voa标准英语2008年-Obama, McCain Push for Support in Final Hours o

U.S. voters are poised¹ to make history Tuesday when they choose either Democrat² Barack Obama or Republican John McCain as the 44th President of the United States. Obama has a solid lead in the polls, but McCain is vowing³ one last underdog victory to confound the political experts. VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has more on the waning⁴ hours of the 2008 race for the White House - the longest and most expensive presidential campaign in history.

Both candidates used the final day of campaigning to crisscross the country in search of last-minute support.
　

Sen. Barack Obama smiles while speaking at a rally at Veteran's Memorial Arena5 in Jacksonville, Florida, 3 Nov. 2008

Senator Obama rallied voters in Florida, the state that secured the presidency⁶ for George W. Bush in 2000.

"[It has been] 21 months of a campaign that has taken us from the rocky coast of Maine to the sunshine of California," Obama said. We are one day away from changing the United States of America!"

Obama also targeted North Carolina and Virginia - states that have reliably voted for Republican presidential candidates in the last several election cycles.

Republican John McCain had an even busier schedule on the final day of campaigning, focusing on seven states that could hold the balance of victory on Election Day including Pennsylvania, Indiana, New Mexico, Nevada and Florida.
　

Sen. John McCain speaks at a midnight rally on the campus of the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, 3 Nov. 2008

"We need your help and we will win! Volunteer! Knock on doors! Get your neighbors to the polls! I need your vote! We need to bring real change to Washington and we have to fight for it," said McCain.

Despite his confidence, Senator McCain faces an uphill road to the White House. Obama leads McCain by an average of seven points in national public opinion surveys.

In addition, McCain is defending a number of traditional Republican states that he must win in the state-by-state tally⁷ of electoral votes that determines who will be the next president.

The winning candidate must secure a minimum of 270 electoral votes out of 538 in order to secure the White House.

Senator Obama is competitive in several states that President Bush won in the last two elections. These include Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Indiana and Virginia.

Senator Obama did get some bad news on the eve of the election when his 86-year-old grandmother, Madelyn Dunham, died in Hawaii after a battle with cancer. In a statement, Obama described her as "the cornerstone of the family and a woman of extraordinary accomplishment⁸, strength and humility⁹."

Tuesday's election will be historic no matter the outcome. Senator Obama is trying to become the nation's first African-American president. Senator McCain, who is 72, would be the oldest person elected as a first term president. A Republican victory would also usher¹⁰ in the nation's first woman vice¹¹ president, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin.

Political experts say McCain's biggest obstacle is a public desire for political change after eight years of the Bush administration.

American University presidential scholar Allan Lichtman briefed members of the international press corps¹² in Washington on the eve of the election.

"So I think the main thrust of this election is a rejection¹³ of the current direction [of the country] and a hunger for change," Lichtman said.

Experts also say Obama and the Democrats¹⁴ have an edge in enthusiasm, on the ground organization and money.

"We have never anything before like the difference that the two sides, the two major parties, are spending on television advertising," said Stephen Hess, who is with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "Obama is ahead by a ratio of seven-to-one."

Whoever wins the presidency on Tuesday also faces the prospect¹⁵ of expanded Democratic majorities in both the Senate and House of Representatives.

The new president will be inaugurated outside the U.S. Capitol building in Washington on January 20.

1 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

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 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

4 waning   

adj.（月亮）渐亏的，逐渐减弱或变小的n.月亏v.衰落( wane的现在分词 )；（月）亏；变小；变暗淡

参考例句：

• Her enthusiasm for the whole idea was waning rapidly. 她对整个想法的热情迅速冷淡了下来。
• The day is waning and the road is ending. 日暮途穷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 arena   

n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台

参考例句：

• She entered the political arena at the age of 25. 她25岁进入政界。
• He had not an adequate arena for the exercise of his talents.他没有充分发挥其才能的场所。

6 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

7 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

8 accomplishment   

n.完成，成就，（pl.）造诣，技能

参考例句：

• The series of paintings is quite an accomplishment.这一系列的绘画真是了不起的成就。
• Money will be crucial to the accomplishment of our objectives.要实现我们的目标，钱是至关重要的。

9 humility   

n.谦逊，谦恭

参考例句：

• Humility often gains more than pride.谦逊往往比骄傲收益更多。
• His voice was still soft and filled with specious humility.他的声音还是那么温和，甚至有点谦卑。

10 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

11 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。

12 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

13 rejection   

n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃

参考例句：

• He decided not to approach her for fear of rejection.他因怕遭拒绝决定不再去找她。
• The rejection plunged her into the dark depths of despair.遭到拒绝使她陷入了绝望的深渊。

14 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》

15 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。