2007年VOA标准英语-Clinton Determined to Become First Woman Electe

By Deborah Tate
Washington
06 September 2007
 

U.S. Senator Hillary Clinton continues to lead the field of candidates seeking the Democratic Party's nomination¹ for president.  Stressing her background and experience, she is determined² to become the first woman elected to the White House.   VOA's Deborah Tate has this profile.

Bill and Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton needs no introduction. 

A former first lady, twice elected senator from New York, she is now determined win her campaign for the White House. She proclaims, "I'm in it to win it".

Clinton was a particularly activist³ first lady during her husband's two terms in the White House.  Larry Sabato, who directs the University of Virginia's Center for Politics, says this makes her a formidable candidate   "She was, for all practical purposes, co-president and everyone knows that.  So in a sense, she is running for a third term.  As an incumbent⁴ within the Democratic Party structure - as the establishment candidate - as the candidate of the Clinton organization - she is a clear, strong favorite to win the nomination."

But despite her frontrunner status, some, including those in her own party, question whether she can win in a general election. Senators historically have not succeeded in their bids for the presidency⁵.

Senator Clinton has a reputation as a very polarizing figure.  Polls show she has the highest negatives of any presidential candidate of either party.  Such high negative ratings stem in large part from her years in the White House.

She headed a White House task force to reform the U.S. health care system. "Something is wrong with our health care system and it needs to be fixed," she said at the time. But the plan failed to win congressional support amid criticism that it was too complex and bureaucratic⁶.

Hillary Clinton, as first lady, was called to testify before a federal grand jury

Clinton also came under fire for her role in the controversial Whitewater land deal. She became the first first lady to be subpoenaed⁷ to testify before a federal grand jury as a result of the scandal.

Later, she weathered the controversy⁸ surrounding President Clinton's highly publicized affair with White House intern⁹ Monica Lewinsky and his subsequent impeachment¹⁰ for lying to Congress.

She received both criticism and sympathy for her decision to stand by her husband. 

All these controversies¹¹ could have an impact her White House campaign, according to Larry Sabato. "There is the scandal factor.  A lot of people don't want to go back.  They don't want to relive those scandals. They don't want new ones."

Hillary Clinton

But her somewhat rocky years as first lady stand in stark¹² contrast to her years in the Senate, which have been marked by a steady, centrist voting record.

Her vote to authorize¹³ military intervention¹⁴ in Iraq has angered the Democratic Party's liberal base, but she says she takes responsibility for her decision. "I have taken responsibility for my vote, but there are no do-overs in life.  I wish there were."

Political analysts¹⁵ say Clinton's experience on the Senate Armed Services Committee and her willingness to cross the political aisle¹⁶ on national security issues could help boost her appeal.

John Fortier is with the American Enterprise Institute. "By emphasizing her experience, she comes across as somebody who is sensible, in the middle, pragmatic, who could handle the reins¹⁷ of power.  It probably has not worked out quite as much as she has wanted in that the war has become more polarizing, and has drawn¹⁸ her more to the left than what she would have liked."

Fortier and other analysts say Clinton is waging a sophisticated campaign.  She is not only trying to win her party's nomination by appealing to its liberal base,  she is also seemingly running a general election campaign aimed at pre-empting possible Republican attacks if she veers¹⁹ too far to the left.

Such a strategy was on display when Clinton responded to a question during a recent Democratic presidential debate in Chicago. "I want the Democrats²⁰ to win and I want a united Democratic Party that will stand against the Republicans and I will say that, for 15 years, I've stood up against the right-wing machine and I've come out stronger, so if you want a winner who knows how to take them on, I'm your girl."

It's an expression of confidence from the first first lady elected to the U.S. Senate who now wants to make history again by becoming the first woman elected to the White House.

1 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

2 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

3 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

4 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

7 subpoenaed   

v.（用传票）传唤（某人）( subpoena的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The court subpoenaed her to appear as a witness. 法庭传唤她出庭作证。
• The finance director is subpoenaed by prosecution. 财务经理被检查机关传讯。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

9 intern   

v.拘禁，软禁；n.实习生

参考例句：

• I worked as an intern in that firm last summer.去年夏天我在那家商行实习。
• The intern bandaged the cut as the nurse looked on.这位实习生在护士的照看下给病人包扎伤口。

10 impeachment   

n.弹劾；控告；怀疑

参考例句：

• Impeachment is considered a drastic measure in the United States.在美国，弹劾被视为一种非常激烈的措施。
• The verdict resulting from his impeachment destroyed his political career.他遭弹劾后得到的判决毁了他的政治生涯。

11 controversies   

争论

参考例句：

• We offer no comment on these controversies here. 对于这些争议，我们在这里不作任何评论。 来自英汉非文学 - 历史
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon. 围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。 来自辞典例句

12 stark   

adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地

参考例句：

• The young man is faced with a stark choice.这位年轻人面临严峻的抉择。
• He gave a stark denial to the rumor.他对谣言加以完全的否认。

13 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

14 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

15 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

16 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

17 reins   

感情，激情； 缰( rein的名词复数 )； 控制手段； 掌管； （成人带着幼儿走路以防其走失时用的）保护带

参考例句：

• She pulled gently on the reins. 她轻轻地拉着缰绳。
• The government has imposed strict reins on the import of luxury goods. 政府对奢侈品的进口有严格的控制手段。

18 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

19 veers   

v.（尤指交通工具）改变方向或路线( veer的第三人称单数 )；（指谈话内容、人的行为或观点）突然改变；（指风） （在北半球按顺时针方向、在南半球按逆时针方向）逐渐转向；风向顺时针转

参考例句：

• The car veers out of control. 这辆车失去了控制。 来自辞典例句
• His fondness for his characters sometimes veers towards the sentimental. 他对那位主人公的偏爱有时也稍显矫情。 来自互联网

20 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》