美国国家公共电台 NPR--Wes Moore looks to make history as Maryland's first Black governor

Wes Moore looks to make history as Maryland's first Black governor

Transcript¹

Democrat² Wes Moore is on track to accomplish something never before seen in the state of Maryland: becoming the first African American to be elected governor.

He could be only the third Black elected governor in U.S. history if he wins the office Nov. 8, and potentially the only Black sitting governor in the nation.

The gravity of this historic election is not lost on Moore.

"It's very humbling," Moore said in a recent interview with NPR, "because this country has only ever elected two African-Americans as governor in the nation's history."

"This is another example of Maryland being ready to lead."

Historic Democratic ticket

Running down ballot³ on the Democratic ticket is an equally historic spate⁴ of candidates.

The candidate for lieutenant⁵ governor, Aruna Miller⁶ – Moore's running mate – would be the first immigrant elected to statewide office in Maryland; U.S. Rep. Anthony Brown could be the state's first Black attorney general; and Brooke Lierman is looking to make history as the state's first female comptroller.

While Moore acknowledges the history-making aspect of his candidacy, he is also quick to caution that those are not the only barriers he wants to break as governor.

"We're not in this race to make history. We're in this race because we have a unique opportunity to make child poverty history. That we have a unique opportunity to make the racial wealth gap history," the Rhodes scholar and Army combat veteran told supporters last month.

"Now is our time."

Political newcomer

Moore is a longtime businessman and philanthropist who has never held public office.

Prior to joining the governor's race, Moore was CEO of the anti-poverty organization called Robin⁷ Hood⁸ and had worked in finance in New York.

National Democrats⁹, who hold a slim majority in Congress and hope to help capture a number of governorships in the upcoming midterms, have played up Moore's resume strengths against concerns over his lack of formal political experience.

"When you look at Wes and his story, he embodies¹⁰ everything that is great about America," said DNC Chair Jamie Harrison.

Harrison is among several high–profile Democrats who have stumped¹¹ for Moore in recent weeks.

"This is a man who has served his nation, who has gone forward and got [an] education, and he's giving back."

Opening for Democrats after eight years of GOP leadership

A Baltimore Sun/University of Baltimore poll late last month showed Democrats with a commanding lead in the statewide races.

Moore leads his Republican opponent, far-right Maryland Del. Dan Cox, by a comfortable margin¹².

Moore's popularity in the race is perhaps only overshadowed by Cox's unpopularity, particularly among the state's Republican establishment.

Maryland is a blue state, having supported the Democratic nominee¹³ for president each voting cycle for the past three decades.

But the state's incumbent¹⁴ governor, Republican moderate Larry Hogan, remains¹⁶ popular in the state, even among Democrats.

While Hogan has not endorsed¹⁷ either candidate in the race, he has referred to Cox as a "nut" and a "QANON whack-job," referring to the candidate's embrace of far-right conspiracy¹⁸ theories.

Moore has said this of his opponent: "I don't think it's lost on voters at all that I'm literally¹⁹ running against an extremist election denier, someone who said he hasn't said if he would honor the results of this election."

So far, Moore has led a relatively²⁰ scandal-light campaign, by political standards.

His lack of political experience has been called into question.

And Cox, who did not respond to NPR requests for an interview, has accused Moore of being a fraud and overexaggerating how long he has lived in Baltimore.

Moore's supporters, however, seem unperturbed by these barbs²¹.

'He could be president'

At one campaign event last month at the University of Maryland, a woman spent fifteen minutes, undisturbed by the chaos²² of reporters and Moore's handlers, with her head bent¹⁵ into his chest sobbing²³ in prayer and well-wishes for the candidate.

Moore eventually emerged from her embrace, his white dress shirt stained with tears and makeup²⁴.

At another in Randallstown, Md., supporters jockeyed to get selfies with Moore in front of the candidate's campaign bus, decked out with a larger-than-life photo of Moore and his running-mate, Miller.

"I feel very proud, very proud because we need somebody to go in and do what we need done. And we need somebody to represent us," 71-year-old Theresa Grimes said after snapping pictures and holding court with Moore.

"He could be the president," Grimes, a lifelong Maryland resident, said. "He could be the next president and also the second Black president."

Despite his comfortable lead in the polls, Moore said his campaign strategy is to remain humble²⁵.

"I woke up this morning the way I woke up yesterday, which is feeling like we're ten points down. Every single day. And that's what we always stress to the team. What are we doing today to make up ten votes? And that's how we're running this race."

Moore says his young children also help him keep perspective. Moore recalled the first time his children saw his face adorned²⁶ on the side of his campaign bus.

"When my kids saw it, my son said, 'wow, you've got a big head.' "

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

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 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。

4 spate   

n.泛滥，洪水，突然的一阵

参考例句：

• Police are investigating a spate of burglaries in the area.警察正在调查这一地区发生的大量盗窃案。
• Refugees crossed the border in full spate.难民大量地越过了边境。

5 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

6 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

7 robin   

n.知更鸟，红襟鸟

参考例句：

• The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
• We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟，知道春天要到了。

8 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

9 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》

10 embodies   

v.表现( embody的第三人称单数 )；象征；包括；包含

参考例句：

• The new treaty embodies the aspirations of most nonaligned countries. 新条约体现了大多数不结盟国家的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• This document embodies the concern of the government for the deformity. 这个文件体现了政府对残疾人的关怀。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

11 stumped   

僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说

参考例句：

• Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活，然后很艰难地走出房间。
• He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌，半天说不出话来。

12 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。

13 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。

14 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

15 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

16 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

17 endorsed   

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

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

19 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

20 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

21 barbs   

n.（箭头、鱼钩等的）倒钩( barb的名词复数 )；带刺的话；毕露的锋芒；钩状毛

参考例句：

• She slung barbs at me. 她说了些讥刺我的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I would no longer uncomplainingly accept their barbs or allow their unaccountable power to go unchallenged. 我不会再毫无怨言地洗耳恭听他们带刺的话，或让他们的不负责任的权力不受到挑战。 来自辞典例句

22 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

23 sobbing   

<主方>Ⅰ adj.湿透的

参考例句：

• I heard a child sobbing loudly. 我听见有个孩子在呜呜地哭。
• Her eyes were red with recent sobbing. 她的眼睛因刚哭过而发红。

24 makeup   

n.组织；性格；化装品

参考例句：

• Those who failed the exam take a makeup exam.这次考试不及格的人必须参加补考。
• Do you think her beauty could makeup for her stupidity?你认为她的美丽能弥补她的愚蠢吗？

25 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

26 adorned   

[计]被修饰的

参考例句：

• The walls were adorned with paintings. 墙上装饰了绘画。
• And his coat was adorned with a flamboyant bunch of flowers. 他的外套上面装饰着一束艳丽刺目的鲜花。