英语听力精选进阶版 6142（在线收听）

A Historic Election 历史性选举

After a hard-fought campaign, Democratic Senator Barack Obama has won the US presidential election, and will become the 44th President of the United States – the first African-American in the country’s history to do so.

President-elect Obama marked his victory with a speech to a crowd of tens of thousands of people in his hometown of Chicago.

Obama described his election as a "defining moment" in the history of the Unites States, saying that "change has come to America".

The BBC’s correspondent in Washington says that in electing Barack Obama, the American people have expressed their unhappiness with the status quo and rejected their country’s historical racial divisions.

The Australian Prime Minister summed up how many people felt when he congratulated President-elect Obama.

“Forty-five years ago Martin Luther King had a dream of an America where men and women would be judged not on the colour of their skin but on the content of their character. Today what America has done is turn that dream into a reality,” said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

President-elect Obama will not take office until 20 January next year. However, when he does become president, he will face many serious challenges, including two foreign wars, climate change and what he has described as "the worst financial crisis in a century".

But the mood of the country is optimistic, according to most commentators, and Obama himself appears to relish the challenge.

"The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even in one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," said the next President of the United States.

GLOSSARY 词汇表

hard-fought campaign 艰苦的竞选活动

Democratic senator 民主党参议员

African-American 非裔美国人

President-elect 总统当选人

marked his victory 庆贺他的胜利

defining moment 决定性的时刻

correspondent 记者

status quo 现状

racial divisions 种族分划

Australian Prime Minister 澳大利亚总理

summed up 概括/归纳

Martin Luther King 马丁?路德?金

take office 上任

serious challenges 严峻的挑战

climate change 气候变化

financial crisis 金融危机

mood 心情/情绪

optimistic 乐观的

relish the challenge 喜欢这种挑战

steep 陡峭的/艰险的