2006年VOA标准英语-US State of Ohio is Critical in November 7th Mi

By Kane Farabaugh
Cincinnati, Ohio
26 October 2006
 
watch report Ohio Battleground

The midwestern state of Ohio was a key battleground state in the 2004 election.  President George Bush ultimately won the state, a victory that assured his second term in office. Now, two years later, Ohio is once again in the spotlight¹ as voters are leaning toward electing Democrats³ for local and national office. 

---

It is daybreak in Cincinnati -- one day closer to the pivotal November 7th elections.  

 
Howard Wilkinson 
  
Amid reminders⁴ of past campaigns, political reporter Howard Wilkinson and the staff at the Cincinnati Enquirer⁵ gear up to cover what is now a closely fought election.  "This is a state that is pretty much split down the middle between Republicans and Democrats.  Elections here are usually close, and are usually decided⁶ by a small handful of independent voters -- people who don't identify with one party or another."

Yet Wilkinson believes Democrats have several advantages this year.  A sex scandal involving Florida Republican Congressman⁷ Mark Foley and a corruption⁸ scandal involving prominent Ohio Republican politicians are hurting the party's chances in this mid-term election. Wilkinson says these scandals make it difficult for fellow Republicans in the race for Governor, Congress, Senate, and numerous seats in the state legislature.

"The Democrats have got to be feeling very good about themselves.  They look like they're going to take over the state house, they look like they're going to pick up some Congressional seats, it looks like a very good Democratic year.  Not just because of what's happening in Washington, but because of things that have happened in recent years in Ohio.  You know -- some scandal and corruption, and a sluggish⁹ economy, and all those things are working for the Democrats."

 
Carl Weiner 
  
Political Editor Carl Weiner adds, while issues like Iraq and Mark Foley dominate the headlines, specific issues like jobs and health care are on the minds of many voters. "We also have a proposal on the ballot¹⁰ to raise the minimum wage.  It seems to have galvanized a lot of people.  It's very popular.  It seems like there's going to be a very big surge of people to come out and give themselves a pay raise."

Weiner says the minimum wage proposal is partially¹¹ designed to help bring out more Democratic Party voters.  It's a similar tactic¹² the Republicans used on another issue in Ohio two years ago during the Presidential election -- a referendum to ban gay marriage. 

Minister Lawrence Bishop¹³  
  
The issue motivated politically conservative evangelical Republicans to go the polls, thanks to efforts by ministers like Lawrence Bishop. "The biggest issue would be abortion¹⁴, and another would be the laws that they're trying to pass, the laws about marrying between a man and a woman.  We believe it should be between a man and a woman.  That's because the bible simply says it's an abomination to do otherwise.  God said it was an abomination to spill innocent blood, and that covers abortion.  So these are very, very important.  For me they're number one, the rest can follow."

Bishop is the influential¹⁵ head of the 5,000-member congregation of Solid Rock Church, easily identified on a highway outside Cincinnati by its tall "Touchdown Jesus" statue.

The state motto in Ohio is "With God, All Things Are Possible."  It is a Midwestern state where mega-churches like Solid Rock are growing in popularity and influence. 

The members of Bishop's congregation are typically conservative, and generally support the platform of the Republican Party. They helped President Bush defeat Democratic Party presidential candidate John Kerry here two years ago.

Minister Bishop says religious beliefs may be influential. "Whether it was because of the churches here and the strong Christian¹⁶ beliefs, that might have had something to do with it."

 
Tim Burke 
  
But a top local Democrat², Tim Burke, thinks courting the religious right in this election year might backfire on the Republicans. "I think it's frightening people and I think it's helping¹⁷ our Democratic candidate."

Democrats, like Burke, hope it is one of many issues that will help swing the political pendulum¹⁸ in their favor when voters head to the polls on November 7th.

1 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

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 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 reminders   

n.令人回忆起…的东西( reminder的名词复数 )；提醒…的东西；（告知该做某事的）通知单；提示信

参考例句：

• The film evokes chilling reminders of the war. 这部电影使人们回忆起战争的可怕场景。
• The strike has delayed the mailing of tax reminders. 罢工耽搁了催税单的投寄。

5 enquirer   

寻问者，追究者

参考例句：

• The "National Enquirer" blazoned forth that we astronomers had really discovered another civilization. 《国民询问者》甚至宣称，我们天文学家已真正发现了其它星球上的文明。
• Should we believe a publication like the national enquirer? 我们要相信像《国家探秘者》之类的出版物吗？

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 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 sluggish   

adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的

参考例句：

• This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。
• Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

10 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。

11 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。

12 tactic   

n.战略，策略；adj.战术的，有策略的

参考例句：

• Reducing prices is a common sales tactic.降价是常用的销售策略。
• She had often used the tactic of threatening to resign.她惯用以辞职相威胁的手法。

13 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

14 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

15 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

16 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

17 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

18 pendulum   

n.摆，钟摆

参考例句：

• The pendulum swung slowly to and fro.钟摆在慢慢地来回摆动。
• He accidentally found that the desk clock did not swing its pendulum.他无意中发现座钟不摇摆了。