2006年VOA标准英语-Senate Votes Still Being Counted in US Election

By Jim Bertel
Washington, DC
08 November 2006
 
watch US Midterm Elections 

Democratic supporters in the western city of Portland, Oregon, Tuesday, November 7, 2006

The opposition¹ Democrats² won control of the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday's Congressional elections. They also gained ground in the U.S. Senate with several key contests still too close to call. Republicans currently hold a majority in both chambers³. VOA's Jim Bertel reports Tuesday's elections are widely seen as a referendum on national issues including the war in Iraq and the leadership of President Bush.

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Opposition Democrats recaptured control of the U.S. House of Representatives in elections the Party framed as a referendum on President Bush and the war in Iraq. The Democratic victory makes Nancy Pelosi of California the new likely Speaker of the House, the country's first female House leader. "Today the American people voted for change and they voted for Democrats to take the country in a new direction and that is exactly what we intend to do."

All 435 House seats were open in Tuesday's midterm elections.

In the Senate, 33 seats were open with the Democratic Party picking up several key seats from Republican incumbents⁵ starting in Pennsylvania with the defeat of Republican Rick Santorum by Bob Casey.

In New Jersey⁶, Democratic candidate Bob Menendez won a bitterly contested election over Republican Tom Kean Junior. "Tonight the people of New Jersey embraced a new direction for our nation and rejected the politics of personal destruction. Thank you New Jersey."

But control of the Senate may not be known until recounts occur in state's still too close to call. One of those is the state of Virginia, where Republican incumbent⁴ George Allen trailed his Democratic opponent Jim Webb by a small margin⁷.

Allen told his supporters the fight would go on. "The point of the matter is, I've been through it, I think that the counting ... I know the counting will continue through the night, continue tomorrow.  And I want to thank you all because I know you're going to be like a bunch of eagles and hawks⁸ watching how every one of these votes are accurately⁹ counted."

Dennis Johnson, a professor of Political Management at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. says Tuesday's results make a bold statement.

"It is certainly a testament¹⁰ that the public sentiment out there says, 'Mr. Bush, you're wrong, we're tired of you and we're tired of your policies and frankly¹¹ we're tired of the people who are following you in the House and the Senate', and it's time for a change."

Exit polls of voters across the nation conducted by the Associated Press found a majority of voters said national issues mattered more than local issues. Nearly 60 percent of voters disapproved¹² of the war in Iraq. Jeff Lenn, a voter in Virginia, is one of them. "We clearly are in a quagmire¹³.  We are in over our heads and we need some creative thinking about basically how to disengage."

Meredith Menser of Maryland backs President Bush on Iraq. "I voted Republican all the way because I think that the nation needs to refocus its conservative agenda and kind of keep in mind the issues that I think are important to the United States and really stay the course in Iraq."

Despite the importance of Iraq, even more voters said the economy and government corruption¹⁴ were very important to their votes.

Tuesday's vote was relatively¹⁵ smooth.  But problems with electronic polling equipment forced officials to extend voting hours in some places.  The F.B.I. is also investigating complaints that attempts were made in Virginia to keep some people away from voting.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 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》

3 chambers   

n.房间( chamber的名词复数 )；（议会的）议院；卧室；会议厅

参考例句：

• The body will be removed into one of the cold storage chambers. 尸体将被移到一个冷冻间里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Mr Chambers's readable book concentrates on the middle passage: the time Ransome spent in Russia. Chambers先生的这本值得一看的书重点在中间：Ransome在俄国的那几年。 来自互联网

4 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。

5 incumbents   

教区牧师( incumbent的名词复数 )； 教会中的任职者

参考例句：

• In general, incumbents have a 94 percent chance of being reelected. 通常现任官员有94%的几率会再次当选。
• This arangement yields a wonderful gain to incumbents. 这种安排为在职人员提供了意外的得益。

6 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

7 margin   

n.页边空白；差额；余地，余裕；边，边缘

参考例句：

• We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。

8 hawks   

鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物

参考例句：

• Two hawks were hover ing overhead. 两只鹰在头顶盘旋。
• Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. 鹰派和鸽派都充分阐明了各自的停战条件。

9 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

10 testament   

n.遗嘱；证明

参考例句：

• This is his last will and testament.这是他的遗愿和遗嘱。
• It is a testament to the power of political mythology.这说明，编造政治神话可以产生多大的威力。

11 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。

12 disapproved   

v.不赞成( disapprove的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• My parents disapproved of my marriage. 我父母不赞成我的婚事。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She disapproved of her son's indiscriminate television viewing. 她不赞成儿子不加选择地收看电视。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 quagmire   

n.沼地

参考例句：

• On their way was a quagmire which was difficult to get over.路上他俩遇到了—个泥坑,很难过得去。
• Rain had turned the grass into a quagmire.大雨使草地变得一片泥泞。

14 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

15 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。