VOA标准英语2008年-Hillary Clinton Suspends Campaign, Backs Barack

By Kent Klein
Washington
07 June 2008

Senator Hillary Clinton has abandoned her quest to become the first woman elected President of the United States. VOA's Kent Klein reports from Washington, where Clinton called on an enthusiastic crowd of supporters to join her in backing fellow Democrat¹ Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

CLINTON: "Thank you all. Thank you very, very much. Well.... Well, this isn't exactly the party I had planned, but I sure like the company."

Senator Hillary Clinton ended her bid for the Presidency² Saturday, and told her supporters to unite behind Senator Barack Obama, who narrowly defeated Clinton for the Democratic Party nomination³.

"The way to continue our fight now, to accomplish the goals for which we stand, is to take our energy, our passion, our strength, and do all we can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the United States," she added.

Less than four days after Clinton still contended that she was the Democrats⁴' strongest candidate for President, she declared her campaign suspended and endorsed⁶ Obama.

"Today, as I suspend my campaign, I congratulate him on the victory he has won and the extraordinary race he has run," she said. "I endorse⁵ him and throw my full support behind him."

Senator Clinton mentioned the name of her Senate colleague from Illinois 14 times as she addressed cheering supporters packed into Washington's National Building Museum.

Admirers began lining⁷ up several hours before the speech, and the line extended most of the way around a city block. Some in the crowd, wearing Obama shirts, said they wanted to promote party unity⁸. But most wanted to show their support for the woman who came closer than any other in U.S. history to winning a major-party presidential nomination.
　

Bonnie Bon Jiorno, right, hugs a fellow supporter Clinton after Hillary Clinton announced suspension of her presidential campaign, 7 June 2008

MALE SUPPORTER: "I love Hillary Clinton. I think she is a champion for the middle class. I think she is a strong advocate for women, for civil rights. I love her."

FEMALE SUPPORTER 1: "I like her strength. I like what she stands for, what she has accomplished⁹, how she has overcome things."

FEMALE SUPPORTER 2: "This is a historical event that sort of makes me a little bit sad, because I really wanted Hillary to be President."

FEMALE SUPPORTER 3: "And we are just still supporting her. We are still in it to the end, all the way to the convention."
　

Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for a picture with supporters at the National Building Museum in Washington after she suspended her campaign for president, 7 June 2008

After 54 primary elections and caucuses¹⁰ and 22 debates, Obama secured the more than 2,100 delegates he needed to clinch¹¹ the party's nomination after Tuesday's primaries in the states of South Dakota and Montana.

In conceding the nomination, Senator Clinton said both she and Senator Obama, and the people who had voted for them, had made history.

"When we first started, people everywhere asked the same questions: 'Could a woman really serve as Commander in Chief?' Well, I think we answered that one," she said. "And, 'Could an African-American really be our president?' And Senator Obama has answered that one."

About 18 million people voted for Clinton in her historic run for the presidency.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

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 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。

6 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

8 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

9 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

10 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

11 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。