Now that the U.S. political conventions are over, the candidates for President and Vice President have begun the final two months of intense campaigning.
美国两个主要政党的全国代表大会都已经结束，两对总统和副总统候选人开始了大选之前最后两个月的紧张竞选。
One day after their party's convention concluded, the Republican presidential nominee, Senator John McCain, and his vice presidential running mate, Alaska state Governor Sarah Palin, started campaigning together in so-called "battleground" states, which will be critical for victory in the November election.
共和党全国代表大会刚刚结束，总统候选人麦凯恩参议员和他的副手、阿拉斯加州州长佩林就开始在那些所谓“战场州”展开竞选活动了。这些州对赢得11月份的总统大选非常关键。
At a rally in the small town of Cedarburg, in the north central state of Wisconsin, Palin praised McCain for consistently supporting the U.S. troop surge in Iraq. Palin called the Democratic presidential nominee, Senator Barack Obama, "wrong on a vital national security issue," and said McCain was one of very few people in Washington who initially believed the surge would succeed.
佩林在威斯康辛州一个小镇的集会上，赞扬麦凯恩始终如一地支持美国在伊拉克增兵。她说，民主党总统候选人奥巴马参议员“在一个重大的国家安全问题上，立场是错误的”。她指出，麦凯恩参议员是从一开始就认为增兵计划会取得成功的为数不多的人之一。
"It seems to me there was one leader in Washington who did predict success, who refused to call retreat, and risked his own career for the sake of the surge and victory in Iraq, and ladies and gentlemen, that man is standing right next to me, Senator John McCain," she said.
佩林说，“在我看来，华盛顿有一位领袖人物，他预见到这个计划会取得成功，他拒绝收兵，他为了增兵和在伊拉克取得胜利而甘冒政治风险。女士们先生们，这个人现在就站在我旁边，他就是麦凯恩参议员！”
Later, McCain told the crowd he acknowledges that the U.S economy is in trouble, but said his economic plan is better than Obama's.
晚些时候，麦凯恩对参加集会的人表示，美国经济目前处于困境，不过，他的经济计划比奥巴马的要好。
"I will keep taxes low and cut them where I can," he said. "My opponent will raise your taxes. I will open new markets to our goods and services. My opponent will close them. I'll cut government spending. He wants to increase it. Look at his record. My tax cuts will create jobs. His tax increases, increases. He wants to increase your taxes, and he will eliminate them."
麦凯恩说，“我将让税率保持在低水平，并在可能的时候降低税率。而我的对手要提高你们的税率。我将为我们的产品和服务开辟新的市场，而我的对手要关闭市场。我将降低政府开支，而他要增加政府开支。看看他的记录吧。我的减税方案将创造就业机会，而他要加税，加税，丢掉就业机会。”
The emphasis on the economy took on greater urgency Friday, with news that the United States lost 84,000 jobs in August, driving the nation's unemployment rate to a five-year high of 6.1 percent.
经济问题星期五更加凸显出来。据报道，美国八月份流失了八万四千个就业机会，使全国的失业率达到了五年以来的最高水平百分之六点一。
Senator Obama campaigned in a factory in the small town of Duryea, Pennsylvania, and promoted his economic plan, while trying to tie McCain to the economic problems during the Bush administration.
与此同时，奥巴马参议员在宾夕法尼亚州一个小镇的工厂进行竞选，推销他的经济政策，同时努力把麦凯恩同布什总统任内的经济问题联在一起。
"I just think he doesn't get it," he said. "I don't think they have a sense of what people are going through. Because otherwise, why would you be. Well, let me take that back. There may be another reason why you [the Republicans] are not talking about it, and that is, if you've got the kind of record they've got over the last eight years, then, of course, you don't want to spend a lot of time talking about issues."
奥巴马说，“我认为他根本就不知道现实情况是怎么回事，他们根本不了解普通老百姓的情况。共和党人之所以不提经济问题，是因为他们过去八年的记录不怎么样，所以他们当然不愿意花时间讨论经济问题。”
Obama's running mate, Senator Joe Biden, campaigned in a different part of Pennsylvania Friday. At a union hall in Philadelphia, Biden also discussed the Democrats' economic plan, and talked about the importance of this year's election.
奥巴马的竞选搭档拜登参议员星期五在宾夕法尼亚州另外一个地方竞选。在费城的一个集会上，拜登谈到民主党的经济计划和今年选举的重要性。
"Literally, the future of the country for the next 20 years is going to be decided in the next 60 days," he said.
拜登说，“今后60天将决定这个国家未来20年的走向。”
Post-convention polls show the race either even, or Obama with a slight lead. Election Day is November 4.
两党全国代表大会召开之后进行的民调显示，双方或者不相上下，或者奥巴马略微领先。今年的选举日是十一月四号。 |