VOA标准英语2008年-Obama Expected to Win Democratic Nomination Thi

By Cindy Saine
Washington
02 June 2008

Democratic frontrunner Barack Obama appears set to claim his party's nomination¹ this week, which would make him the first African American presidential candidate to be the nominee² of a major U.S. political party. Senator Obama needs just 45 more delegates out of a total of 2,218 delegates required to clinch³ the Democratic nomination. But his opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton, continues to fight until the end, campaigning with her husband and daughter in South Dakota. VOA Correspondent Cindy Saine reports from Washington.
　

Barack Obama in Troy, Michigan, 02 Jun 2008

Senator Obama spoke⁴ Monday at a town hall meeting in Troy, Michigan, a key battleground state for the general election for the White House in November. Obama told his supporters that it has been a long, hard race for the Democratic nomination.

" I have been running for president for about 15 months now," said Barack Obama. "That is a long time. That means that there are babies that have been born and are now walking and talking since I announced that I was running for president."

Heading into the two last Democratic primaries Tuesday in South Dakota and Montana, Obama said he understands that the long nomination fight has left people wondering whether Clinton's supporters will back him in the general election against Republican Senator John McCain.

"Let me tell you something," he said. "First of all, Senator Clinton has run an outstanding race, she is an outstanding public servant, and she and I will be working together in November."

Obama did not elaborate on what he meant by "working together." There has been much speculation⁵ as to whether Obama might choose Clinton to be his vice⁶ presidential running mate, but both candidates have said it is premature⁷ to discuss the vice president's job.
　

Hillary Clinton after her victory in Puerto Rico, 01 Jun 2008

Despite winning a landslide⁸ victory Sunday in the commonwealth⁹ territory of Puerto Rico, Clinton has come under increasing pressure from Democratic leaders to cede¹⁰ victory to Obama after the last primaries are over on Tuesday. Tom Vilsack, the former Iowa governor and a co-chairman of Clinton's campaign said after Tuesday's races Clinton "needs to acknowledge that Obama is going to be the nominee and quickly get behind him."

At her victory speech Sunday, Clinton seemed determined¹¹ to keep up the fight. She pointed¹² to her strong finish over the past month and said she is winning the popular vote. The popular vote point is debatable, depending on how the states of Florida and Michigan are counted, and because Clinton's calculation leaves out states that held caucuses¹³ instead of primaries.

Clinton plans a major rally in South Dakota Tuesday night, accompanied by her husband, former President Bill Clinton and her daughter, Chelsea. And, in a departure from her regular practice during this campaign, Clinton announced that she will be delivering her speech after Tuesday's primaries from her home base in New York.

Many analysts¹⁴ believe that enough superdelegates, Democratic party and elected officials who can vote as they please, will come out and endorse¹⁵ Obama this week, putting him over the total number of required delegates, and giving him the nomination. Observers will be watching Clinton to see how she responds.

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 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。

4 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。

5 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

6 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。

7 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。

8 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

9 commonwealth   

n.共和国，联邦，共同体

参考例句：

• He is the chairman of the commonwealth of artists.他是艺术家协会的主席。
• Most of the members of the Commonwealth are nonwhite.英联邦的许多成员国不是白人国家。

10 cede   

v.割让，放弃

参考例句：

• The debater refused to cede the point to her opponent.辩论者拒绝向她的对手放弃其主张。
• Not because I'm proud.In fact,in front of you I cede all my pride.这不是因为骄傲，事实上我在你面前毫无骄傲可言。

11 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

12 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。

13 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

14 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。

15 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。