has come to America and should prove to any who doubt that all things are possible in America's Democratic system.

"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible, who still wonders if the dream of our founders³ is alive in our time, who still questions the power of our democracy. Tonight is your answer," he said.

Saying he was never the likeliest candidate to seek the presidency⁴, he said Americans of every background showed they can unite and reject cynicism to bring about change.

President-elect Obama called his former opponent John McCain a brave and selfless leader. In his concession⁵ speech, McCain called Senator Obama's victory a historic moment for Americans and African-Americans in particular, one that moves the country farther from a past marked by intolerance.
　

Sen. John McCain with wife Cindy, delivers remarks during an election night rally in Phoenix6 4 Nov. 2008

McCain pledged his support to the president-elect.

"I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill⁷ and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger better country than we inherited," said McCain.

President-elect Obama's victory was built on an aggressive campaign challenging McCain in states that for decades voted Republican in presidential elections, such as Virginia. He won in Republican stronghold Indiana, and in Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada, states President Bush won in 2004.
　

New York City newspapers are displayed in New York, 05 Nov 2008

Mr. Obama drew significant support from newly-registered young voters, and from Hispanic-Americans, especially in the west, and from women, in addition to African-Americans.

Voters ranked the poor state of the U.S. economy highest among their concerns, that include the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The son of a Kenyan father and a white mother from Kansas, President-elect Obama said Americans face great challenges, including two wars and a financial crisis.

Americans will succeed, he said, as long as they commit to healing divisions and to a new spirit of patriotism⁸, service and sacrifice.

He also sent this message to those watching and listening around the world.
　

People sit near a painting featuring U.S. Presidential candidate Barack Obama, during a gathering of people in Kogelo village, Kenya, 04 Nov 2008

"[To] all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled⁹ around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular but are destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand," he said.

President George W. Bush, who leaves the White House in January when Obama is inaugurated, congratulated the president-elect in a telephone call.

Work is underway in the Bush White House and among Senator Obama's staff, on the presidential transition, with some media reports saying Mr. Obama may act quickly on naming a chief of staff.

Democrats¹⁰ who won control of Congress in the 2006 mid-term election have expanded their hold on power, although not as much as they had hoped in the U.S. Senate. Some vote counting continued through the early hours Wednesday.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 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。

3 founders   

n.创始人( founder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was one of the founders of the university's medical faculty. 他是该大学医学院的创建人之一。 来自辞典例句
• The founders of our religion made this a cornerstone of morality. 我们宗教的创始人把这看作是道德的基石。 来自辞典例句

4 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。

5 concession   

n.让步，妥协；特许(权)

参考例句：

• We can not make heavy concession to the matter.我们在这个问题上不能过于让步。
• That is a great concession.这是很大的让步。

6 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

7 goodwill   

n.善意，亲善，信誉，声誉

参考例句：

• His heart is full of goodwill to all men.他心里对所有人都充满着爱心。
• We paid ￡10,000 for the shop,and ￡2000 for its goodwill.我们用一万英镑买下了这家商店，两千英镑买下了它的信誉。

8 patriotism   

n.爱国精神，爱国心，爱国主义

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• They obtained money under the false pretenses of patriotism.他们以虚伪的爱国主义为借口获得金钱。

9 huddled   

挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• We huddled together for warmth. 我们挤在一块取暖。
• We huddled together to keep warm. 我们挤在一起来保暖。

10 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》