VOA双语新闻：7、奥巴马是否能够再创历史（在线收听）

奥巴马是否能够再创历史

Starting on September 4, the Democratic Party holds its convention to officially nominate President Barack Obama for a second four-year term.

Four years ago, Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States.

4年前，奥巴马当选为第44任美国总统。

The Democratic Party nominated him at a highly charged convention that focused on public disenchantment with the nation’s struggling economy. Mr. Obama capitalized on the issue with his motto, “Change We Can Believe In.”

在当时全国为美国经济困难深感忧虑的情况下，民主党在全国代表大会上提名奥巴马为总统候选人。奥巴马针对经济问题提出“我们坚信改变”的口号。奥巴马说：“现在是改变美国的时候了。”

President Obama has been in the White House now for nearly four years. The economy has improved, but not as much as many had hoped. Some political experts say Mr. Obama has learned the vast difference between campaigning and governing.

奥巴马总统入主白宫已经快4年了，虽然经济有所改善，可是并没有达到很多人期待的程度。一些政治问题专家说，奥巴马从中认识到竞选和执政的区别。

Jennifer Lawless directs the Women & Politics Institute at American University. “A lot of the promises he made were contingent on the idea there would be some kind of bipartisan effort in Washington. And right after John Boehner was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, it became clear that the Republicans' number one goal was to make sure that was not going to happen," she said.

詹妮弗?罗利斯是美利坚大学妇女与政治研究学院的主任。“奥巴马的很多承诺是建立在华盛顿两党会共同努力的假想上。可是在贝纳当选为国会众议院议长后，很明显共和党的首要目的是不让奥巴马达到目的。”

One example is the so-called Dream Act. It would have granted citizenship to law-abiding immigrants who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children. It was endorsed by the president, but never made it out of Congress.

比如所谓的“梦想法案”，这项法案是让那些在未成年前非法入境的人成为合法公民的。这项法案得到奥巴马总统的支持，可是却没有得到国会的通过。

In June, President Obama announced that the U.S. will temporarily stop deporting the immigrants who qualified under the Dream Act.

今年6月，奥巴马总统宣布美国将暂停驱逐符合梦想法案规定的人。

Meanwhile, his administration has deported more illegal immigrants than any president in history.

可是，美国政府这几年驱逐的人数比其他任何一届总统执政时期都多。

President Obama kept his campaign promise to reform the nation’s health care system. While the resulting law has been highly controversial, the Supreme Court upheld its major provisions.

奥巴马总统履行竞选诺言，保证要对全国医保体制进行改革。虽然这项法律具有争议，可是最高法院支持其中的主要条款。

He pushed for, and Congress approved, a $787 billion economic stimulus package and then implemented a bailout for American automakers General Motors and Chrysler.

在奥巴马积极推动下，国会通过一项7870亿美元的刺激经济计划，帮助美国汽车制造商通用汽车公司和克莱斯勒摆脱困境。

On President Obama’s watch, Osama bin Laden, blamed for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, was located in Pakistan and killed in a surprise military operation.

在奥巴马总统的指挥下，美国部队在巴基斯坦找到了2001年911恐怖袭击的主谋本拉登，并且在突然袭击中将其击毙。

The president withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq, increased the number of troops in Afghanistan and signed a new arms control treaty with Russia.

奥巴马总统从伊拉克撤出了美国部队，增加在阿富汗的驻军，并且和俄罗斯签订了新的军备控制条约。

Barack Obama is the first African-American to be elected president. He also is the first sitting president to support legalizing same sex marriage.

奥巴马是第一位当选美国总统的非洲裔美国人，也是第一位支持同性恋婚姻的在任总统。

In public opinion polls, Mr. Obama scores high on likeability, but Americans view his rival Mitt Romney as better able to handle the economy.

在民意调查中，奥巴马受到高度支持，可是有些美国人认为他的对手罗姆尼能够更好地改善经济。

Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961. He and his wife Michelle have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.

奥巴马1961年在夏威夷出生。他和妻子米歇尔?奥巴马有两个女儿玛丽亚和萨莎。

Vice President Joe Biden will again join Mr. Obama on the Democratic ticket. Biden was a six-term U.S. senator and is considered a foreign policy expert, having chaired the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee.

副总统拜登将再次和奥巴马一起竞选连任，拜登曾先后六次连任参议员，被认为是外交政策专家，担任过参议院外交关系委员会主席。

The president and vice president will speak at the Democratic National convention on Thursday, September 6.

奥巴马总统和拜登副总统都将于9月6号星期四向民主党全国代表大会发表讲话。