爱荷华州博览会:美国总统候选人的传统初秀场

A Tradition for US Presidential Candidates: The Iowa State Fair

This weekend, presidential candidates in the United States are taking part in a campaign tradition: the Iowa State Fair. The yearly event includes games, competitions, alcoholic¹ drinks, and unusual traditional foods.

During election season, candidates meet possible voters who are attending the fair. These voters are especially important because they will have the first chance to identify their favorite candidates.

Since 1980, more than half the candidates who won an early voting event in Iowa went on to win their party’s nomination². So the Iowa state fair is important for the candidates.

But often, candidates do not leave voters with a good opinion.

Part of the difficulty is that candidates are expected to take part in many of the activities at the fair. For example, some food sellers offer deep-fried Oreos – cookies cooked in very hot oil. Others sell meat covered in bread covered in more meat.

But these foods may not appeal to candidates. For example, a candidate in 2003 took one bite of the Oreo cookie and threw the rest away. One of this year’s candidates, Tulsi Gabbard, does not eat meat. Another, Cory Booker, does not eat any kind of food from an animal.

Drinking beer is also a popular activity at the fair. But a candidate in 2003 asked for a strawberry yogurt drink instead. The move made him appear different than the voters he was trying to connect with.

The state fair is also a time to be easy and friendly. Most people wear clothes like jeans and t-shirts. But in 2007, one candidate came wearing shoes that cost $500. And he did not walk in the crowd. Instead, he rode in a small, open vehicle. A few months later, that candidate tied for third place with Iowa voters, and soon after withdrew from the campaign.

But some candidates perform well at the fair. In 2007, then-candidate Barack Obama played on the rides with his children. In pictures of the event, he and his family are smiling. He went on to win Iowa’s early voting. Later, he won the national election, too.

When he was a presidential candidate in 2015, Donald Trump³, also won the approval of many at the Iowa State Fair in 2015 – but in an unusual way. Most candidates try to create an image of being simple people who understand the voters’ economic concerns. But Trump arrived at the fair in his own helicopter. However, the crowd liked the fact that he let children ride in it. A few months later, Trump finished second in Iowa’s early voting.

This year, at least two candidates are in a good position to appear at ease at the fair. One is John Hickenlooper. Before he was the top official of the state of Colorado, he opened a successful beer-making business. He is planning to pour beer for people attending the fair this weekend.

And candidate Amy Klobuchar says she goes to her state fair every year. She comes from Minnesota, a state next to Iowa. Both states have a strong milk products industry. And both states show artwork, at their fairs, made out of butter.

Klobuchar says she plans on comparing the two states’ famous butter sculptures. Each year in Minnesota, an artist sculpts⁴ a representation⁵ of a young woman known as Princess Kay of the Milky⁶ Way. And in Iowa, an artist sculpts a representation of a large farm animal.

Klobuchar said, “I am looking very forward to seeing your butter cow at the Iowa State Fair.”

I’m Caty Weaver⁷.

And I'm Ashley Thompson.

Words in This Story

cookie –n. a sweet baked food that is usually small, flat, and round and is made from flour and sugar

bread –n. a baked food made from a mixture of flour and water

butter –n. a solid yellow substance made from milk or cream that is spread on food or used in cooking

sculpture –n. a piece of art made by carving or molding clay, stone, metal or other materials

1 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。

2 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。

3 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

4 sculpts   

雕刻( sculpt的第三人称单数 )； 雕塑； 做（头发）； 梳（发式）

参考例句：

• The Tennessee River sculpts the east side of the Cumberland Plateau. 田纳西河刻蚀着坎伯兰高原的东部边缘。
• Stress sculpts the brain to exhibit various antisocial, though adaptive, behaviors. 压力陶铸下的大脑，虽能表现出各种适应性的行为，但却有碍人际关系。

5 representation   

n.表现某人（或某事物）的东西，图画，雕塑

参考例句：

• The painting is a representation of a storm at sea.这幅画描绘的是海上的暴风雨。
• All parties won representation in the national assembly.所有政党在国民大会中都赢得了代表资格。

6 milky   

adj.牛奶的，多奶的；乳白色的

参考例句：

• Alexander always has milky coffee at lunchtime.亚历山大总是在午餐时喝掺奶的咖啡。
• I like a hot milky drink at bedtime.我喜欢睡前喝杯热奶饮料。

7 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。