Obama-Clinton Nomination Race Heads for Final Phase

奥巴马和克林顿之争进入最后阶段

　



The long running battle between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination may be in its final days. Both contenders are campaigning for delegates in the final three primaries between now and Tuesday. And both campaigns will be watching a meeting of the Democratic Party's rules committee on Saturday that will attempt to resolve a dispute over primary votes in the states of Florida and Michigan.

　

美国民主党参选人奥巴马和克林顿争取总统候选人提名的漫长较量可能即将结束。两位候选人都希望在下星期二前举行的最后三场初选中赢得更多代表人票。两边阵营也将密切关注民主党法规委员会今天为解决佛罗里达和密西根州的初选争议而举行的会议。

Saturday's meeting at a Washington hotel represents Hillary Clinton's best hope of cutting into Barack Obama's lead in the overall delegate count before the primary season ends on June 3.

　

今天在华盛顿召开的这次会议可说是希拉里.克林顿在下星期二所有初选结束前，缩小奥巴马在代表票数上领先优势的最佳希望。

The Democratic Party Rules Committee will attempt to resolve the dispute over the primary votes in Florida and Michigan. The national party voided the results of those primaries after both states defied party rules and moved up their primaries into January, instead of holding them later in the year.

　

民主党法规委员会将试图解决佛罗里达和密西根州的初选争议。这两个州违反党规，提早在一月举行初选，结果被取消初选的结果。

Clinton won both of those primaries, and her campaign argues the results should be recognized, which would cut into Obama's lead in the delegate count.

　

克林顿是佛罗里达和密西根州初选的赢家，她的阵营认为应当承认这两个州的选举结果，如此一来她就能缩小奥巴马在代表票数上的领先优势。

Obama supporters say that the results should not count because Obama took his name off the Michigan ballot before the vote, and because neither candidate campaigned in either Michigan or Florida in deference to national party rules.

　

奥巴马的支持者则认为，两州初选结果不应该计算在内，因为在密西根州选举前，奥巴马已经把自己的名字从选票上去掉，而且两位候选人为尊重党规，都没有在这两个州进行竞选。

After Saturday's party meeting, the focus will be on three remaining Democratic primaries. Puerto Rico votes on Sunday, while Montana and South Dakota close out the primary calendar with contests on Tuesday.

　

在今天的会议后，人们将把注意力集中在最后三场初选。波多黎各星期天投票，下星期二是蒙大拿与南达科塔州，从而结束民主党内初选。

Despite her fading hopes of winning the nomination, Senator Clinton continues to argue that she would be the stronger Democrat to run against the presumptive Republican nominee, Senator John McCain.

　

尽管赢得提名的希望越来越渺茫，克林顿仍然坚持她是在与共和党对手麦凯恩的竞争中更有胜算的候选人。

"Who do you believe is best prepared and ready to be commander in chief and president on day one, to start making those tough decisions that our next president will have to make," she asked.

　

“你们认为哪一位候选人是准备最充分、在上任第一天就能做好总统，做好三军统帅，就能够马上做重大决定的？”

In the final weeks of the campaign, Senator Obama increasingly has shifted his attention away from Clinton, and is now focused on what he expects will be a showdown with Senator McCain.

　

而奥巴马在竞选的最后阶段，已经将注意力从克林顿转移到他未来可能面临的对手、共和党总统候选人麦凯恩身上。

"I am happy to have a debate with John McCain about the Bush-McCain foreign policy, because their foreign policy has not worked, and we cannot keep on doing the same thing over and over again," he said.

　

“我非常乐意与麦凯恩就他与布什总统的外交政策进行辩论，因为他们的外交政策是失败的，我们不能重蹈覆辙。”

Clinton is favored in Sunday's vote in Puerto Rico, while Obama has an edge in the polls in Montana and South Dakota.

　

一般认为克林顿能在星期天的波多黎各初选胜出，而奥巴马在蒙大拿和南达科他保持领先。

Democratic congressional leaders are hoping for a quick resolution of the Democratic nomination contest after Tuesday's primaries. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority leader Harry Reid are urging the remaining uncommitted superdelegates to publicly support one of the candidates once the primary season ends.

　

民主党国会领袖希望下星期二初选结束后，党内的总统提名之争能够尽快落幕。众议院议长佩洛西和参议院多数党领袖瑞德敦促还没有表态的超级代表在初选结束后，公开说明自己究竟支持哪位候选人。

"I think the time has come to end this," he said.

　

“我认为现在是结束竞争的时候了。”

Superdelegates are party officeholders and activists who can vote for either candidate. Political experts expect most of the remaining superdelegates will rally to Obama after Tuesday's voting, setting the stage for the Illinois senator to clinch the nomination.

　

超级代表是党内的公职人员或活动人士，他们可以选择任何一位党内候选人。政治专家预期，星期二初选结束后，大多数超级代表将支持奥巴马，为他赢得党内提名铺路。

John Fortier, who monitors U.S. politics at the American Enterprise Institute, told VOA's Encounter program that Obama's march to the nomination appears to be on track, even though Clinton may win a few more delegates in the remaining primaries.

"Overall, it is a small claim that she can make, and Barack Obama, with those delegates he will win plus the march of the superdelegates, slowly, day by day, into his column, ultimately will be building a lead, and will get to one of the various magic numbers we have for the nomination," he said.

Once he secures the Democratic nomination, Senator Obama would then have the challenge of unifying the Democratic Party and winning over Clinton supporters in time for the party's national nominating convention in late August.

　

一旦确定获得党内提名，奥巴马面对的挑战将是如何在八月全国党代表大会前，整合民主党，争取克林顿支持者的拥护。