VOA标准英语2008年-Obama Wins Over Key Clinton Supporter

By Jim Malone
Washington
01 May 2008

In the U.S. presidential race, Democratic contender Barack Obama got some good news, after being on the defensive¹ for much of the week over his relationship with his controversial former pastor².  VOA National Correspondent Jim Malone has the latest on the campaign for the White House from Washington.

Senator Obama picked up the support of former National Democratic Party Chairman Joe Andrew.

Andrew had been a supporter of Senator Hillary Clinton.  But he told reporters in Indiana that he was switching sides because it is time for the divisive Democratic nomination³ fight to come to an end.

"I am changing my support from Senator Clinton to Senator Obama and am doing so with a heavy heart about how this process has hurt the Democratic Party, but enlightened and energized⁴ by what I have seen from Senator Obama, particularly in the past days and weeks," Andrew said.

Obama and Clinton face a major test in primaries in Indiana and North Carolina on Tuesday.

New public opinion polls suggest the controversy⁵ over Obama's former pastor, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, has taken a toll⁶ on Obama's political standing⁷ in recent days.

Earlier this week, Obama denounced Wright's contentions⁸ that U.S. government policies brought about the 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and that the government was capable of using the AIDS virus against African-Americans.

Obama was asked about the recent turmoil⁹ in his campaign on the NBC Today program.

"You know, here I am, an African-American named Barack Obama, who is running for president," Obama said. "I mean, that is a leap for folks.  We have had, what, a month-and-a-half in which you have had the Reverend Wright controversy, you have had the issue of my comments in San Francisco that have been magnified pretty heavily.  I mean, that has been a pretty full dose."

Despite the rough patch for the Obama campaign, the Illinois senator continues to draw increasing support from previously¹⁰ uncommitted so-called superdelegates.

Clinton has also won some superdelegate endorsements¹¹ in recent days, but her once formidable lead over Obama in that category continues to dwindle¹².

Superdelegates are Democratic Party activists¹³ and officeholders who attend the national nominating convention as unpledged delegates.

Recent polls show a very tight race in Indiana between Obama and Clinton, and that Obama's once-sizeable lead in North Carolina is shrinking. 

Hillary Clinton has said little this week about the Reverend Wright controversy, and has focused instead on economic concerns as she talks to voters in North Carolina and Indiana.

"I hope that I can earn the support of voters here in Indiana," Clinton said. "This is an important primary, and I am asking people who work hard for a living to support me on Tuesday because I think we need to have a fighter for hard-working middle class families back in the White House, and that is what I will be."

Obama holds a lead in the overall delegate count, but hopes to recapture the political momentum¹⁴, after recent convincing Clinton victories in Pennsylvania and Ohio.

When they are not focused on each other, both Democrats¹⁵ prefer to rhetorically target the presumptive Republican nominee¹⁶, Senator John McCain.

The national Democratic Party has begun running ads suggesting a McCain presidency¹⁷ would amount to a third term for President Bush, who is barred from seeking re-election by the U.S. Constitution.

McCain told MSNBC television he is confident that voters will make a distinction between himself and the president when they go to the polls in November.

"The president and I have agreed on many issues, and we have disagreed," McCain said. "I really believe that at the end of the day, the American people are going to judge me on what they think I will be as president of the United States, not on anybody else."

The Wall Street Journal newspaper noted¹⁸ that despite new poll numbers predicting a bleak¹⁹ year for Republicans in general, McCain continues to be very competitive with both Obama and Clinton in possible general election match-ups. 

1 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

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 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。

4 energized   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的过去式和过去分词 )；使通电

参考例句：

• We are energized by love if we put our energy into loving. 如果我们付出能量去表现爱意，爱就会使我们充满活力。 来自辞典例句
• I am completely energized and feeling terrific. 我充满了活力，感觉非常好。 来自辞典例句

5 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。

6 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 contentions   

n.竞争( contention的名词复数 )；争夺；争论；论点

参考例句：

• Direct tests on individual particles do not support these contentions. 对单个粒子所作的直接试验并不支持这些论点。 来自辞典例句
• His contentions cannot be laughed out of court. 对他的争辩不能一笑置之。 来自辞典例句

9 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

10 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

11 endorsements   

n.背书( endorsement的名词复数 )；（驾驶执照上的）违章记录；（公开的）赞同；（通常为名人在广告中对某一产品的）宣传

参考例句：

• He must make much money on those tennis shoe endorsements he does. 他替那些网球鞋珍重广告，就赚了不少钱。 来自互联网
• But celebrity endorsements remain an important promotional tool for marketers. 尽管如此，邀明星助阵仍是营销人员重要的推广手段之一。 来自互联网

12 dwindle   

v.逐渐变小（或减少）

参考例句：

• The factory's workforce has dwindled from over 4,000 to a few hundred.工厂雇员总数已经从4,000多人减少到几百人。
• He is struggling to come to terms with his dwindling authority.他正努力适应自己权力被削弱这一局面。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 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。

15 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》

16 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。

17 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。

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

19 bleak   

adj.(天气)阴冷的；凄凉的；暗淡的

参考例句：

• They showed me into a bleak waiting room.他们引我来到一间阴冷的会客室。
• The company's prospects look pretty bleak.这家公司的前景异常暗淡。