VOA标准英语2012--Unconventional Voices Make Points in New Hampshire

VOA标准英语2012--Unconventional Voices Make Points in New Hampshire

The American presidential election isn't until November of this year. But the nation's first primary election takes place on Tuesday in the northeastern state of New Hampshire. Six candidates are considered to be in the top tier. But New Hampshire state laws allow many unknown candidates - some bizarre and unusual - to enter the race.
This official campaign rally is in for a big surprise. Fringe candidate Vermin Supreme¹ is taking charge. "I am a tyrant² that you can trust and you should let me run your life," he said.
Supreme is an official candidate. With an official platform.
"Free ponies³ and mandatory⁴ tooth brushing," he said. The free ponies and mandatory tooth brushing did not convince the security - who wanted him removed from the location.
Supreme is an example of democracy in action. New Hampshire is one of the easiest places to get on the presidential ballot⁵. The cost is a $1,000. The paperwork minimal⁶. So, there are 44 candidates on Tuesday's primary ballot....most of them unknown to New Hampshire residents.
This campaign party had it all: energy, free snacks, even expectant journalists. Everyone waiting for the candidate.....except the voters. The few here are Bob Greene's family and neighbors. But he didn't seem to mind.
Greene is a single platform candidate, trying to get publicity⁷ on the element "Thorium" to replace uranium as a nuclear fuel. "If we produce a reactor⁸ a day for 50 years we could replace every single fossil fuel reactor in the world and that would stall global warming," he said.
Nearing midnight, inside a gay bar - a very rare openly homosexual candidate. Fred Karger sounds a lot like the mainstream⁹ candidates. "My first topic is jobs and jobs now," he stated.
Voter Philip Mayo liked what he heard, but is still undecided. "I'd like to know that he could compete with people like Mitt¹⁰ Romney with big bucks¹¹ in their pocket. But I think it is great," he said.
These candidates have no delusions¹² about competing with the frontrunners. They're just pleased getting visibility for their causes.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 tyrant   

n.暴君，专制的君主，残暴的人

参考例句：

• The country was ruled by a despotic tyrant.该国处在一个专制暴君的统治之下。
• The tyrant was deaf to the entreaties of the slaves.暴君听不到奴隶们的哀鸣。

3 ponies   

矮种马，小型马( pony的名词复数 )； ￡25 25 英镑

参考例句：

• They drove the ponies into a corral. 他们把矮种马赶进了畜栏。
• She has a mania for ponies. 她特别喜欢小马。

4 mandatory   

adj.命令的；强制的；义务的；n.受托者

参考例句：

• It's mandatory to pay taxes.缴税是义务性的。
• There is no mandatory paid annual leave in the U.S.美国没有强制带薪年假。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 minimal   

adj.尽可能少的，最小的

参考例句：

• They referred to this kind of art as minimal art.他们把这种艺术叫微型艺术。
• I stayed with friends, so my expenses were minimal.我住在朋友家，所以我的花费很小。

7 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

8 reactor   

n.反应器；反应堆

参考例句：

• The atomic reactor generates enormous amounts of thermal energy.原子反应堆发出大量的热能。
• Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules.在反应堆里，大分子裂变为小分子。

9 mainstream   

n.（思想或行为的）主流；adj.主流的

参考例句：

• Their views lie outside the mainstream of current medical opinion.他们的观点不属于当今医学界观点的主流。
• Polls are still largely reflects the mainstream sentiment.民调还在很大程度上反映了社会主流情绪。

10 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。

11 bucks   

n.雄鹿( buck的名词复数 )；钱；（英国十九世纪初的）花花公子；（用于某些表达方式）责任v.（马等）猛然弓背跃起( buck的第三人称单数 )；抵制；猛然震荡；马等尥起后蹄跳跃

参考例句：

• They cost ten bucks. 这些值十元钱。
• They are hunting for bucks. 他们正在猎雄兔。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 delusions   

n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想

参考例句：

• the delusions of the mentally ill 精神病患者的妄想
• She wants to travel first-class: she must have delusions of grandeur. 她想坐头等舱旅行，她一定自以为很了不起。 来自辞典例句