Bush, Kerry Continue Campaign in Battleground States

 

By Paula Wolfson

The U.S. presidential election campaign is focusing on just a few states where the race is extremely close. The two major party candidates are spending most of their time now in these so-called battleground states.
 
President Bush, the Republican incumbent¹, was back in Pennsylvania Thursday, while Democrat² John Kerry was on the road in Ohio.
 
The two neighboring states could hold the key to victory in an election that most polls show remains³ far too close to call.
 
Iraq and fighting terror are big issues but so too are domestic concerns, especially health care.
 
During a session with voters in eastern Pennsylvania, President Bush warned Senator Kerry wants to replace the current system which relies on the private sector⁴ with a government program.
 
"The Kerry plan would move America down the road toward federal control of health care, which would lead to lower quality and health care rationing," he said.
 
Meanwhile, in Ohio, John Kerry accused the Bush administration of turning its back on promising⁵ medical research.
 
At an event in Columbus, the state capital and the site of one of America's largest universities, he pointed⁶ to limits placed by the president on research using stem cells from human embryos⁷. Some scientists say the cells could help provide clues to diseases and debilitating⁸ conditions ranging from diabetes⁹ to paralysis¹⁰.
 
"It's wrong to tell scientists that they can't cross the frontiers of new knowledge. It is wrong morally and wrong economically," said Mr. Kerry. "And when I am president we will change this policy and we will lead the world in stem cell research."
 
Mr. Kerry appeared on stage in Columbus with the widow of actor Christopher Reeve, who became an advocate for the disabled after a horseback riding accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. 
 
As she spoke¹¹, Dana Reeve touched a gold wedding band hanging on her necklace.
 
"Chris's heart was as big as the ring on his finger, which I am now wearing around my neck," she said. "It's an enormous ring, you can see. And his heart was full of hope and he imagined living in a world where politics would never get in the way of hope."
 
On Monday, Senator Kerry will share the podium with former President Bill Clinton, who will be making his first public appearance after undergoing major heart surgery. Meanwhile, President Bush is expected to campaign with actor-turned-politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, the governor of California.

Paula Wolfson, VOA News, the White House.

注释：
battleground states “激战州”
Pennsylvania 宾夕法尼亚州
Ohio 俄亥俄州
rationing（食物等的）配给
Columbus 哥伦布（美国俄亥俄州首府）
stem cell 干细胞
embryos 晶胚
debilitate 使虚弱
diabetes 糖尿病
paralysis 瘫痪
frontier 边界，未开拓的领域
widow 遗孀
advocate 倡导者
podium 演讲台
surgery 手术

1 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

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 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。

4 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 embryos   

n.晶胚；胚，胚胎( embryo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Somatic cells of angiosperms enter a regenerative phase and behave like embryos. 被子植物体细胞进入一个生殖阶段，而且其行为象胚。 来自辞典例句
• Evolution can explain why human embryos look like gilled fishes. 进化论能够解释为什么人类的胚胎看起来象除去了内脏的鱼一样。 来自辞典例句

8 debilitating   

a.使衰弱的

参考例句：

• The debilitating disease made him too weak to work. 这个令他衰弱的病，使他弱到没有办法工作。
• You may soon leave one debilitating condition or relationship forever. 你即将永远地和这段霉运说拜拜了。

9 diabetes   

n.糖尿病

参考例句：

• In case of diabetes, physicians advise against the use of sugar.对于糖尿病患者，医生告诫他们不要吃糖。
• Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body.糖尿病是由体內胰岛素分泌失调引起的。

10 paralysis   

n.麻痹(症)；瘫痪(症)

参考例句：

• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。
• The paralysis affects his right leg and he can only walk with difficulty.他右腿瘫痪步履维艰。

11 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。