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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Washington
15 February 2008
In the U.S. presidential race, Democrat1 Barack Obama continues to build momentum2 in the party nomination3 battle with rival Hillary Clinton. On the Republican side, John McCain is hoping some high-profile endorsements5 will win over some of his stubborn conservative critics. VOA national correspondent Jim Malone is following the 2008 presidential campaign in Washington.
Obama is looking to Tuesday's nominating contests in Wisconsin and Hawaii to extend his primary and caucus6 winning streak7.
Obama has won eight straight contests over Hillary Clinton since February 9, and is favored in both Wisconsin and Hawaii.
Obama got a boost Friday when he won the endorsement4 of a large labor8 union, the 1.9 million-member Service Employees International Union.
Both Obama and Clinton are looking ahead to a major showdown on March 4 when Ohio and Texas hold primaries. Both states have large numbers of delegates.
Clinton has been leading in both states and political experts say she needs a good showing in both to slow down Obama's momentum.
As she campaigns in Ohio, Clinton is casting herself as a candidate of action, not words.
"There is a big difference between us, speeches versus9 solutions, talk versus action," she said. "You know some people may think words are change. But you and I know better. Words are cheap."
Obama says Clinton's escalating10 attacks are a sign of desperation, and he is turning his attention more and more to the expected Republican presidential nominee11, Senator John McCain of Arizona.
"If you want the same as we have had over the last seven years, then I think John McCain is going to be a great choice," he said.
McCain says he looks forward to running against either Clinton or Obama in the general election campaign.
"I have not observed every speech he has given, obviously, but they are singularly lacking in specifics," he said. "And that is when, as the campaign moves forward, we will be portraying12 very stark13 differences."
McCain is expected to win the endorsement of former President George Bush in Texas on Monday. On Thursday, McCain was endorsed14 by former Massachusetts governor Mitt15 Romney, who dropped out of the race last week.
McCain is well on his way to winning enough delegates to claim the Republican nomination, even though former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee remains16 in the race and some conservative Republicans still oppose him.
But the Democratic nomination battle is far from being resolved, and many experts now believe the party's so-called super delegates may play a decisive role down the road.
Super delegates are Democratic Party activists17 or elected officials who can support any candidate they want regardless of the primary or caucus results in their state. They make up about 800 of the roughly 4,000 Democratic delegates and most of them have not yet committed to either Clinton or Obama.
In recent days, a handful of super delegates have switched their support from Clinton to Obama, including Congressman18 John Lewis of Georgia, a respected pioneer in the struggle for civil rights.
University of Virginia political analyst19 Larry Sabato says there is reason for the Clinton campaign to be concerned.
"Something like this could potentially be the opening in the dike20 that leads to a great gush21 of water if others follow him," he said.
Many experts believe the Clinton-Obama race will remain unresolved right up until the Democratic national nominating convention in late August in Colorado, raising the possibility that the super delegates could play a deciding role.
Longtime Democratic strategist Tad Devine says that could wind up dividing the Democratic Party.
"It is going to be a potentially divisive and maybe even brutal22 process," he said.
Most delegate estimates give Obama a modest lead over Clinton at the moment, with both candidates having won roughly 1,200 delegates so far. To win the Democratic nomination, 2,025 are needed.
![收听单词发音](/images/play.gif)
1
democrat
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n.民主主义者,民主人士;民主党党员 | |
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2
momentum
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n.动力,冲力,势头;动量 | |
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3
nomination
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n.提名,任命,提名权 | |
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4
endorsement
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n.背书;赞成,认可,担保;签(注),批注 | |
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endorsements
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n.背书( endorsement的名词复数 );(驾驶执照上的)违章记录;(公开的)赞同;(通常为名人在广告中对某一产品的)宣传 | |
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caucus
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n.秘密会议;干部会议;v.(参加)干部开会议 | |
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7
streak
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n.条理,斑纹,倾向,少许,痕迹;v.加条纹,变成条纹,奔驰,快速移动 | |
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8
labor
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n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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versus
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prep.以…为对手,对;与…相比之下 | |
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escalating
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v.(使)逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 );(使)逐步扩大;(使)更高;(使)更大 | |
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nominee
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n.被提名者;被任命者;被推荐者 | |
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portraying
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v.画像( portray的现在分词 );描述;描绘;描画 | |
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stark
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adj.荒凉的;严酷的;完全的;adv.完全地 | |
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14
endorsed
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vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 );在(尤指支票的)背面签字;在(文件的)背面写评论;在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品 | |
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mitt
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n.棒球手套,拳击手套,无指手套;vt.铐住,握手 | |
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remains
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n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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17
activists
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n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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Congressman
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n.(美)国会议员 | |
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analyst
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n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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20
dike
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n.堤,沟;v.开沟排水 | |
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21
gush
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v.喷,涌;滔滔不绝(说话);n.喷,涌流;迸发 | |
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22
brutal
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adj.残忍的,野蛮的,不讲理的 | |
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