VOA标准英语2008年-Clinton Hopes to Build Momentum After West Virg

By Jim Malone
Washington
14 May 2008

Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton is looking for renewed momentum¹ after trouncing rival Barack Obama in Tuesday's West Virginia primary.  But most political analysts³ continue to believe Clinton is running out of time in her long-running battle with Obama for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination⁴.  VOA national correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington.

Hillary Clinton is pointing to her overwhelming victory in West Virginia to buttress⁵ her argument that she would be the stronger Democratic candidate against Republican John McCain in the November election.

"With a vision for America that rewards hard work again, that values the middle class and helps to make it stronger," she said.  "With your help, I am ready to go head to head with John McCain to put our vision for America up against the one he shares with President Bush."

Despite Tuesday's win, Clinton is given virtually no chance of overtaking Barack Obama's lead in the overall delegate count.

Obama also continues to win over uncommitted superdelegates, the party activists⁶ and Democratic officeholders who are free to support either candidate at the national nominating convention.

Clinton is hoping her strong showing in West Virginia will give her a boost in the five remaining Democratic contests, including primaries next Tuesday in Kentucky and Oregon.

Clinton is favored in Kentucky while Obama is given the edge in Oregon.

Obama did little campaigning in West Virginia and continues to look to the general election with a strategy that focuses on the presumptive Republican nominee⁷, Senator John McCain.

"There is too much that unites us as Democrats⁸," he said.  "There is too much at stake as a country, and there is going to be a clear choice when it comes to the election on November 4."

But Tuesday's vote in West Virginia contained some warning signs for the Obama campaign.  Roughly 2-in-10 voters said race was a factor in their decision, and 80 percent of those voters supported Clinton.

Political expert Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia says Obama must find a way to win over more white, working-class voters to compete against John McCain.

"There are a number of pitfalls⁹ along the way, not least his demonstrated lack of appeal to downscale whites and conservative Democrats, and he is going to have to work hard to solve those problems," he said.

Also Tuesday, Democrats won a congressional seat in Mississippi that could signal major Democratic gains in Congress in November.  Republicans had held the Mississippi seat since 1994, and the loss followed recent Republican defeats in two other special elections in Illinois and Louisiana.

"Republicans are very worried that the signals being sent by these three losses means simply that the Democrats will increase their majorities in both houses [of Congress] in the fall," said Marc Ambinder, a political analyst² for the Atlantic magazine and CBS News..

All 435 House seats will be up for election this November as well as 35 of the 100 U.S. Senate seats.

1 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

2 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。

3 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。

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 buttress   

n.支撑物；v.支持

参考例句：

• I don't think they have any buttress behind them.我认为他们背后没有什么支持力量。
• It was decided to buttress the crumbling walls.人们决定建造扶壁以支撑崩塌中的墙。

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 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。

8 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》

9 pitfalls   

（捕猎野兽用的）陷阱( pitfall的名词复数 )； 意想不到的困难，易犯的错误

参考例句：

• the potential pitfalls of buying a house 购买房屋可能遇到的圈套
• Several pitfalls remain in the way of an agreement. 在达成协议的进程中还有几个隐藏的困难。