VOA标准英语2008年-Democrats Make History With Obama Nomination

Democrats¹ have formally nominated Barack Obama as their presidential candidate. The Illinois senator is the first African-American to be nominated as president by a major U.S. political party. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel has details from the Democratic Convention in Denver, Colorado.
　

Sen. Barack Obama walks on stage during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, 27 Aug. 2008

In a remarkable² show of party unity³, Obama's one-time opponent, Senator Hillary Clinton, asked delegates here at the convention to suspend a roll call vote of individual states.

"With eyes firmly fixed⁴ on the future, in the spirit of unity, with the goal of victory, with faith in our party and our country, let's declare together in one voice right here right now, that Barack Obama is our candidate and he will be our president," said Senator Clinton.

That led to roars of approval inside the packed convention hall, and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi called for the historic vote.

Pelosi: "All in favor to the motion to suspend the rules and nominate by acclamation Barack Obama as the Democratic Party's presidential candidate please say aye.

Delegates: Aye.

Pelosi: All those opposed please say no. Two-thirds of the delegates having voted in the affirmative, the motion is adopted."

Delegates then launched a celebration, dancing back and forth⁵ in the convention hall to the song "Love Train."

The nomination⁶ sets the 47-year-old Obama, the Hawaiian-born son of an American mother and father from Kenya, on a path to face Republican Senator John McCain in the November election for president.
　

Former President Bill Clinton addresses the crowd as he takes the stage during the Democratic National Convention in Denver, 27 Aug 2008

Later, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who spent months on the campaign trail questioning Obama's qualifications for the presidency⁷, pledged to strongly support the nominee⁸.

"Barack Obama is ready to honor the oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States," said teh former president. "Barack Obama is ready to be president of the United States."

Convention delegates also formally nominated Obama's pick for vice-president, Delaware Senator Joe Biden.

Biden, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, slammed the Republican's foreign policy, calling it catastrophic.
　

Sen. Barack Obama, (r), and Democratic VP candidate, Sen. Joe Biden at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, 27 Aug 2008

"I have been on the ground in Georgia, Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan and I can tell you in no uncertain terms, this administration's policy has been an abysmal⁹ failure," said Senator Biden. "America cannot afford four more years of this failure."

Then Obama capped off his historic night by making an unscheduled appearance at the convention, bringing a roar of approval from the delegates.

On Thursday, the Democrat's choice for president will accept the nomination at a nearby sports stadium, before at least 75,000 people.

"So we want to open up this convention to make sure that everybody who wants to come can join in the party and join in the effort to take America back," said Senator Obama.

Obama's nomination marks an extraordinary rise in American politics and the culmination¹⁰ of what analysts¹¹ say was a disciplined and brilliant campaign.

1 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》

2 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

3 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。

4 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 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。

7 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。

8 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。

9 abysmal   

adj.无底的，深不可测的，极深的；糟透的，极坏的；完全的

参考例句：

• The film was so abysmal that I fell asleep.电影太糟糕，看得我睡着了。
• There is a historic explanation for the abysmal state of Chinese cuisine in the United States.中餐在美国的糟糕状态可以从历史上找原因。

10 culmination   

n.顶点；最高潮

参考例句：

• The space race reached its culmination in the first moon walk.太空竞争以第一次在月球行走而达到顶峰。
• It may truly be regarded as the culmination of classical Greek geometry.这确实可以看成是古典希腊几何的登峰造级之作。

11 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。