VOA双语新闻 First Presidential Debate（在线收听）

President Bush and Senator John Kerry resumed their presidential campaigns Friday, one day after a televised debate that focused on foreign policy. Both sides believe they benefited from the first of three presidential debates.

在结束以外交政策为重点的电视辩论后，星期五，布什总统和参议员克里继续总统竞选的旅程。竞选的双方都认为他们在三场总统辩论的首场辩论中获益。

Democrats say they were encouraged by Senator Kerry's aggressiveness on Iraq and initial indications from some voters that they found the Massachusetts Democrat more presidential than he has appeared previously.

民主党人士认为，克里在伊拉克问题上的积极表现使得他们大受鼓舞。来自部分选民的初步印象表明，他们发现这位来自马塞诸塞州的民主党人比他以前表现的更象总统。

"We have to succeed," Senator Kerry said. "We cannot leave a failed Iraq. But that does not mean it was not a mistake of judgment to go there and take the focus off of Osama bin Laden. It was. Now, we can succeed. But I don't believe this president can."

克里说：“我们必须成功。我们不能丢下一个溃散的伊拉克。但是，这并不意味着攻打伊拉克，不把本·拉登当成中心的判断不是个错误。这是个错误。现在，我们可能成功。但是，我不相信这位总统可以成功。”

The president's Republican supporters were equally insistent that Mr. Bush held the upper hand in the debate by displaying conviction and resolve that the United States must finish the job of reconstructing a free Iraq.

布什总统的共和党支持者则同样坚持认为布什在辩论中占了上风。布什展示了信念和决心，那就是，美国必须完成重建自由伊拉克的重任。

"He [Kerry] voted to authorize the use of force [In Iraq] and says that it is the wrong war at the wrong time at the wrong place," president Bush said. "I do not see how you can lead this country to succeed in Iraq if you say, wrong war, wrong time, wrong place. What message does that send our troops? What message does that send our allies?"

布什说：“他(克里)先是授权在伊拉克使用武力，然后又说这是在一个错误的地点、错误的时间发动的一场错误的战争。我不明白你怎样领导这个国家在伊拉克赢得胜利，如果你认为这是一场在错误的地点、错误的时间开展的错误战争，这会给我们的军队传达什么样的信息？这又会给我们的盟友传达怎样的信息？”

Representatives from both campaigns took to the airwaves following the debate to proclaim their candidate the winner.Senator John Edwards, the Democratic vice presidential candidate, had this assessment on NBC television.

在辩论结束后，两大竞选阵营的代表都急切地告诉媒体说，他们的候选人是辩论的赢家。民主党副总统候选人、参议员爱德华兹对美国国家广播公司就表达了这样的观点。

"He is committed to success in Iraq and he laid out his plan about how to achieve that success," Senator Edwards said. "So, I think what people saw in this country is a man who is ready to be commander in chief."

爱德华兹说：“他致力于在伊拉克的成功，并且已经规划出了取得成功的计划。因此，我认为，这个国家的人民所看到的是一个准备成为最高统帅的人。”

Republican Senator John McCain had an equally upbeat view of Mr. Bush's performance."I think that where the president gained an advantage was on his continued reference, and [a] legitimate one, to his steadfastness and his unwavering commitment to winning this war on terror," he said.

共和党参议员麦凯恩对布什的表现表示了同样的乐观。他说：“我认为布什总统占优势的地方是他不止一次，当然，也是很合理的指出他的坚持和他始终不变的要赢得反恐战争胜利的决心。”

Three post-debate public opinion polls indicated that the early advantage went to Senator Kerry. But most experts said there were no knock-out blows delivered by either candidate during the debate, something that random interviews with voters seemed to confirm.

辩论后的三个民意调查显示，克里参议员获得了初步优势。但是，大部分专家认为，在辩论中，双方都没有重拳出击对手的表现。在选民中的随机访问也证实了这个观点。

Voter #1: "I think President Bush has explained his points very clearly, how he stands."

一名选民说：“我认为布什总统已经非常清楚地阐述了他的观点、他的立场。”

Voter #2: "Kerry is doing an OK job of showing himself as someone who is consistent and will be sending clear messages."

另外一名选民说：“克里在展示他是一个始终一致的人方面作得还行。这将会传出清晰的讯息。”

Political experts assessed not only what the candidates said during the debate, but how they came across to television viewers.

政治专家们不仅对两位候选人在辩论中的言论进行了评价，并且也对他们的言论能否被电视观众所接受进行了分析。

Professor Caroline Keating, a communications expert at Colgate University in New York, says both men had moments when they were effective in connecting with the television audience.

纽约科尔盖特大学的传媒教授基廷认为，在与电视观众交流时，两位候选人都有可圈可点的表现。

"Bush looked right into the lens of the camera and addressed the audience and he was very effective, very confident," she said. "And after that, I would say that John Kerry got better and better, stronger and stronger, more and more relaxed and confident."

他说：“布什紧盯着镜头，面对观众，非常的有效，非常的有信心。在此之后，我认为，约翰·克里的表现越来越好，越来越强，越来越放松，越来越自信。”

Most political experts said Senator Kerry had the challenging task during the first debate of presenting himself as a viable alternative to President Bush.

大部分的政治专家们认为，对克里来说，在首场辩论中要表现出自己是可以取代布什总统的候选人，是一个非常具有挑战性的任务。

Independent analyst Stuart Rothenberg says on that issue, Senator Kerry may have scored some points."People who went in watching this debate with the assumption that the president would come off much better on national security may have seen the candidates pretty evenly matched and might have said, 'Whoa, Senator John Kerry looks pretty resolute, maybe I ought to give him another look'," he said.

独立分析人士罗森伯格认为在这个方面，克里的表现可能已经得到了部分成功。他说：“去看辩论的人有一种想法，认为布什总统可能在国家安全问题方面会表现更好一些。但是，他们也许看出两位候选人在这个问题上势均力敌。也许，他们会说：‘哇，克里参议员看起来相当的有决心，也许我应该再看一看他。

The president's Republican supporters say they were satisfied that Mr. Bush confirmed his standing as a strong leader, an area that public opinion polls suggest is a strength for him compared to Senator Kerry.

布什总统的共和党支持者说他们对布什总统证实他是强有力的领导者的表现表示满意。在这个方面，民意调查也显示，与克里相比，这是布什的强项。

The next debate will involve the two vice presidential candidates: Dick Cheney and John Edwards, next Tuesday in Cleveland, Ohio. After that, two more presidential debates will follow, one on October 8 in St. Louis, Missouri, and a final encounter on October 13, in Tempe, Arizona.

下一次的辩论将在俄亥俄州的克里夫兰举行，是在两位副总统候选人切尼和爱德华兹之间进行。时间是下个星期二。之后，还有两场总统辩论。一场10月8日在密苏里州的圣路易斯举行。最后的交锋则会于十月十三日在亚里桑纳州的坦佩进行。