美国选民关心IS威胁问题（在线收听）

美国选民关心IS威胁问题

CEDAR FALLS, IOWA— The growth of the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria comes as the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign kicks off in the Midwest state of Iowa. Voters want to know how the candidates would handle recent militant gains in the Middle East.

It is one of the biggest issues on the minds of voters in Iowa – the growing threat of Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria.

爱荷华州选民最为关心的大事之一，就是伊斯兰国武装分子在伊拉克和叙利亚日益加剧的威胁。

Iowa voter Michael Downey is especially torn by the fall of Ramadi, where U.S. soldiers battled insurgents during the Iraq war.

爱荷华州选民迈克尔·唐尼为拉马迪的沦陷尤其伤脑筋，伊拉克战争期间美国士兵曾在拉马迪与叛乱分子作战过。

“The people who fought over there paid a price for that city. They’ve got to be heartbroken today. There are people who are injured or who lost family members," he said. "Today they have to ask the question, was it worth it?”

“在那里战斗的人们为这个城市付出了代价，他们今天要心碎了，这些人或者自己受伤，或者失去了家人，今天他们要问这个问题，那样做值得吗？”

His son Luke is a former U.S. Marine who served several combat deployments to Afghanistan.

他的儿子卢克曾是美国海军士兵，参加过几次在阿富汗的作战任务。

“It is a sacrifice, whether it’s your sons or daughters who are in harm's way, the mothers brothers fathers and sisters, they all pay a price too," he said.

“这就是牺牲，无论是你的儿子还是女儿在危险之中，那么母亲、兄弟、父亲和姐妹们都会为之付出代价。”

Downey and his son Luke attended a forum with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum in Cedar Falls, Iowa.

唐尼和儿子卢克一道与阿肯色州前州长麦克·哈克比和前美国议员里克·桑托勒姆参加了在爱荷华州瀑布市的一个论坛。

Voters here want to know where the candidates stand on sending more ground forces back to Iraq.

这里的选民们想知道在向伊拉克派遣更多地面部队问题上的立场。

"You’re in an area in the United States where a very high percentage of families serve, so sacrifice and sometimes the ultimate sacrifice of losing your life for your country is taken very seriously."

“美国这个地区有很多家庭都有人服役，人们很严肃地看待牺牲和为国家牺牲生命这样的事。”

Jeff Danielson, a Democratic Iowa state senator from Cedar Falls, he is also a veteran of the first Gulf War and serves on several Iowa committees for veterans, is running for local re-election next year alongside presidential candidates. He says possible U.S. involvement with places like Iraq and Afghanistan tops the list of concerns voters have discussed with him.

杰夫·丹尼尔森是爱荷华州瀑布市的民主党议员，也是第一次海湾战争老兵，在爱荷华州几个老兵委员会就职，他正角逐明年的地方连任，目前总统候选人也在忙着竞选事务。他说美国是否涉入伊拉克和阿富汗等地的问题是选民们最喜欢和他谈论的问题。

“Foreign policy is one of the reasons people vote for a president, so it's always going to be highly salient," Danielson said. "It’s probably equal to the economy and domestic issues when it comes to thinking about who you are voting for, for president."

“外交政策是人们选举总统的原因之一，所以这个问题总是很突出，在考虑选出谁做总统这件事上，外交政策和经济及国内问题同等重要。”

Michael Downey is still thinking about who he wants to vote for. But there is one thing he’s looking for in whomever he chooses – someone who can generate bipartisan cooperation.

迈克尔·唐尼仍在思考把票投给谁，但无论怎样，他都会关心一件事，那就是找到能促成两党合作的那个人。

“A divided nation cannot win a war," he said.

“一个分裂的国家是不能赢得战争的。”