VOA常速英语2008年-Obama Faces Clinton in Crucial Presidential Pen

By Jim Malone
Washington
21 April 2008

Democratic presidential contenders Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are headed for a crucial primary showdown in Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Clinton desperately¹ needs a win to stay in the race, while Obama hopes a good showing will solidify² his status as the frontrunner for the Democratic Party nomination³. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has a preview from Washington.

In the hours before the vote, both Democrats⁴ made final pleas to supporters to get out to the polls on Tuesday.

Senator Hillary Clinton spoke⁵ about the Iraq war and the domestic economy at a campaign rally in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

"We have got to bring our troops home and take care of our veterans," she said. "We have got to get out economy turned around and make it start producing good jobs for hard working people, like people right here."

Senator Barack Obama also campaigned around the state and told Pittsburgh radio station KDKA that he expects a close race on Tuesday.

"We have run a tough race here in Pennsylvania," he said. "Senator Clinton obviously was heavily favored. She was up by 20 points and we have just been trying to chip away and had a great time campaigning. I am not predicting a win. I am predicting it is going to be close and that we are going to do a lot better than people expect."

The latest polls give Clinton a lead of between five and 10 percentage points in Pennsylvania. Clinton at one time led by 20 points.

But Obama has been on the defensive⁶ in recent weeks over ties with his controversial former pastor⁷ and his recent comment that small-town voters in Pennsylvania are bitter and cling to guns and religion.

Political experts say Clinton has more at stake in Tuesday's primary.

Analyst⁸ Stuart Rothenberg says Clinton is looking for a substantial victory over Obama that will convince influential⁹ Democrats that she should remain in the race through the end of the caucus¹⁰ and primary season in early June.

"The reality is that she trails in delegates, and there are fewer and fewer delegates available now," he said. "Superdelegates are declaring, and we are toward the end of the primary season, so she needs to change the psychology¹¹ of the Democratic race, change the dynamic and start to raise questions about Senator Obama's electability down the road."

Obama leads in committed delegates, popular vote won and in the number of state contests won so far. But Clinton has won all of the larger states except Obama's home state of Illinois.

Neither candidate appears capable of winning enough delegates outright¹² to claim the nomination without the help of the so-called superdelegates, uncommitted party activists¹³ and officeholders who vote at the national nominating convention in Denver in late August.

With most of the election focus on the Democratic race, the presumed Republican nominee¹⁴, Senator John McCain, is trying to broaden his appeal as he looks ahead to the general election campaign.

McCain began a week-long tour of poor communities around the country that generally get little attention from presidential candidates.

McCain promised to be a candidate of change in Selma, Alabama.

"It is time for change, the right kind of change, change that trusts in the strength of free people and free markets," he said. "Change that does not return to policies that empower government to make our choices for us, but that works to ensure that we have choices to make for ourselves."

McCain spoke near a bridge that was the scene of a famous civil rights march in 1965 when police attacked demonstrators with clubs and tear gas.

Later in the week, McCain will visit economically depressed¹⁵ areas in Ohio and Kentucky.

1 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

2 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

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 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 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 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

7 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

8 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。

9 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

10 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

11 psychology   

n.心理，心理学，心理状态

参考例句：

• She has a background in child psychology.她受过儿童心理学的教育。
• He studied philosophy and psychology at Cambridge.他在剑桥大学学习哲学和心理学。

12 outright   

adv.坦率地；彻底地；立即；adj.无疑的；彻底的

参考例句：

• If you have a complaint you should tell me outright.如果你有不满意的事，你应该直率地对我说。
• You should persuade her to marry you outright.你应该彻底劝服她嫁给你。

13 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》

14 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。

15 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。