VOA标准英语10月-Political Stakes High for US VP Candidates in Upc

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated debate of the U.S. presidential campaign season takes place Thursday in St. Louis, Missouri. The two candidates for vice¹ president, Republican Sarah Palin and Democrat² Joe Biden, will take part in their one and only debate. The political stakes are high for both candidates, but especially for Alaska Governor Palin, a newcomer to the national political stage. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone has a preview from Washington.
　

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin campaigns at a Capital University rally in Columbus, Ohio, 29 Sept. 2008

Thursday's debate will be Governor Palin's toughest test to date.

Palin energized³ social conservatives within the Republican Party after her surprise selection as Republican presidential nominee⁴ John McCain's vice presidential running mate. But in recent television interviews, Palin has seemed unsteady at times and given halting answers.

Some conservative commentators⁵ have suggested she is not up to the job of being vice president.

Palin responded to her critics during a recent interview with CBS News.

"Well, not only am I ready, but willing and able to serve as vice president with Senator McCain if Americans so bless us and privilege us with the opportunity of serving them," she said.

Senator McCain continues to insist that the excitement she has generated among Republicans outweighs⁶ the concerns about her lack of national and foreign policy experience.

"I'm very proud of the excitement that Governor Palin has ignited with our party and around this country," he said. "It is a level of excitement and enthusiasm, frankly⁷, that I have not seen before."

Palin faces an experienced Washington hand in Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.
　

Sen. Joe Biden speaks at a rally in front of the Detroit Public Library in Detroit, Michigan, 28 Sept. 2008

Biden was first elected to the Senate in 1972 and has years of experience on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in dealing⁸ with foreign policy issues. He is also a fierce partisan⁹ who has waged two losing campaigns for the White House and now serves as Democratic nominee Barack Obama's chief attack dog.

"So don't tell me who is on the side of middle class people trying to make it," he said. "It is not George Bush and it is not John McCain!"

Biden is prone¹⁰ to verbal gaffes¹¹ and has been criticized in the past for talking too much.

But it is Governor Palin who may have the most to prove in Thursday's debate.

"She is really on the spot. Biden, of course, has to be watched for making gaffes and such," says Bruce Miroff, a political expert at the State University of New York at Albany. "But the focus of the debate is overwhelmingly in the eyes of the audience likely to be on Palin and whether she can show herself to be someone who is in her league, or whether she is out of her league."

Curiosity about Palin is driving interest in Thursday's debate.

But University of Virginia expert Larry Sabato notes that historically voters do not make a decision based on how they feel about the vice presidential candidates.

"But on the whole, when those final independents [voters] make up their minds as we approach Election Day, they are going to be choosing between two men, one of whom will be sitting in the Oval office," he says. "That is the focus of the election."

After Thursday's debate, two more presidential debates remain between candidates Obama and McCain. One in Tennessee on October 7, the other in New York on October 15.

1 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。

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 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

4 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

5 commentators   

n.评论员( commentator的名词复数 )；时事评论员；注释者；实况广播员

参考例句：

• Sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 体育解说员翻来覆去说着同样的词语，真叫人腻烦。
• Television sports commentators repeat the same phrases ad nauseam. 电视体育解说员说来说去就是那么几句话，令人厌烦。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 outweighs   

v.在重量上超过( outweigh的第三人称单数 )；在重要性或价值方面超过

参考例句：

• Her need to save money outweighs her desire to spend it on fun. 她省钱的需要比她花钱娱乐的愿望更重要。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Its clarity in algebraic and analytical operations far outweighs any drawbacks. 文化代数和解析运算中的清晰性远远胜过任何缺点。 来自辞典例句

7 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

8 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

10 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

11 gaffes   

n.失礼，出丑( gaffe的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The presidential candidate made three mistakes, or gaffes, during his speech. 校长候选人在演讲中出了三次错，或失态。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• When the microphones were on, gaffes gushed from his lips. 而当电话响起，他却口无遮拦，屡屡失言。 来自互联网