VOA标准英语2008年-Republican McCain Surges in New Hampshire Polls

By Meredith Buel
Derry, New Hampshire
06 January 2008

Arizona Senator John McCain, according to the latest public opinion polls in New Hampshire, has surged to the top of the pack of Republican candidates seeking to win their party's presidential nomination¹. McCain's campaign nearly collapsed² last year, but of all the Republican candidates, it appears he has momentum³ going into next Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. VOA correspondent Meredith Buel reports from a McCain rally in Derry, New Hampshire.

With Chuck Berry's 1950's rock and roll song Johnny B Goode blasting from speakers in a local opera house, Senator McCain arrives here in Derry with his campaign for the Republican nomination appearing to be on the rise at the right time.

But the tone quickly gets serious as the former Navy pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam tells the overflow⁴ crowd why he is running for the nation's highest office.

"The reason why I am running is I think we are facing the transcendent challenge of radical⁵ Islamic extremism," said John McCain. "My friends, you know very well we are in two wars."

If McCain wins in New Hampshire it will be a remarkable⁶ comeback.

Last year the Senator's campaign ran short on money and he was forced to lay off much of his staff.

McCain's strong support for the U.S. troop surge in Iraq and a controversial immigration bill hurt him with some voters. However the continuing upheaval⁷ in the Republican field of candidates appears to have helped boost his once declining candidacy.

McCain tells audiences his war experiences make him uniquely qualified⁸ to be president.

"We are in two wars and General [David] Petraeus has said Iraq is the central front in the battle against Islamic extremism," he said. "My friends it is and it is true. I believe there is very little doubt that we need someone who is experienced and has the knowledge, the experience and therefore the judgment⁹ to win this struggle."

McCain frequently campaigns with Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman, a former Democratic vice¹⁰ presidential candidate.

Lieberman lost his state's party primary in 2006 over his support for the Iraq war, but won re-election into the U.S. Senate as an independent.

Lieberman has endorsed¹¹ McCain.

"By his example as president, he will inspire a new generation of service to our country, which will make us even better," said Lieberman. "This is a man who believes in America. That is his motivation and he will always put American first."

Recent polls show McCain has overtaken and now has a slight lead over former Massachusetts governor Mitt¹² Romney.

Romney had held the lead in New Hampshire for months, but appears to be weakened by a disappointing second place finish in the recent Iowa caucuses¹³ to former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

New Hampshire voters like Elizabeth Merrill say they are leaning toward voting for McCain.

"I think in this day and age foreign policy is one of the top important things to have experience in and he absolutely has that," said Elizabeth Merrill. "So I feel confident about him."

McCain won the 2000 New Hampshire primary and became known as a blunt speaking maverick¹⁴ as he crossed the state in his campaign bus called the "Straight Talk Express."

The Arizona senator has resurrected the bus for this year's campaign and he is drawing large crowds at recent rallies.

Jay Stone is a registered Republican voter from Derry who likes McCain's style.

"I think he has a lot of leadership skills," said Jay Stone. "He is a strong leader. He is a straight shooter. I think he really tells it like it is."

Dante Scala, a professor of political science at New Hampshire University, says voters here like McCain's conservative credentials¹⁵, but also his independent streak¹⁶.

"So John McCain is on the rise," said Dante Scala. "He can feel it. He has got the momentum. Certainly the national media want to be able to tell the McCain comeback story because it will be a whale of a tale."

McCain is 71-years-old and, if elected, will be the oldest person to ever be sworn in as an American president.

For now he is campaigning with strength and enthusiasm hoping to repeat his 2000 win in the primary next Tuesday.

1 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。

2 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

3 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

4 overflow   

v.(使)外溢，(使)溢出；溢出，流出，漫出

参考例句：

• The overflow from the bath ran on to the floor.浴缸里的水溢到了地板上。
• After a long period of rain,the river may overflow its banks.长时间的下雨天后，河水可能溢出岸来。

5 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

6 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

7 upheaval   

n.胀起，(地壳)的隆起；剧变，动乱

参考例句：

• It was faced with the greatest social upheaval since World War Ⅱ.它面临第二次世界大战以来最大的社会动乱。
• The country has been thrown into an upheaval.这个国家已经陷入动乱之中。

8 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

9 judgment   

n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见

参考例句：

• The chairman flatters himself on his judgment of people.主席自认为他审视人比别人高明。
• He's a man of excellent judgment.他眼力过人。

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 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。

13 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

14 maverick   

adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者

参考例句：

• He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
• You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。

15 credentials   

n.证明，资格，证明书，证件

参考例句：

• He has long credentials of diplomatic service.他的外交工作资历很深。
• Both candidates for the job have excellent credentials.此项工作的两个求职者都非常符合资格。

16 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？