VOA常速英语2008年-Obama Seeks to Re-Focus Presidential Campaign

By Jim Malone
Washington
30 April 2008

Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama sought to regain¹ his political footing Wednesday in the U.S. presidential campaign, one day after denouncing his controversial former pastor², the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  VOA National correspondent Jim Malone is following the campaign from Washington.

Senator Obama and his Democratic rival, Senator Hillary Clinton, both campaigned in the Midwest state of Indiana Wednesday.  Indiana and North Carolina hold presidential primaries next Tuesday.

Obama is looking to refocus his presidential campaign on the domestic economy and other issues after several days of controversy³ involving his former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright.

Obama strongly denounced Wright on Tuesday, saying he was outraged⁴ by what he called Wright's appalling⁵ and divisive comments on a host of issues over the years.

During a campaign appearance Wednesday, one voter asked Obama if it was difficult for him to criticize his friend and pastor of 20 years.

"The situation with Reverend Wright was difficult," Obama said. "I will not lie to you.  We want to get back to talking about you.  This campaign is not about me.  It is not about John McCain.  It is not about Hillary Clinton.  It is about you, and your struggles and your dreams."

Obama's rival for the Democratic nomination⁶, Senator Hillary Clinton, was asked about the Wright controversy at a campaign event in Indiana.  But Clinton chose instead to talk about the economy and the need to ease rising fuel prices.

"At the turn of the last century, Teddy Roosevelt took on the oil companies," Clinton said. "We need a president who is going to take on the oil companies again, and I will do that.  I will take away their tax subsidies⁷.  They do not need them to make these outrageous⁸ profits.  We are also going to get tough on OPEC.  I am tired of OPEC setting the price and determining how much supply there is."

Tuesday's primary in Indiana now looms⁹ as a major contest in the hard-fought battle for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.  Recent polls show Obama and Clinton running about even in Indiana, while Obama remains¹⁰ ahead in North Carolina, which also holds a primary on Tuesday.

Obama supporters are looking for a victory in Indiana to blunt Clinton's momentum¹¹ after recent victories in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas.

Obama, however, continues to lead in the overall delegate count.

Political analysts¹² say Tuesday's primary should give some indication as to whether Obama has been badly hurt by the controversy surrounding Reverend Wright.

Meanwhile, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee¹³, Senator John McCain, has largely avoided commenting on the Democratic race this week and is focused on presenting his plan to improve the nation's health care system.

1 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

2 pastor   

n.牧师，牧人

参考例句：

• He was the son of a poor pastor.他是一个穷牧师的儿子。
• We have no pastor at present:the church is run by five deacons.我们目前没有牧师：教会的事是由五位执事管理的。

3 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

4 outraged   

a.震惊的，义愤填膺的

参考例句：

• Members of Parliament were outraged by the news of the assassination. 议会议员们被这暗杀的消息激怒了。
• He was outraged by their behavior. 他们的行为使他感到愤慨。

5 appalling   

adj.骇人听闻的，令人震惊的，可怕的

参考例句：

• The search was hampered by appalling weather conditions.恶劣的天气妨碍了搜寻工作。
• Nothing can extenuate such appalling behaviour.这种骇人听闻的行径罪无可恕。

6 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。

7 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

9 looms   

n.织布机( loom的名词复数 )v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的第三人称单数 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• All were busily engaged,men at their ploughs,women at their looms. 大家都很忙，男的耕田，女的织布。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The factory has twenty-five looms. 那家工厂有25台织布机。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 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。

11 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。

12 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。

13 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。