VOA标准英语2008年-Obama, Huckabee Win First Presidential Test in

By Jim Malone
Des Moines
04 January 2008
 
Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and former Republican Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas were the big winners Thursday in the Iowa caucuses², the first major test of the 2008 U.S. presidential election campaign. VOA National correspondent Jim Malone reports from Iowa's state capital of Des Moines.

Obama is seeking to become the first African-American president, and he got off to a fast start in Iowa, where a record number of Democrats³ turned out on a cold winter's night.

Obama defeated former North Carolina Senator John Edwards and the longtime Democratic frontrunner for president, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York.

Obama thanked his supporters in Iowa and said his victory represented a yearning⁴ for change.

"In lines that stretched around schools and churches, in small towns and big cities, you came together as Democrats, Republicans and independents to stand up and say, we are one nation, we are one people and our time for change has come!" said Barack Obama.

Senator Clinton finished a disappointing third in Iowa, narrowly trailing John Edwards, who finished second.

"The one thing that is clear from the results in Iowa tonight is that the status quo lost and change won," said John Edwards.

The Democratic results in Iowa set up a showdown next Tuesday between Obama and Clinton in New Hampshire, which holds the nation's first presidential primary.

Obama and Clinton have been running near the top of the polls in New Hampshire, with Edwards trailing.

Clinton told supporters she will continue to push as hard as she can in New Hampshire and in the rest of the upcoming primaries and caucuses.

"Today we are sending a clear message that we are going to have change and that change will be a Democratic president in the White House in 2009!" said Hillary Clinton.

In the battle for the Republican presidential nomination⁵, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee easily defeated former Massachusetts Governor Mitt⁶ Romney, capping a remarkable⁷ political journey in which Huckabee went from an obscure Republican contender several months ago to the winner of the Iowa caucus¹ vote.

"A new day is needed in American politics, just like a new day is needed in American government," said Mike Huckabee. "And tonight, it starts here in Iowa, but it does not end here. It goes all the way through the other states and ends at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue one year from now."

Huckabee's victory in Iowa was a big disappointment to former Governor Romney, who spent more time and money in Iowa than the other Republican contenders.

But Romney vowed⁸ to fight on in the New Hampshire primary on Tuesday, comparing his quest to that of an Olympic athlete.

"You win the Silver [medal] in one event, it does not mean you are not going to come back and win the Gold in the final event, and that we are going to do," said Mitt Romney.

Trailing behind Huckabee and Romney in the Republican race were former Senator Fred Thompson of Tennessee, Senator John McCain of Arizona and Congressman⁹ Ron Paul of Texas.

McCain is hoping his Iowa showing will boost his chances in New Hampshire, where he has been gaining in the polls on Romney, who had been leading there for months.

McCain spoke¹⁰ to reporters in New Hampshire following Huckabee's victory in Iowa.

"I very confident that with a strong, positive finish here that we are going to win here in New Hampshire and go on to Michigan and South Carolina," said John McCain.

Iowa is only the beginning of the 2008 race for the White House. After New Hampshire on Tuesday, the campaign moves on to Michigan, Nevada, South Carolina and Florida.

The presidential primary season will reach a climax¹¹ on February 5 when more than 20 states will hold primary or caucus votes.

1 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。

2 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

3 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》

4 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

5 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。

6 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。

7 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

8 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

9 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。

10 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 climax   

n.顶点；高潮；v.(使)达到顶点

参考例句：

• The fifth scene was the climax of the play.第五场是全剧的高潮。
• His quarrel with his father brought matters to a climax.他与他父亲的争吵使得事态发展到了顶点。