VOA标准英语2011--Growing Tensions Between Romney, Perry in Republican Race

Growing Tensions Between Romney, Perry in Republican Race

 

The Midwest state of Iowa has scheduled its presidential caucus¹ vote for January 3, in what amounts to the official start of the process to choose a Republican Party nominee² to run against President Barack Obama next year.

The battle for the party nomination³ has taken a personal turn in recent days between two of the top contenders, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt⁴ Romney and Texas Governor Rick Perry.

Tensions between the Romney and Perry camps have been building for months and their apparent mutual⁵ dislike for each other burst onto the stage during the most recent Republican debate in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Perry came into the debate determined⁶ to be more aggressive after several mediocre⁷ performances and a drop in support in public opinion polls.

Perry chose to focus on allegations several years old that Romney knowingly employed illegal immigrants to cut his lawn.

PERRY: “And Mitt, you lose all of your standing⁸ from my perspective because you hired illegals [illegal workers].”

ROMNEY: “I don’t think I’ve ever hired an illegal in my life.

PERRY: "I'll tell you what the facts are!"

ROMNEY: "Rick, again, I'm speaking! I'm speaking!”

Republican presidential candidates former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, and Texas Gov. Rick Perry argue during a Republican presidential debate in Las Vegas, October 18, 2011.

Romney says he stopped using the landscaping company once he found they used illegal workers.

But he and Perry continued to spar over the issue during the debate. At one point a clearly frustrated⁹ Romney gently put his hand on Perry’s shoulder in an effort to get him to stop talking.

“You have a problem with allowing someone to finish speaking and I suggest that if you want to become president of the United States you have to let both people speak.”

Illegal immigration has become an issue in the Republican campaign and Perry has been criticized by some of his rivals for not doing more to stop illegal immigrants from coming into Texas.

Public opinion polls show Romney and Georgia businessman Herman Cain are the top two contenders for the Republican nomination at the moment. Perry trails further behind along with Texas Congressman¹⁰ Ron Paul, former U.S. House speaker Newt Gingrich and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

Rounding out the Republican field are former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum and former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman.

The surprise of late has been political newcomer Herman Cain, the former top executive of a pizza company and the only African-American in the field.

Cain has gained notice with an appealing personality and a bold tax reform plan.

But Cain spent most of the latest debate trying to fend¹¹ off attacks from rivals that his tax plan would wind up hurting poor and middle class voters.

“Politicians, they don’t want to throw out the current tax code and put in something that is simple and fair,” he said.

Analysts¹³ say Cain has risen in the polls because conservative Republican voters are still looking for an alternative to Mitt Romney.

Tom DeFrank is Washington bureau chief for the New York Daily News and a regular analyst¹² on VOA’s Issues in the News program.

“He is a personification of a protest by the most conservative elements of the Republican party, who need a standard-bearer because they don’t like Mitt Romney who has emerged as the frontrunner but one who is viewed with a lack of enthusiasm by especially the Tea Party activists¹⁴ and the evangelicals [Christians],” he said.

Perry is now trying to regain¹⁵ his footing and offer a stronger challenge to Romney, but political strategist Matthew Dowd, an analyst for ABC News, says the tensions between the two men could turn off voters.

“It does not help the Republicans to have this kind of fight, especially how personal it got. That helps Obama. But President Obama is in a difficult spot and he knows it because of the state of the economy,” said Dowd.

White House officials have focused most of their attention on Romney of late, signaling that they believe the former Massachusetts governor remains¹⁶ the most likely Republican nominee to face President Obama next year.

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 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

3 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。

4 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。

5 mutual   

adj.相互的，彼此的；共同的，共有的

参考例句：

• We must pull together for mutual interest.我们必须为相互的利益而通力合作。
• Mutual interests tied us together.相互的利害关系把我们联系在一起。

6 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

7 mediocre   

adj.平常的，普通的

参考例句：

• The student tried hard,but his work is mediocre. 该生学习刻苦，但学业平庸。
• Only lazybones and mediocre persons could hanker after the days of messing together.只有懒汉庸才才会留恋那大锅饭的年代。

8 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。

9 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 fend   

v.照料（自己），（自己）谋生，挡开，避开

参考例句：

• I've had to fend for myself since I was 14.我从十四岁时起就不得不照料自己。
• He raised his arm up to fend branches from his eyes.他举手将树枝从他眼前挡开。

12 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

13 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。

14 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》

15 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

16 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。