VOA标准英语2008年-Partisan Attacks and Negative Ads Dominate US E

With less than 50 days to go until Election Day on November 4, the U.S. presidential race between Republican John McCain and Democrat¹ Barack Obama appears to be a dead heat. Analysts² say the final weeks of the campaign promise to be intense and filled with partisan³ attacks and negative television advertisements. We have a preview from VOA's National Correspondent, Jim Malone.

The attack ads are everywhere - on television, radio and the Internet. Some of ads are created within only a few hours.
　

Sen. John McCain

A McCain campaign ad attacked Senator Barack Obama on the issue of taxes.

"Painful taxes. Hard choices for your budget. Not ready to lead. That's the real Obama."

The Obama campaign responded with an attack on Senator McCain and his ties to lobbyists.

"The lobbyists running his low road campaign. The money - billions in tax breaks for oil and drug companies, but almost nothing for families like yours."

But with both sides firing off negative ads at each other, experts say it is hard to know whether people are paying attention or to gauge⁴ the impact.

Democratic pollster Celinda Lake says the latest bipartisan Battleground poll, which she helped conduct, found that both Obama and McCain remain popular with the public.

"Both candidates remain remarkably⁵ personally positive," she said. "And again, you would think given a lot of the press reports that both candidates had decidedly negative views [would be viewed negatively by voters], but that is not true."

Both campaigns complain that their opponent's attack ads are often inaccurate⁶ and misleading.

One group of liberal activists⁷ is urging the moderators of the upcoming presidential debates to focus on serious issues and steer⁸ clear of what they regard as trivial political attacks.

Robert Borosage is president of the Institute for America's Future, which promotes a progressive political agenda.

"And the basic theme of all of this work is to demand a debate worthy⁹ of a great nation in trouble," Borosage said. "As all of you know, the presidential campaign at this point seems to be descending¹⁰ right now somewhere along a road to nowhere. We are talking about [celebrity] Paris Hilton and lipstick¹¹ on pigs and Alaska separatism."
　

Sen. Barack Obama

But experts predict the political attacks and negative ads will only increase in the final weeks of the campaign because the race has become more competitive since the party conventions.

Obama led the polls for months. But in the last few weeks, McCain has come on strong and now leads in several surveys.

McCain's pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his vice¹² presidential running mate has energized¹³ social conservatives within the Republican Party.

And McCain now casts himself as a reformer bent¹⁴ on changing politics in Washington.

"And I want to warn them, every single one of them, stand by because change is coming, and real change is coming to Washington, D.C. And we are going to shake things up," McCain said.

Democrats¹⁵ complain the attacks on Obama have distracted voters from the real issues in the campaign, especially the economy.

They are urging Obama to fight back, mindful of the Republican attack ads that helped doom¹⁶ Democrat John Kerry's presidential bid four years ago.

In recent days, Obama seems to be taking their advice.

"Enough! I don't care what they say about me, but I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage¹⁷ and 'Swift boat' politics. Enough is enough!," Obama said.

Political analysts say this year's presidential debates will be crucial in helping¹⁸ voters decide what is shaping up as a very close race.

Tom DeFrank is Washington Bureau Chief for the New York Daily News and has covered numerous U.S. elections. DeFrank told VOA's Issues in the News program that the debates will be especially important for Barack Obama.

"I think he is now the underdog," DeFrank said. "And I have always thought that the first presidential debate is always important in presidential elections. But I think Obama needs to be really compelling in that debate now. The stakes are much higher for him now than for McCain."

Three presidential debates are scheduled, beginning September 26 at the University of Mississippi. In addition, there will be one vice presidential debate between Republican Sarah Palin and Democratic Senator Joe Biden.

1 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。

2 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。

3 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

4 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

5 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

6 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

9 worthy   

adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的

参考例句：

• I did not esteem him to be worthy of trust.我认为他不值得信赖。
• There occurred nothing that was worthy to be mentioned.没有值得一提的事发生。

10 descending   

n. 下行 adj. 下降的

参考例句：

• The results are expressed in descending numerical order . 结果按数字降序列出。
• The climbers stopped to orient themselves before descending the mountain. 登山者先停下来确定所在的位置，然后再下山。

11 lipstick   

n.口红，唇膏

参考例句：

• Taking out her lipstick,she began to paint her lips.她拿出口红，开始往嘴唇上抹。
• Lipstick and hair conditioner are cosmetics.口红和护发素都是化妆品。

12 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。

13 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

14 bent   

n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的

参考例句：

• He was fully bent upon the project.他一心扑在这项计划上。
• We bent over backward to help them.我们尽了最大努力帮助他们。

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》

16 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

17 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。

18 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。