VOA标准英语2008年-Iowa Democrats Focus on Three Main Contenders

By Jim Malone
Des Moines
02 January 2008

The 2008 U.S. presidential race begins in the Midwest state of Iowa Thursday, when Democrats¹ and Republicans across the state will gather in small meetings, or caucuses³, and vote for their favorite candidates for president.  The race for the Democratic presidential nomination⁴ appears to be especially close, as we hear from VOA National correspondent Jim Malone in Iowa's capital of Des Moines. 

The three top Democratic contenders in Iowa are New York Senator Hillary Clinton, former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and Illinois Senator Barack Obama.

In the final hours of the campaign, the candidates are trying to shore up support at various rallies around the state and bombarding the television airwaves with political ads, like this one for Obama.

"I want to stop talking about the outrage⁵ of 47 million Americans without health care, and start actually doing something about it," he said.  "Your future is our future and our moment is now."

The latest polls show a tight race among the so-called Democratic big three, Obama, Clinton and Edwards.

Edwards is hoping to build on his strong showing in the 2004 Iowa presidential caucuses, when he finished second to John Kerry and eventually became his vice⁶ presidential running mate in the 2004 election.

"We are in a very close contest because this message of standing⁷ up for the promise of America, for our children, making sure we stand up for American jobs and ending this corporate⁸ greed that is doing so much damage, all those things are issues that resonate with Iowa caucus² goers," he said.

Senator Clinton spent the final hours of the Iowa campaign urging her supporters to take part in the Thursday vote.

"It really matters whether you go to the caucuses Thursday night, because the entire country is going to be watching, the world is going to be watching," she said.  "You know, a lot of the world is holding its breath.  They need a new president too."

Clinton focuses on her experience in Congress and as a former first lady, which she believes gives her an advantage over Edwards and particularly Obama, who is in his first term in the Senate.

But some of the other Democratic contenders are also highlighting their experience, especially in foreign policy, as they try to get out from under the shadow of the three leading candidates.

Joe Biden chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and has been in Congress since the 1970s.

Biden believes voters want someone who is immediately ready to assume the job of commander in chief.

"Do they have confidence that person can handle the meltdown in Pakistan, end the war in Iraq, know exactly what to do now at the moment of great peril⁹?" he asked.

Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut is making a similar argument, as is New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.  Richardson often mentions his service as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Clinton administration.

"I hope you make this a wide open race and give those of us who just happen to be qualified¹⁰ and those of us who can change this country a chance," he said.  "That is all I ask."

Still, Richardson, Dodd and Biden lag well behind the top three Democrats in the polls.

Political experts say it is important for the top presidential contenders to do well in the early caucus and primary states, like Iowa and New Hampshire.

"It is entirely¹¹ plausible¹² that Iowa and New Hampshire will be the equivalent of a super sling¹³ shot now, giving candidates who do well enormous momentum," said Norman Ornstein, who is with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington.

After Iowa, the presidential campaign heads to New Hampshire next Tuesday, then on to Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida later in the month.

1 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》

2 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

3 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 outrage   

n.暴行，侮辱，愤怒；vt.凌辱，激怒

参考例句：

• When he heard the news he reacted with a sense of outrage.他得悉此事时义愤填膺。
• We should never forget the outrage committed by the Japanese invaders.我们永远都不应该忘记日本侵略者犯下的暴行。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

9 peril   

n.(严重的)危险；危险的事物

参考例句：

• The refugees were in peril of death from hunger.难民有饿死的危险。
• The embankment is in great peril.河堤岌岌可危。

10 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

11 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

12 plausible   

adj.似真实的，似乎有理的，似乎可信的

参考例句：

• His story sounded plausible.他说的那番话似乎是真实的。
• Her story sounded perfectly plausible.她的说辞听起来言之有理。

13 sling   

vt.扔；悬挂；n.挂带；吊索，吊兜；弹弓

参考例句：

• The boy discharged a stone from a sling.这个男孩用弹弓射石头。
• By using a hoist the movers were able to sling the piano to the third floor.搬运工人用吊车才把钢琴吊到3楼。