Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are preparing to face-off in a nationally televised debate Wednesday evening in Pennsylvania, just days ahead of the critical Democratic primary in that state. The debate is likely to draw a large audience.
美国国会参议员克林顿和奥巴马在为星期三晚上在宾夕法尼亚州进行全国转播的电视辩论做准备。几天后，宾州将举行关键的民主党总统候选人初选。这场辩论可能会吸引很多观众。
Senator Hillary Clinton is favored to win in Pennsylvania, and will need the victory to try to create political momentum for the rest of the primaries into early June.
克林顿参议员是赢得宾州初选的热门人物，她需要这场胜利来创造一股政治势头，把初选维持到6月初。
"Pennsylvania will determine whether Hillary Clinton can actually finish the primary season," explains political analyst Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia. "If she loses, or even if it is a squeaker, I think she is probably out. If however, she finishes 53-47, 54-46 or better, she is in. She will be in [the race] through June 3, and Obama will have to deal with that."
维吉尼亚大学的政治分析家萨巴托解释了其中的原因。他说：“宾州将决定克林顿是否能在实际上完成初选。如果她在这个州失利，或者说，如果两人的支持率很接近的话，我认为，克林顿可能会被淘汰出局。但是，如果她以53%对47%，或者以54%对46%的比例取胜的话，那么两个人的竞争还没有结束。克林顿的竞选将维持到6月3号，奥巴马必须面对这种形势。”
Larry Sabato says the pollsters and other experts he knows in Pennsylvania believe Clinton has a lead of between four and seven percentage points ahead of next Tuesday's primary and is likely to win.
萨巴托说，他认识的宾州选举分析人士和其他专家认为，克林顿在下星期二的初选中领先的幅度是4%到7%，她很可能会获胜。
"The demographics of the state favor her," Sabato said. "It is an older state, it is a working-class Democrat state. Plus Governor Ed Rendell and Mayor Michael Nutter of Philadelphia have really put their own political reputations at stake here by backing her so strongly. They can't afford to have Obama win, it will damage their political futures."
萨巴托说：“宾州的人口组成对克林顿有利。这个州的人口平均年龄比较大。这个州有很多支持民主党的蓝领工人。再加上州长伦德尔和费城市长纳特尔实实在在地用他们的政治声誉来坚决支持克林顿。这两个人不能承受奥巴马的胜利，那将损害他们的政治前途。”
Senator Obama has been on the defensive this week over comments he made describing small town voters as "bitter" over their economic circumstances. His Democratic rival Senator Clinton and Republican candidate Senator John McCain have both called the remarks "elitist."
奥巴马本星期一直处于守势，他在为自己有关小城镇选民对他们的经济处境不满的讲话作辩解。奥巴马的民主党对手克林顿和共和党候选人麦凯恩都说奥巴马的讲话是精英论的论调。
On Tuesday, Senator Obama was campaigning in Pennsylvania when a voter suggested Senator Clinton's "elitist" accusation may have racial overtones.
星期二，奥巴马在宾州竞选的时候，一位选民说，克林顿对奥巴马的精英论指责可能带有种族主义的色彩。
"Let me say this. I don't think there are racial overtones to the attacks going on right now," Obama said. "I think that, you know, it's politics. This is what we do politically, when we start getting behind in races then we start going on the attack."
奥巴马说：“我要这样讲，我不认为现在对我的抨击带有种族色彩。我认为，这是政治。这是政治手段。在竞选中落后的人要开始发动攻势。”
Senator Obama is hoping for a close finish in Pennsylvania to maintain his lead in the number of delegates needed to win the nomination, and to protect his frontrunner status going into early May primaries in North Carolina and Indiana.
奥巴马希望在宾州的初选中两人的支持率很接近，这样就能保持他本人为赢得民主党提名而在党代表人数方面的领先地位，保护他的领先者的地位来进入5月初北卡罗莱纳州和印第安那州的初选。 |