Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Senator John McCain has chosen Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate, describing her as a tough political fighter. Governor Palin, who is a relative political unknown, and only the second woman to run on the national ticket of a major U.S. political party.
美国共和党总统候选人、参议员约翰.麦凯恩选择阿拉斯加州州长佩林作为他的竞选夥伴，并形容她是一位坚强的政治斗士。佩林此前在美国全国范围内不是很出名。到目前为止，她是美国主要政党总统及副总统候选人提名历史上的第二位女性。
Palin, 44, was elected governor in 2006 as a political reformer, becoming the first woman and the youngest person to serve as Alaska's chief executive.
现年44岁的佩林是2006年以改革派的身份被选为阿拉斯加州州长的。她是阿拉斯加州历史上头一位女性州长，也是最年轻的州长。
With an 80 percent approval rating, she has been outspoken on political ethics.
民调显示，佩林州长在阿拉斯加民众当中的支持率高达80%；她以大力强调廉政而著称。
McCain passed over a number of better known contenders, announcing his choice in an appearance before supporters in Dayton, Ohio. He calls Palin a fighter for principles, from outside of Washington, with working class roots.
麦凯恩参议员放弃了好几位更有声望的候选人，选择佩林作为这次竞选中的副总统搭档。麦凯恩上星期五在俄亥俄州的竞选集会上宣布了他的决定。他称赞佩林坚持原则，来自华盛顿政治圈以外，而且是工人出身。
"I found someone with an outstanding reputation for standing up to special interests and entrenched bureaucracies, someone who has fought against corruption and the failed policies of the past, someone who has stopped government from wasting taxpayers' money on things they don't want or don't need, and put it back to work for the people," McCain said.
麦凯恩说：“我找到了一位勇于面对特殊利益集团以及各种官僚势力的竞选夥伴，她勇于打击腐败，打击过去那些失败了的政策，不让政府再把纳税人的钱浪费到人们不想要、也不需要的项目上，而是把这些钱投资到纳税人身上。”
The mother of five children, including one born this past April with Downs Syndrome, Palin is a strong opponent of abortion. That is an important issue for conservative and evangelical voters, whose support is key to McCain in his bid to win the presidency.
佩林是5个孩子的母亲，她的5个孩子当中年纪最小的、即今年4月出生的孩子患有唐氏综合症。佩林坚决反对堕胎，这对于保守派选民和福音派基督教徒来说，都是极其重要的，而这些人的选票，正是麦凯恩这次要赢得总统大选的关键。
Political analysts also see the selection of Palin as an effort to win over Democratic and independent women voters who were disappointed by Senator Hillary Clinton's loss in the Democratic Party primary process to Senator Barack Obama. It's the first time a woman has been selected to run on a Republican national ticket, and only the second time a woman has been chosen for a major party slot. Democrat Geraldine Ferraro was selected as the vice-presidential candidate in 1984 by Walter Mondale.
政治分析人士同时也把麦凯恩选择佩林做副手这一举措，看作是为了要赢得民主党派和独立女性选民的票，那些人因为希拉里.克林顿在民主党的初选当中，输给了奥巴马参议员，而感到非常失望。佩林州长这次被麦凯恩参议员选为副总统搭档，是历史上头一次有女性作为共和党总统大选中的候选人搭档，也是美国历史上第二次有女性代表主要政党出来竞选副总统。1984年，民主党总统候选人蒙代尔选择了费拉罗女士作为他的竞选搭档。
Palin made a pointed reference to her status as a woman candidate as she appeared with McCain one day after the Democratic convention ended in Denver, Colorado, suggesting that Clinton supporters should now shift their support to the Republican ticket.
佩林在接受麦凯恩参议员提名的时候，强调了自己是女性这一点，并且暗示希望从前支持希拉里.克林顿的那些选民，能够转而支持由她和麦凯恩两人组成的共和党团队。
"It was rightly noted in Denver this week that Hillary left 18 million cracks [people who voted for Clinton] in the hardest 'glass ceiling' in America, but it turns out the women of America aren't finished yet, and we can shatter that glass ceiling once and for all," she said.
佩林州长说：“这个星期在丹佛市，希拉里在美国最坚硬的玻璃天花板上留下了个1800万个裂缝，但美国女性并未善罢甘休，我们可以一劳永逸地打破这个玻璃天花板。”
Senator McCain also may be attempting to counter voter concerns about his age. If elected, he would be 72 when sworn in as president.
麦凯恩参议员挑选佩林作副手，同时可能也在试图减低选民对他年纪的疑虑。如果他当选，他在宣誓就职的时候已经72岁。
Palin praised McCain for his military service in Vietnam, saying he has the foreign policy experience needed for the presidency, and political independence necessary to change the way Washington works.
佩林称赞麦凯恩的越南战争经验，说他拥有担任总统需要的外交政策经验，以及政治上的独立，来改变首都华盛顿的政治运作。
"No leader in America has shown these qualities so clearly, or presented so clear a threat to business-as-usual in Washington, as Senator John S. McCain," said Palin. "This is a moment when principles and political independence matter a lot more than just the party line, and this is a man who has always been there to serve his country, not just his party."
她说：“在美国，从没有一位领导人像麦凯恩参议员那样，如此清楚地展现了这些特质，或是如此清楚地对一成不变的华盛顿官场作风展现了威胁。在现在这个时刻，原则与政治独立比政党路线更重要，麦凯恩总是在需要的时候为国家服务，而不是仅为他的政党服务。”
The surprise choice of Palin came after Barack Obama formally accepted the Democratic presidential nomination, with a major speech before 80,000 people in a stadium in Denver, Colorado.
麦凯恩宣布他挑选佩林这个叫人惊讶的抉择，是在奥巴马正式接受民主党总统候选人提名，并且在科罗拉多州的丹佛市的一个体育场，在8万人面前发表重要演讲之后。
Analysts say McCain is taking a huge political risk by choosing a relative political unknown, in contrast with the Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, a Washington veteran who has extensive foreign affairs experience. Palin and Biden both have sons in the military and National Guard who will be deploying to Iraq.
分析家说麦凯恩选择一位名不见经传的人作为副手，是政治豪赌。相比之下，民主党的副总统候选人乔.拜登是华盛顿的老牌政治家，拥有丰富广泛的外交事务经验。
President Bush in a statement Friday said McCain's selection of Palin shows Americans can trust him to make wise decisions.
布什总统星期五发表声明说，麦凯恩选择佩林，显示美国人可以信任他能够做出明智的选择。 |