VOA标准英语2008年-New Hampshire Results Open Up Presidential Race

By Jim Malone
Bedford, New Hampshire
09 January 2008
 

The results from Tuesday's presidential primary in New Hampshire tell the story of two remarkable¹ political comebacks, one by Democrat² Hillary Clinton, the other by Republican John McCain. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone reports on an American presidential race that remains³ wide open in both major political parties.

The unexpected Clinton victory in New Hampshire sent shockwaves through the race for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination⁴ and stunned⁵ the pollsters and pundits⁶ who had predicted an easy win for Senator Barack Obama.

The immediate⁷ impact of Clinton's win is to likely slow the political momentum⁸ Obama created with his victory last week in the Iowa caucuses⁹.

The results also set up what could be a lengthy¹⁰ battle for the nomination between Clinton and Obama that could extend at least until February 5, when more than 20 states hold party primaries and caucuses.

Clinton told jubilant supporters in New Hampshire that she is in the fight until the end.

"We came back tonight, because you spoke¹¹ loudly and clearly. You want this campaign to be about you because there is so much at stake for our country," she said.

Clinton revived her presidential hopes in New Hampshire, after a damaging third place finish in Iowa behind Obama and former North Carolina Senator John Edwards. Edwards finished a distant third in the New Hampshire vote.

Obama had hoped to sweep both Iowa and New Hampshire and claim the mantel of undisputed Democratic frontrunner. Instead, Obama now faces the prospect¹² of a lengthy battle with Clinton in the state-by-state primaries and caucuses that pick the party nominees¹³ who will contest the November election.

Obama tried to rally his disappointed supporters, once the results became clear.

"We will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggest; that we are one people; we are one nation and together we will begin the next great chapter in the American story that will ring from coast to coast, from sea to shining sea. Yes We can! Thank you New Hampshire!," he said.

If anything, the race for the Republican presidential nomination appears even more uncertain following the New Hampshire results.

Arizona Senator John McCain resurrected his presidential hopes with a convincing victory over former Massachusetts Governor Mitt¹⁴ Romney.

McCain was all but written off, six month ago, after he dipped in the polls and ran low on campaign funds. However, he says he never doubted his support in New Hampshire.

"I talked to the people of New Hampshire. I reasoned with you. I listened to you. I answered you. Sometimes, I argued with you. But I always told you the truth, as best I can see the truth, and you gave me the great honor of listening. Thank you, New Hampshire," he said.

Romney now takes his presidential hopes to Michigan, the state where he grew up and where his late father, George Romney, was once governor.

"I will fight across this nation, on to Michigan and South Carolina and Florida and Nevada and states after that!," he said.

Romney had hoped to improve on a disappointing second-place finish in last week's Iowa caucuses, behind former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

Huckabee hopes to boost his presidential hopes in the South Carolina Republican primary on January 19.

"What you helped us continue will be carried right on through, and it will not be long before we are going to be able to secure this nomination and on to the White House and on to leading America. Thank you, folks. God bless you!," he said.

Also waiting in the wings is former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani did not put a lot of effort into either the Iowa or New Hampshire contests, hoping instead he can string together some victories in larger states, like Florida later this month and New York and California on February 5.

What seems clear, in the wake of the New Hampshire vote, is that the state-by-state nomination battle in both parties is likely to continue for weeks.

The primaries and caucuses select delegates to the national nominating conventions that will pick the presidential nominees in both parties. The Democrats¹⁵ meet in late August and the Republicans in early September.

The American presidential election will be held November 4.

1 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。

2 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

3 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

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 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。

6 pundits   

n.某一学科的权威，专家( pundit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The pundits disagree on the best way of dealing with the problem. 如何妥善处理这一问题，专家众说纷纭。 来自辞典例句
• That did not stop Chinese pundits from making a fuss over it. 这并没有阻止中国的博学之士对此大惊小怪。 来自互联网

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

9 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

10 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

11 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。

12 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

13 nominees   

n.被提名者，被任命者( nominee的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• She's one of the nominees. 她是被提名者之一。 来自超越目标英语 第2册
• A startling number of his nominees for senior positions have imploded. 他所提名的高级官员被否决的数目令人震惊。 来自互联网

14 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。

15 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》