VOA标准英语2008年-Paris Awaits Obama

After a stop-over in Germany, democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama is due in Paris Friday, where he is expected to meet with President Nicolas Sarkozy. Lisa Bryant has more for VOA from the French capital.

As elsewhere in Europe, the U.S. presidential campaign has riveted¹ France - particularly that of Democratic hopeful Barack Obama. Partly because French are eager for a change from the Bush administration, which is generally unpopular here.

Senator Obama is expected for a late afternoon talk with President Nicolas Sarkozy - who holds the rotating European Union presidency² - followed by a joint³ press conference.

In Berlin Thursday, Obama held talks with German Chancellor⁴ Angela Merkel, then spoke⁵ before tens of thousands of people in Berlin. Obama called for strengthening transatlantic ties that have frayed⁶ in recent years, and urged Europeans and Americans to work jointly⁷ to fight terrorism.

Here in France, many people are eagerly awaiting Obama's arrival. Paris resident Farid Aich is one of them.

Aich says Obama has a bright future and that he could change things in the United States if he is elected. He thinks America needs change after eight years under President Bush.

Raphael Bouzaglou, 32, is another Obama supporter.

Bouzaglou says if Obama is elected, he would help improve the image of the United States in Europe.

1 riveted   

铆接( rivet的过去式和过去分词 )； 把…固定住； 吸引； 引起某人的注意

参考例句：

• I was absolutely riveted by her story. 我完全被她的故事吸引住了。
• My attention was riveted by a slight movement in the bushes. 我的注意力被灌木丛中的轻微晃动吸引住了。

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 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

4 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

5 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。

6 frayed   

adj.磨损的v.（使布、绳等）磨损，磨破( fray的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• His shirt was frayed. 他的衬衫穿破了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The argument frayed their nerves. 争辩使他们不快。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。