VOA常速英语2008年-Clinton Wins Pivotal Pennsylvania in Race for U

By Jim Fry
Washington
23 April 2008
 

U.S. Democratic Party presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton has won the primary in the eastern state of Pennsylvania.  The victory keeps her campaign for the White House alive.

Despite Tuesday's victory in the delegate-rich state, Clinton trails Democratic rival Senator Barack Obama in delegates needed to win the party's nomination¹. The Democratic nominee² will face the Republican nominee-in waiting, John McCain, in the November election. VOA's Jim Fry reports.

Senator Hillary Clinton could have faced pressure to quit the race had she not won Pennsylvania.

Instead she stood triumphant³ in Philadelphia and told her supporters the tide is turning.

"We were up against a formidable opponent who outspent us three to one. He broke every spending record in this state trying to knock us out of the race. Well the people of Pennsylvania had other ideas today,” she said.

By Tuesday night, Senator Barack Obama had moved on to one of the next two states to vote. He congratulated Clinton but pointed⁴ out she held a sizable lead in Pennsylvania several weeks ago.

“And now, six weeks later we closed the gap. We rallied people of every age and race and background to the cause," Obama said.

In the early morning, on primary day, voters lined up in Philadelphia. And their enthusiasm mirrored their numbers. Election officials say it was a record turnout for the state's Democratic primary.

Pennsylvania voter, Amy Blum says, "Feeling like it actually makes a difference this time. This is what it's supposed to feel like."

In Pennsylvania, a large state in the eastern part of the country, voters are clustered in the two big cities.

On the eastern border, Philadelphia and its large block of African Americans voted heavily for Obama. And in the suburbs, he also won college-educated and more affluent⁵ voters.

On the state's western side is Pittsburgh, a working class city that Clinton won easily. She also drew strong support from women and senior citizens.

Both candidates had campaigned in Scranton, once a mining town and later a manufacturing center, where two of Clinton's grandparents lived.

The mostly working class residents of the area supported Clinton three to one.

Scranton voters listed the Iraq war and the economy as issues that concerned them.

Scranton voter, Perri Lezzoni says, “There was a clip from her speaking on TV about bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States, and I liked it."

Still, some said they wanted the style of change that Obama preaches.

Another Scranton resident says, "We do need change but we need enthusiasm. We need a young person, just like John Kennedy was, to get the country going again."

Obama, who remains⁶ ahead in the delegate count, spoke⁷ in the midwestern state of Indiana, which votes in two weeks. He focused on his differences with the presumptive Republican nominee, John McCain.

Clinton told her Pennsylvania followers⁸ she also will go on to Indiana and then to North Carolina, which also votes next.

She says, "We still have a lot of work ahead of us. But if you're ready, I'm ready."

The next two Democratic primaries are scheduled for May 6th.

1 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。

2 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。

3 triumphant   

adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的

参考例句：

• The army made a triumphant entry into the enemy's capital.部队胜利地进入了敌方首都。
• There was a positively triumphant note in her voice.她的声音里带有一种极为得意的语气。

4 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

5 affluent   

adj.富裕的，富有的，丰富的，富饶的

参考例句：

• He hails from an affluent background.他出身于一个富有的家庭。
• His parents were very affluent.他的父母很富裕。

6 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。

7 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。

8 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。