VOA标准英语2008年-Democratic Candidates Each Pledge Party Unity A

By Jim Fry
Washington
07 May 2008
 

Senator Barack Obama won a convincing victory Tuesday in the North Carolina primary election for the Democratic Party U.S. presidential nomination¹. Senator Hillary Clinton won the midwestern state of Indiana by a narrow margin². VOA's Jim Fry reports from Washington both candidates pledged unity³ in looking toward the November U.S. presidential election.

Senator Barack Obama started the day in the lead, and he said his opponent did not get the "game changer" she would need to grab the momentum⁴.

But Senator Hillary Clinton said she would continue going full speed toward the Democratic Party nomination for president.

The two states, are in different regions of the country, with differing voting populations.

Obama won North Carolina, in the southern United States, on the strength of overwhelming support from African American voters. He spoke⁵ in the capital, Raleigh. "I want to thank [the voters] for giving us a victory in a big state," Obama said.  

Obama told jubilant supporters he needs fewer than 200 delegates to win the party's nomination in August.

Indiana, in the midwest, is home to a sizable group of white, working class voters.  Clinton won a majority of them and spoke from Indianapolis. “Thanks to you," she told voters, "it's full speed on to the White House." Clinton pledged to fight on, and urged supporters to contribute cash to her campaign.

Indiana voters saw the two candidates in a hard fought campaign for the past several weeks that Clinton narrowly won. One Clinton voter, Pat Havens said, “It's her experience and she has positions I can agree with."

On primary day, Clinton visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.  In the campaign, she advocated suspending the federal gas tax to give consumers a break from record high prices. Obama started the day eating eggs with voters at an Indiana diner.  He had emphasized the plight⁶ of working class voters.

But it was in North Carolina, where voters stood in line, that Obama won a convincing victory. One Obama voter, Diane Simmonds said, “He's a consensus⁷ builder and I feel a lot of the other candidates are kind of divisive."

Still Obama's relationship with his fiery⁸ former pastor⁹, the Reverand Jeremiah Wright, was a factor.  Nearly half the voters told pollsters the situation was very important to them.

After the voting, Obama turned his attention to the presumptive Republican nominee¹⁰. He said Senator John McCain is too close to President George Bush on issues like the war in Iraq, the economy and energy policy. “We can't afford to give John McCain the chance to serve out George Bush's 'third term,'” Obama said.  "We need change in America.  And that's why we will be united in November."

Clinton also spoke of party unity.  "No matter what happens, I will work for the nominee of the Democratic Party, because we must win in November," she said.

Democrats¹¹ vote in five more states by June 3, but neither candidate is expected to capture enough delegates for the nomination by then. Party leaders say the uncommitted super delegates are likely to decide the race.

1 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。

2 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

3 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

4 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

5 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。

6 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

7 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

8 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

9 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

10 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。

11 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》