VOA慢速英语-IN THE NEWS - US Presidential Campaign Moves to Full

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.
　
Barack Obama shakes hands with supporters in Duryea, Pennsylvania, on Friday

Elections in the United States are now less than two months away. The political conventions are over, and campaigning will intensify¹, especially in "battleground states." These are states where the close race between Republican John McCain and Democrat² Barack Obama is too close to predict.

The Republican convention closed Thursday in Saint Paul, Minnesota, after John McCain accepted his party's nomination³. He sought the nomination once before, in two thousand, but lost to George W. Bush.

JOHN McCAIN: "Let me offer an advance warning to the old, big-spending, do-nothing, me-first, country-second Washington crowd: change is coming."

In his acceptance speech, the Arizona senator said he works for no party or special interest but for the country.

JOHN McCAIN: "I will reach out my hand to anyone to help me get this country moving again. I have that record and the scars to prove it. Senator Obama does not."
　
John McCain gives his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. Senator McCain campaigned with his running mate Sarah Palin in Sterling⁴ Heights, Michigan, on Friday.

John McCain said he would keep taxes low, open new export markets, cut government spending and increase American energy production. He noted⁵ that he fought for more troops in Iraq when it was not politically popular. And the former Navy pilot talked about his five and a half years as a prisoner during the war in Vietnam.

JOHN McCAIN: "I fell in love with my country when I was a prisoner in someone else's."

Senator McCain, at seventy-two, would be America's oldest first-term president.

He said he will fight for the Republican Party to regain⁶ the trust of the American people. "We were elected to change Washington, and we let Washington change us," he said. He also had a message for Obama supporters: "Despite our differences, more unites us than divides us."

Nielsen Media Research estimated that almost thirty-nine million people in the United States watched John McCain's acceptance speech on TV. That broke the convention record set by Barack Obama last week by a half-million viewers. Nielsen says more than thirty-seven million watched John McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, accept her nomination.

In fact, much of the attention this week went to the surprise choice for vice⁷ president. She is only the second woman to be on the presidential ballot⁸ of a major party, and the first for the Republicans.

But on Monday she also set off a media storm in reaction to claims made by liberal bloggers. She released a statement that her seventeen-year-old daughter is pregnant and will marry her boyfriend.

Sarah Palin has been Alaska's governor for less than two years. Earlier, she was mayor of the town of Wasilla for six years.

SARAH PALIN: "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities."

Another speaker, Rudy Giuliani, also joked about community organizers. Barack Obama was an organizer in poor communities in Chicago after college. The Obama campaign said the comments insulted an idea found throughout American history.

In the coming weeks, the two presidential candidates will hold three debates. And Governor Palin will debate Barack Obama's running mate, Senator Joe Biden, on October second. The election is November fourth.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English, written by Brianna Blake. For more campaign stories, go to voaspecialenglish.com. I'm Steve Ember.

1 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 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。

4 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

7 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

8 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。