VOA标准英语2008年-Clinton, Obama Battle Over Indiana, North Carol

By Greg Flakus
Indianapolis, Indiana
06 May 2008

Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama campaigned down to the wire in the states of Indiana and North Carolina, both of which hold Democratic presidential primaries Tuesday. Polls show Clinton has a slight edge in Indiana and Obama has a solid lead in North Carolina. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from Indianapolis, Indiana, the two rivals are fiercely competing for the voters who are traditional Democrats² who sometimes vote Republican.

At an outdoor setting near downtown Indianapolis Monday night, Senator Barack Obama took off his suit jacket and spoke³ to some 20,000 people of his concern that life is getting harder for the average working-class citizen.

"The American dream is slipping away from people, people who are working hard, people who are living by the rules, people who care for each other," he said.

Obama says average Americans are struggling with an economic downturn, a home mortgage crisis and rising prices for fuel. He blames much of the problem on the Bush administration and takes special aim at the Iraq War, which he says was a mistake that is costing the country billions of dollars that are badly needed here at home. After his outdoor rally, Obama went to a nearby factory to greet workers coming in for the night shift.

Senator Clinton has been appealing to the same working-class voters, who traditionally have voted Democrat¹, but who supported Republican Ronald Reagan in the 1980s.

In previous contests, in Ohio and Pennsylvania, in particular, analysts⁴ say her appeal to these so-called "Reagan Democrats" helped her win. Her campaign strategists say winning these same voters will be the key to winning the election in November.

In the past week or so here in Indiana and in North Carolina, Clinton has been touting⁵ the idea of suspending the federal tax on gasoline to give working families a break from record high fuel prices.

"I want the oil companies to pay the gas tax, this summer, out of their record profits, because they need to be part of the solution instead of the problem," she said.

Senator John McCain, who has secured the Republican presidential nomination⁶, has made a similar proposal, but Senator Obama rejects the idea as a gimmick⁷ that would provide no real benefit. He notes that the amount saved for the average person would be about 30 cents a day, for a total of only $28 over the three-month period. He also chides⁸ Clinton for what he calls pandering⁹ to voters with a proposal that not a single economist¹⁰ or energy expert endorses¹¹. Clinton has fired back, telling voters that Obama's response shows he has little concern for the challenges facing average Americans.

Voter turnout here in Indiana is expected to be heavy and Republicans are expected to play a role here, as well. Because the nominee¹² in their party is already set, many of them plan to cross over and vote in the Democratic contest.

Some may be responding to a campaign by national radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh who has urged listeners to support Clinton, to prolong the Democratic race. But many Republicans say they are genuinely concerned about the economy and the war in Iraq and are looking for a change. In response, both the Clinton and Obama campaigns have spent time and money in some areas of the state that are heavily Republican, hoping to win some of the cross-over votes.

1 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。

2 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》

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 touting   

v.兜售( tout的现在分词 )；招揽；侦查；探听赛马情报

参考例句：

• He's been touting his novel around publishers for years. 他几年来一直到处找出版商兜售自己的小说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Technology industry leaders are touting cars as a hot area for growth. 科技产业领袖吹捧为增长热点地区的汽车。 来自互联网

6 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。

7 gimmick   

n.(为引人注意而搞的)小革新，小发明

参考例句：

• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。
• It is just a public relations gimmick.这只不过是一种公关伎俩。

8 chides   

v.责骂，责备( chide的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He gently chides his students every time they misspelled a word. 每当他的学生拼错一个词时，他都温和地责备他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 pandering   

v.迎合（他人的低级趣味或淫欲）( pander的现在分词 )；纵容某人；迁就某事物

参考例句：

• This magazine is criticized for pandering to the vulgar taste of some readers. 这家杂志因迎合某些读者的低级趣味而遭到批评。 来自辞典例句
• We're four points up there; we don't need to get hit for pandering. 我们在那儿领先四个百分点；我们不必为了迎合一些选民而遭受批评。 来自电影对白

10 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

11 endorses   

v.赞同( endorse的第三人称单数 )；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

参考例句：

• There isn't one country in the Middle East that now endorses the Eisenhower Doctrine. 但至今没有一个中东国家认可它。 来自辞典例句
• Whether any of this truly endorses Dr Patel's hypothesis is moot. 这些视频能否真正证明帕特的假设成立还是个未知数。 来自互联网

12 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。