VOA常速英语2007年-US Republican Presidential Contenders Clash Ove

By Jim Malone
Washington
29 November 2007

In their latest presidential debate, the Republican contenders clashed over illegal immigration and the war in Iraq.  From Washington, VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the race for the Republican Party's presidential nomination¹.

Illegal immigration is an emotional issue for many Republican voters.  With that in mind, some of the top Republican White House contenders exchanged pointed² barbs³ over who would be tougher against the flow of illegal immigrants across the U.S. border with Mexico.

During the debate sponsored by YouTube and CNN, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt⁴ Romney accused Republican frontrunner Rudy Giuliani of being too welcoming to illegal immigrants during his time as mayor of New York City.

"The mayor said, and I quote almost verbatim, which is if you happen to be in the country in an undocumented status, and that means you are here illegally, then we welcome you here," he said.

Giuliani is known for striking back at critics, and did just that with Romney.

GIUILIANI:

Illegal immigration has become a key issue in the Republican presidential caucuses⁵ and primaries that begin in Iowa on January 3.

The Republican contenders also debated Iraq.

Former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee was asked by a YouTube questioner how long U.S. troops should remain in Iraq.

"We should not be there any longer than necessary, and we do not know how long that will be, but we should be there absolutely as long as it takes to complete our mission there," he said.

Texas Congressman⁶ Ron Paul remains⁷ the only Republican presidential contender who supports an immediate⁸ withdrawal⁹ from Iraq.

"The best commitment we can make to the Iraqi people is to give them their country back," he said.  "That is the most important thing we can do."

Paul's answer drew a response from Senator John McCain of Arizona, who noted¹⁰ an improved security situation in Iraq as a result of the U.S. troop surge.

"I just finished having Thanksgiving with the troops, and their message to you is, 'Let us win, let us win,'" said Senator McCain.

Previous Republican debates featured attacks from several of the candidates on Senator Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

There were fewer jabs at Clinton in this debate, though former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee did manage to work in her name in an answer to a question about future space exploration.

"Whether we need to send somebody to Mars, I do not know.  But I will you tell what.  If we do, I have got a few suggestions, and maybe Hillary [Clinton] could be on the first rocket to Mars," he said.

Huckabee appears to be on the move in the latest poll in the early contest state of Iowa.  A new survey by the Rasmussen Reports shows Huckabee vaulting¹¹ into a narrow lead in Iowa over Romney, who retains the lead in the early voting state of New Hampshire, while Giuliani continues to lead the Republican field in national polls.

  "There is even a sanctuary¹² mansion¹³.  At his [Romney's] own home, illegal immigrants were being employed.  If you are going to take a holier-than-thou attitude that you are perfect on immigration..."

ROMNEY:  "I am not perfect."

GIULIANI:  "It just so happens that you have a special immigration problem that nobody else up here has.  You were employing illegal immigrants."

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 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。

3 barbs   

n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛

参考例句：

• She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话，或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。 来自辞典例句

4 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

5 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

6 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

7 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。

8 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

9 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

10 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

11 vaulting   

n.（天花板或屋顶的）拱形结构

参考例句：

• The vaulting horse is a difficult piece of apparatus to master. 鞍马是很难掌握的器械。
• Sallie won the pole vaulting. 莎莉撑杆跳获胜。

12 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

13 mansion   

n.大厦，大楼；宅第

参考例句：

• The old mansion was built in 1850.这座古宅建于1850年。
• The mansion has extensive grounds.这大厦四周的庭园广阔。