VOA标准英语2008年-McCain, Obama Debate Iran Policy

By Jim Malone
Washington
19 May 2008

Presidential contenders John McCain and Barack Obama debated the wisdom of dealing¹ directly with Iran Monday. The exchange on foreign policy came on the eve of primaries Tuesday in Kentucky and Oregon, the next contests in the long running Democratic nomination² battle between Obama and Hillary Clinton. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the U.S. presidential campaign from Washington.

Senator McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee³, was in Chicago to speak about the U.S. role in the global economy.

But McCain opened his speech with an attack on Senator Obama. McCain seized on remarks Obama made the previous day in which he described the threat posed by Iran to the United States as tiny compared to the threat once posed by the Soviet⁴ Union.

McCain accused Obama of underestimating the threat Iran poses to the United States.

"Senator Obama has declared and repeatedly reaffirmed his intention to meet the president of Iran without any preconditions, likening it to meetings between former American presidents and the leaders of the Soviet Union," he said. "Such a statement betrays the depth of Senator Obama's inexperience and reckless judgment⁵. These are very serious deficiencies for an American president to possess."

Obama was quick to respond to McCain's attack during a campaign event in Billings, Montana.

"And so I have made it clear for years that the threat from Iran is grave, but what I have said is that we should not just talk to our friends, we should be willing to engage our enemies as well," he said. "That is what diplomacy⁶ is all about. The reason Iran is so much more powerful now than it was a few years ago is because of the Bush-McCain policy of fighting an endless war in Iraq and refusing to pursue direct diplomacy with Iran. They are the ones who have not dealt with Iran wisely.

Last week, Obama accused McCain and President Bush of what he called dishonest and divisive attacks over his willingness to talk to Iran. Without mentioning Obama by name, President Bush compared those who would negotiate with terrorists and radicals⁷ to the appeasers of Nazi⁸ Germany prior to the Second World War.

The foreign policy exchange over Iran came on the eve of Democratic primaries in Kentucky and Oregon, the latest match-ups in the long running battle between Obama and rival Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

The latest polls give Obama a slight lead in Oregon. On Sunday, he drew a crowd of about 75,000 at a rally in Portland.

Senator Clinton is focused on Kentucky where a new poll gives her a huge lead over Obama.

Clinton told supporters in Kentucky she intends to keep campaigning right through the end of the primary season on June 3.

"So, I am going to make my case and I am going to make until we have a nominee," she said. "But we are not going to have one today and we are not going to have one tomorrow and we are not going to have one the next day. And if Kentucky turns out tomorrow, I will be closer to that nomination because of you."

Obama has a solid lead in the overall delegate count and continues to gain the support of Democratic superdelegates. Superdelegates are Democratic officeholders and party activists⁹ free to support either candidate.

The latest superdelegate to line up behind Obama is veteran Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia. Byrd decided¹⁰ to support Obama even though Clinton easily defeated Obama in the West Virginia primary last week.

After Tuesday's contests in Kentucky and Oregon, only three more Democratic primaries remain. Puerto Rico holds a primary on June 1, followed by South Dakota and Montana on June 3.

1 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

2 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。

3 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。

4 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

5 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

6 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。

7 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

8 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

9 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》

10 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。