VOA标准英语2008年-US Republican Debate Centers on Economy, Immigr

By Brian Wagner
Miami
11 January 2008

The top Republican presidential candidates sparred over immigration, the economy and national security in a debate broadcast by Fox News Television. VOA's Brian Wagner reports the debate comes ahead of the latest round of primary votes.

Republican candidates tried to tailor their messages to voters in Michigan and South Carolina, as the two states prepare for primaries in coming days. Analysts¹ say economic stability and job losses are worrying voters in the Midwestern state of Michigan, while many in South Carolina are concerned about illegal immigration.

Opinion polls show Senator John McCain leading the field of Republican hopefuls following his victory in the New Hampshire primary this week.

In Thursday's debate in South Carolina, McCain emphasized his commitment to conservative ideals, similar to those held by former President Ronald Reagan.

"We have to return to those principles of less government, lower taxes, strong family values, strong national defense², and those [values] that made us the Reagan revolution that brought about a new dawn of a new day in America," he said.

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt³ Romney is trailing McCain, according to polls in Michigan, which holds its primary next Tuesday. Romney told voters that he was a better choice for president than McCain and elected officials currently in Washington.

"I keep hearing the same thing, which is that Washington is broken," he said. "Washington has made promises to America it has not kept, and it seems incapable⁴ of dealing⁵ with the challenges we face globally and here at home."

Romney is in a close race for second place in the Republican field with former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee said he has the experience to counter a possible economic recession and help expand opportunities.

"During my tenure⁶, we had the lowest unemployment records in the history of the state," he said. "And we created a record number of jobs, and jobs that paid more money than the jobs they replaced."

Former Senator Fred Thompson was expected to get a boost from the debate in South Carolina, where he has been campaigning heavily. Thompson told voters that he has one of the toughest proposals to fight illegal immigration by reinforcing the nation's borders.

"We need to be a nation of high fences and wide gates and we get to decide when to open the gate and when to close it," he said.

Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been trailing the top contenders in the race so far. On Thursday, he invoked⁷ the memory of former President Reagan to emphasize his strong position on national security issues.

"I think peace through strength that Ronald Reagan proposed to deal with the Cold War, is similar to what we have to do with this terrorist war against us," he said. "That is why my first commitment to the American people is to be on offense⁸ against the terrorists."

On the Democratic side, Senator Barack Obama on Thursday received an important endorsement⁹ to his candidacy, as he battles for the lead with Senator Hilary Clinton. Senator John Kerry, who lost to president Bush in the 2004 election, said he backs Obama as the party's candidate.

1 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 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。

4 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。

5 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

6 tenure   

n.终身职位；任期；(土地)保有权，保有期

参考例句：

• He remained popular throughout his tenure of the office of mayor.他在担任市长的整个任期内都深得民心。
• Land tenure is a leading political issue in many parts of the world.土地的保有权在世界很多地区是主要的政治问题。

7 invoked   

v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 )；行使（权利等）；祈求救助；恳求

参考例句：

• It is unlikely that libel laws will be invoked. 不大可能诉诸诽谤法。
• She had invoked the law in her own defence. 她援引法律为自己辩护。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 offense   

n.犯规，违法行为；冒犯，得罪

参考例句：

• I hope you will not take any offense at my words. 对我讲的话请别见怪。
• His words gave great offense to everybody present.他的发言冲犯了在场的所有人。

9 endorsement   

n.背书；赞成，认可，担保；签(注)，批注

参考例句：

• We are happy to give the product our full endorsement.我们很高兴给予该产品完全的认可。
• His presidential campaign won endorsement from several celebrities.他参加总统竞选得到一些社会名流的支持。