VOA标准英语2008年-US Presidential Candidates Focus on Economic Tu

The troubled U.S. economy once again took center stage in the presidential election campaign Wednesday. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has more on the race for the White House.
　
Traders crowd post that handles Morgan Stanley on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange near the close of trading, 17 Sept 2008

With the financial turmoil¹ on Wall Street dominating the headlines, both major presidential contenders tried to position themselves as the candidate better able to deal with the economy - the number one concern of most voters.

On Wednesday, Democratic Senator Barack Obama took his campaign to the southwestern state of Nevada, which Democrats³ hope to add to their win column in November. Nevada voted for President Bush in the previous two elections.

Obama told supporters that the recent financial failures on Wall Street are symptomatic of a weakened economy, and that the responsibility rests with the Bush administration and its supporters - including Obama's Republican opponent, Senator John McCain.
　
Sen. Barack Obama speaks during a rally in Elko, Nevada,17 Sept 2008

"Now I have every confidence that we can steer⁴ ourselves out of this crisis," he said. "That is who we are and that is what we have always done as Americans. But the one thing I also know is this: We can't steer ourselves out of this crisis by heading in the same direction."

Obama also recorded a two-minute television ad on the economy that argued that the best way to bring about economic relief is to bring change to Washington.

Senator McCain has also focused on the economy in recent days. He told ABC television's Good Morning America program that the financial failures on Wall Street are having a negative impact on American workers.

"They are still strong. But they have been betrayed by the top of our economy, by the greedy Wall Street excesses that sometimes, I think, may even be corruption," McCain said. "They have had their lives harmed by the greed and excess, and we have got to fix it. We have got to say that it will never happen again."
　
Sen. John McCain smiles during a rally at the Tampa Convention Center in Florida, 16 Sep 2008

McCain says that as president, he would reform Wall Street and strengthen the hand of government regulators to stop the kinds of abuses that have created turmoil in the nation's financial markets.

McCain stumbled earlier in the week when he described the fundamentals of the U.S. economy as being sound, despite the current problems. McCain reversed his comments within a matter of hours and said he thought the economy was in a crisis.

McCain got some good news on Wednesday from a former supporter of Democrat² Hillary Clinton. A former fundraiser for Clinton's presidential campaign, Lynn Forester de Rothschild, said she was endorsing⁵ Senator McCain for president because Democrats have taken their party too far to the left.

The next major point in the presidential race comes a week from Friday when candidates Obama and McCain meet at the University of Mississippi in the first in a series of three presidential debates. There will also be one vice⁶ presidential debate between Democrat Joe Biden and Republican Sarah Palin.

 

1 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

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 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 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。

5 endorsing   

v.赞同( endorse的现在分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• Yet Communist leaders are also publicly endorsing religion in an unprecedented way. 不过，共产党领导层对宗教信仰的公开认可也是以前不曾有过的。 来自互联网
• Connecticut Independent Senator Joseph Lieberman is endorsing Republican Senator John McCain. 康涅狄格州独立派参议员约瑟夫。列波曼将会票选共和议员约翰。麦凯恩。 来自互联网

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。