新西兰英语 73 Barack Obama

　　Barack Obama has become the first black president of the United States beating John McCain who conceded¹ just over five hours after the first polls² closed. Speaking in Chicago to a crowd of more than 100,000 people, Mr. Obama said, “Change has come to America”. Mr. Obama’s supporters had started lining³ up at the park on the Lake Michigan shoreline nearly 12 hours earlier. Throughout the evening, the crowd burst into chants of “yes we can” and when the announcement was made, they jumped for joy and cried tears of happiness. Across the nation of 300 million, people took to the streets, tooting horns and hugging strangers.
In New Zealand, Prime⁴ Minister Helen Clark congratulated Mr. Obama on his election⁵ and said the New Zealand Government looked forward to working with him. National Party leader John Key said Mr Obama’s victory was historic⁶. Asked whether he thought there would be any effect on New Zealand’s election, Mr. Key said there had clearly been a strong mood for change in the United States but we will only find out after Saturday if there is a mood for change in New Zealand too. Both Labour and National saw advantages for their party in an Obama victory.
Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father, a black Kenyan, was raised a Muslim and his mother was white and from Kansas. He also has a half-sister, who is half-Indonesian, and who lives in Canada. Mr. Obama has a wife, Michelle, and two daughters. Mr. Obama will be sworn in as the 44th President of the United States on January 20th and will immediately face challenges such as the global economic crisis⁷ and the war in Iraq.
Contributed by Anita Jones

1 conceded   

v.承认( concede的过去式和过去分词 )；出让，容许；承认(比赛、选举等失败

参考例句：

• After the First World War Germany conceded its neighbours much valuable land. 第一次世界大战后，德国让与其邻国许多宝贵的领土。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• They have conceded us the right to cross their land. 他们已容许我们经过他们的土地。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 polls   

民意调查( poll的名词复数 )； 民意调查的结果； 投票选举； 投票数

参考例句：

• The two candidates are in a dead heat in the polls. 两名候选人在民意测验中势均力敌。
• Opinion polls indicated a two-thirds majority in favour of ratification of the treaty. 民意调查表明2/3 的多数票赞成批准这个条约。

3 lining   

n.衬里，衬料

参考例句：

• The lining of my coat is torn.我的外套衬里破了。
• Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets.用苔藓垫在铁丝篮里很漂亮。

4 prime   

adj.首要的，主要的；最好的，第一流的

参考例句：

• The prime minister spoke of the general insecurity in the country.总理谈到了全国普遍存在的不安全。
• He met with the Prime Minister of Japan for an hour.他和日本首相会见了一个小时。

5 election   

n.选举，选择权；当选

参考例句：

• There is no doubt but that he will win the election.毫无疑问，他将在竞选中获胜。
• The government will probably fall at the coming election.在即将到来的大选中，该政府很可能要垮台。

6 historic   

adj.历史上著名的，具有历史意义的

参考例句：

• This is a historic occasion.这是具有重大历史意义的时刻。
• We are living in a great historic era.我们正处在一个伟大的历史时代。

7 crisis   

n.危机，危急关头，决定性时刻，关键阶段

参考例句：

• He had proved that he could be relied on in a crisis.他已表明，在紧要关头他是可以信赖的。
• The topic today centers about the crisis in the Middle East.今天课题的中心是中东危机。