VOA慢速英语2012 IN THE NEWS - Abortion Debate Takes Center Stage in US Election Campaign

 

IN THE NEWS - Abortion¹ Debate Takes Center Stage in US Election Campaign

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

The Republican Party’s national convention opens Monday in Tampa, Florida. Republican delegates will officially nominate former Massachusetts Governor Mitt³ Romney as the party’s candidate for president. Democratic Party delegates will gather in Charlotte, North Carolina the following week to nominate President Barack Obama for a second term.

This week, a Republican lawmaker’s comments pushed the debate about abortion to the center of the election campaign. Missouri Congressman⁴ Todd Akin⁵ is a candidate for the United States Senate. A reporter asked him to explain his opposition⁶ to the operation, even in cases of rape⁷. Mr. Akin said it was his understanding from doctors that rape victims rarely get pregnant. He said that, in the case of what he called “legitimate rape,” the female body has ways to stop a pregnancy⁸. And he said the rapist should be punished, not the child resulting from the attack.

His comments were widely criticized by both Democrats⁹ and Republicans. Many described them as “insensitive.” President Obama and Mr. Romney were quick to condemn¹⁰ the statements.

OBAMA: “The views expressed were offensive. Rape is rape.”

ROMNEY: “His comments about rape were deeply offensive. And I can’t defend what he said. I can’t defend him.” 

Congressman Akin has apologized. He even approved a political advertisement asking for forgiveness.

AKIN: “Rape is an evil act. I used the wrong words in the wrong way, and for that I apologize.” 

But some people say the apology is unlikely to stop calls from Republican leaders for him to leave the Senate race. Political observer Rhodes Cook says the issue shows the problem Republican candidates have with women voters.

COOK: “They saw this being a terrible comment, one that made them by extension appear to be insensitive to women and their plight¹², particularly as victims of a horrendous¹³ crime like rape.” 

Rhodes Cook and other observers say the comments could provide more fuel for Democratic claims that Republicans are leading a “war on women.” Republicans have faced criticism from women’s groups for opposing abortion and rules that health care insurance pay for birth control.

On Tuesday, Republican delegates agreed to support a call for a constitutional ban on abortion as part of their party’s platform. The statement makes no exceptions for rape or the sexual attack of a child or young person by a family member. The Democratic Party platform supports a woman’s right to choose.

Larry Sabato is head of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia. He says social issues like abortion usually have a big influence on voter support.

SABATO: “People have very strong feelings on both sides, and it’s a single issue for a lot of people. Once they know your position on it, pro¹¹ or con², pro-choice or pro-life, they decide how they’re going to vote, They actually ignore economic issues and issues of foreign policy and a whole wide range of other subjects.” 

Both he and Rhodes Cook say it is unclear whether the comments will have an effect on the elections in November. But they say the comments are likely to live on in Democratic political ads. And they say that if Mr. Akin continues to ignore calls to end his candidacy, the effects could be major.

And that’s IN THE NEWS, in VOA Special English. I’m Steve Ember.

1 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

2 con   

n.反对的观点，反对者，反对票，肺病；vt.精读，学习，默记；adv.反对地，从反面；adj.欺诈的

参考例句：

• We must be fair and consider the reason pro and con.我们必须公平考虑赞成和反对的理由。
• The motion is adopted non con.因无人投反对票，协议被通过。

3 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 akin   

adj.同族的，类似的

参考例句：

• She painted flowers and birds pictures akin to those of earlier feminine painters.她画一些同早期女画家类似的花鸟画。
• Listening to his life story is akin to reading a good adventure novel.听他的人生故事犹如阅读一本精彩的冒险小说。

6 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

7 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

8 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

9 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

11 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

12 plight   

n.困境，境况，誓约，艰难；vt.宣誓，保证，约定

参考例句：

• The leader was much concerned over the plight of the refugees.那位领袖对难民的困境很担忧。
• She was in a most helpless plight.她真不知如何是好。

13 horrendous   

adj.可怕的，令人惊惧的

参考例句：

• He described it as the most horrendous experience of his life.他形容这是自己一生中最可怕的经历。
• The mining industry in China has a horrendous safety record.中国的煤矿工业具有令人不安的安全记录。