It was only last month that Texas Governor Rick Perry decided to enter the race for the Republican Party's presidential nomination and quickly zoomed to the top of public opinion polls. But in recent weeks Perry has stumbled in the candidate debates, and the new doubts about Perry have led some Republicans to renew pressure on New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to enter the race.
美国德克萨斯州州长里克佩里上个月才决定角逐共和党总统提名，他很快就登上民意的顶峰。但是近几个星期佩里在候选人辩论会上结结巴巴，对佩里的一些新疑虑导致一些共和党人再度向新泽西州州长克里斯蒂施压，希望他出来参选。
The first actual votes in the U.S. presidential nominating process are still months away, but it has already been a roller-coaster ride for Rick Perry.
虽然美国总统候选人提名过程中的首次投票几个月后才会举行，但是对里克佩里来说，参选过程已经像是过山车般的起伏动荡。
Perry came into the race as a favorite among Christian conservative voters who also boasts a strong record of job-creation in Texas.
佩里对保守的基督徒选民来说是个首选，佩里自诩他在德州有优异的创造就业记录。
"America is going to be guided by some set of values," said Perry. "The question is going to be whose values and I would suggest most of the people in this audience believe it is those Christian values that this country was based upon."
他说：“美国将受到某种价值观的指引。问题是哪一种价值观。我想建议绝大部分相信这个想法的在场观众，那就是基督教的价值观，美国是建立在这个价值观之上的。”
But Perry has stumbled in recent debates, both in trying to attack his main rival, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and in trying to defend his record as Texas governor.
但是佩里在最近几次辩论中支吾其词，他在试图攻击他的主要对手前麻萨诸塞州州长罗姆尼，以及试图为自己的德州州长表现辩护时言不及义。
Perry has also been criticized by conservative rivals for supporting a Texas law that allows the children of illegal immigrants to qualify for in-state university tuition rates.
佩里的保守派对手抨击他支持一项德州法律，这项法律允许非法移民的子女以本州居民的学费比例来支付大学学费。
Perry finished a disappointing second in a recent straw poll, or test vote, in Florida behind the surprise winner, Georgia businessman Herman Cain.
在最近佛罗里达州举行的探测民意假投票中，佩里名列第二，落后于出人意料的胜利者-乔治亚州商人赫尔曼.凯因。
Cain told NBC's Today program that Perry's weak debate performances have raised questions among Republican voters as to whether he would be the strongest nominee against President Barack Obama in next year's election.
凯因在国家广播公司的“今天”电视节目中表示，佩里脆弱的辩论表现让共和党选民怀疑，在明年的选举中佩里是否能成为对抗奥巴马总统的最强有力提名人。
"I believe it hurt him a lot, not just in terms of what he said but in terms of how he said it," said Cain.
凯因说：“我认为，辩论表现对佩里伤害很大，不仅是因为他说的内容，也因为他的表达方式。”
Other prominent Republicans are also raising questions about Perry's debate performances, including former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, who finished second to John McCain in the 2008 race for the Republican Party nomination.
包括前阿肯色州长哈克比在内的一些著名共和党人也对佩里的辩论表现提出疑问。哈克比2008年在共和党总统提名选战中名列第二，败给约翰.麦凯恩。
"I think Rick Perry is not prepared for the pressure of the presidential stage yet," said Huckabee.
哈克比说：“我认为，佩里现在还没有为当总统的压力做好准备。”
Some Republicans are concerned enough that they are urging New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to rethink his decision not to run for president.
一些共和党人于是敦促新泽西州长克里斯蒂对他不出马竞选的决定重新考虑。
Christie's blunt-spoken style is popular with Republican voters. But earlier this year Christie said he was not interested in running next year and so far there has been little public indication that he is willing to change his mind.
克里斯蒂直言不讳的讲话风格受到共和党选民的欢迎，但是今年早些时候克里斯蒂说，他对角逐明年的选举不感兴趣。到目前为止他还没有公开表明他愿意改变想法。
"I don't feel ready in my heart to be president," said Christie. "And unless I do, I don't have any right offering myself to the people of this country."
克里斯蒂说：“我感觉自己还没准备好当总统，除非我已经准备好了，否则我没有权利向美国人推荐自己。”
Republican pollster Frank Luntz says many Republicans would like to see Christie run for president.
共和党民意专家弗兰克.伦兹认为，很多共和党人希望看到克里斯蒂出来竞选总统。
"Republicans are so excited about the possibility of Christie getting into the race. I have not seen anything like this in my time in politics," noted Luntz.
他说：“共和党人对克里斯蒂可能参选感到兴奋。我参与政治以来还没看到这样的气氛。”
Political analysts say Governor Perry must show improvement in upcoming debates or risk losing his frontrunner status.
政治分析人士说，佩里州长必须在即将到来的辩论中让人看到他有所改进，否则他的竞选领先地位可能不保。
David Gergen has served as an aide to Republican and Democratic presidents and teaches at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
曾经担任共和党和民主党总统的助手，目前任教于哈佛大学的肯尼迪政府学院的戴维.格根说：
"How long he will stay there we don't know," said Gergen. "It is unclear whether Governor Perry of Texas is a rising star or a shooting star and we will have to wait and see how the next few months go."
“我们不知道佩里还会在竞选中坚持多久。现在还不清楚德州州长佩里是崛起的明星，还是流星。我们等着看今后几个月的发展。”
Perry still leads Romney in the latest CNN-ORC poll by a margin of 28 to 21 percent, but Perry's support is down slightly from the same poll two weeks ago.
佩里在有线电视新闻网CNN和ORC的最新民意调查中仍然领先罗姆尼，但是比两个星期前的同样民调，佩里现在的支持度稍有降低。 |