希拉里或将参加2016美国大选

 　　WASHINGTON — Supporters of former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton were offended this week when a prominent Republican strategist questioned her health amid mounting speculation¹ that Clinton will run for president in 2016. This could be an early preview of the 2016 presidential campaign from Washington.

　　The New York Post Iran a headline with the words “brain damage” in reporting on comments from Republican strategist Karl Rove during a recent speech that raised questions about Hillary Clinton’s health.

　　Clinton did not address the Rove comments in a speech Friday.

　　She was treated for a blood clot² in 2012 after suffering a concussion³ in a fall at her home.

　　Former President Bill Clinton laughed off Rove’s comments and said his wife is in good health. “Now they say she has really got brain damage. If she does, then I must be in really tough shape because she is still quicker than I am.”

　　Rove was a key political adviser⁴ to former President George W. Bush and sought to clarify his remarks on Fox News. “I didn’t say she had brain damage. She had a serious health episode. This will be an issue in the 2016 race whether she likes it or not,” he said.

　　Clinton has said she will decide on a presidential run by the end of this year.

　　Democratic pollster Celinda Lake said she can expect more attacks if she decides to seek the White House. “Just as people were unbounded in their commentary about Obama, they will be unbounded in their commentary on her, and she’s tough enough, she can take it.  She’s taken it for years.”

　　Clinton’s record as secretary of state will get fresh scrutiny⁵ from a special committee set up by House Republicans to probe the 2012 terrorist attack on the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of four Americans.

　　Clinton defended her handling of the incident during a Senate hearing in 2013. “Was it because of a protest or was it because guys were out for a walk one night and decided⁶ to go kill some Americans? What difference at this point does it make?”

　　Clinton is familiar with Republican attacks from her eight years as first lady, said public opinion expert Karlyn Bowman.

　　“There is a base of opposition⁷ to Hillary Clinton.  It is part of the Republican conservative base, and that is not inconsequential, but I think she looks like a pretty strong candidate at this point,” said Bowman.

　　Clinton’s book on her tenure⁸ as secretary of state, entitled Hard Choices, will be published next month.

（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

2 clot   

n.凝块；v.使凝成块

参考例句：

• Platelets are one of the components required to make blood clot.血小板是血液凝固的必须成分之一。
• The patient's blood refused to clot.病人的血液无法凝结。

3 concussion   

n.脑震荡；震动

参考例句：

• He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。
• She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

4 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

5 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

6 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。