VOA标准英语2008年-Obama Leads McCain in 3 New Polls

In the U.S. presidential election campaign, Democratic candidate Barack Obama focused on national security Wednesday, while his Republican counterpart, John McCain, spent time discussing education. Some new public opinion polls show Obama with a lead over McCain, and VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has more from Washington.
　
Senator Barack Obama speaking at Purdue University, 16 Jul 2008

Senator Obama spoke¹ at a meeting in Indiana that dealt with a range of national security threats including nuclear proliferation as well as cyber and bio-terrorism.

Obama said his intention to wind down the U.S. involvement in Iraq would allow the United States to take the lead in securing nuclear materials around the world.

"For the amount of money that we are spending in Iraq in one month, if that same amount of money was spent over the course of the next four years, we could lock up all the loose nuclear material that exists out there," said Barack Obama. "That strikes me as a good investment to make."

Obama's Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, focused on education reform during a speech in Cincinnati, Ohio, to the National Association for the Advancement² of Colored People, a leading civil rights organization.

McCain said if elected he would make it easier for parents in low income areas to send their children to better performing private schools as an alternative to public education.
　
John McCain at the annual NAACP national convention in Cincinnati, Ohio, 16 Jul 2008

McCain also spoke about the weakened domestic economy, which public opinion polls indicate is the top issue in the election campaign for voters.

The presumptive Republican nominee³ reiterated⁴ his commitment to cutting taxes.

"I believe that in a troubled economy where folks are struggling to afford the necessities of life, higher taxes are the last thing we need," said John McCain. "The economy is not hurting because workers and businesses are under-taxed."

Three new public opinion polls give Senator Obama a lead over Senator McCain of between six and nine points. The surveys were conducted by CBS News and the New York Times, ABC News and the Washington Post, and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

The CBS News-New York Times poll also suggests a racial divide remains⁵ among American voters. That survey found that 55 percent of white voters believe race relations in the country are good at the present time, while only 29 percent of African-Americans feel the same way.

However, majorities of both blacks and whites did agree that the country is ready for an African-American president.

　

 

1 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。

2 advancement   

n.前进，促进，提升

参考例句：

• His new contribution to the advancement of physiology was well appreciated.他对生理学发展的新贡献获得高度赞赏。
• The aim of a university should be the advancement of learning.大学的目标应是促进学术。

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 reiterated   

反复地说，重申( reiterate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• "Well, I want to know about it,'she reiterated. “嗯，我一定要知道你的休假日期，"她重复说。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• Some twenty-two years later President Polk reiterated and elaborated upon these principles. 大约二十二年之后，波尔克总统重申这些原则并且刻意阐释一番。

5 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。