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VOA常速英语2008年-Ohio Factory Workers to Help Decide Democratic

时间:2008-03-03 02:48:12

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By Jim Fry
Cleveland, Ohio
29 February 2008
 

Voters in the Midwestern state of Ohio are among those who go to the polls March 4 to vote in U.S. presidential primaries. The Midwest electoral battle is especially fierce among the two remaining Democratic Party candidates. They are aiming their appeal at factory workers who have suffered the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in recent years. Union leaders and workers are divided over whether Senator Hillary Clinton or Senator Barack Obama would be the best one to help stop the decline of the state's industrial base. VOA's Jim Fry was in the Cleveland area and files this report.

Behind the icy winter beauty of Lake Erie's southern shore lies the industrial core of the nation.

But times are hard these days in cities like Lorain, Ohio - where the steel mill that once employed 12,000 is down to about 2,000 workers.

Lorain's mayor and sheetmetal worker Tom Krasienko, in recent days, endorsed1 Hillary Clinton. He says, "We're the heart of manufacturing in America and when we saw those jobs going away on the premise2 of, just low cost labor3, we took it personally."

At the local campaign headquarters - Volunteers help attract a crowd to the gym at a local high school.

Senator Hillary Clinton speaks to those facing the hardships of job loss. She tells them, "If it was a big corporation that was in trouble, everybody would say: Well, what can we do to help you out? "Well I want to say the same thing to the families of Lorain and Ohio."

The New York Senator touts4 her universal health care plan for Ohio's middle class.

Erin Sullivan Lally is walking the front lines for the Clinton campaign, seeking votes in middle class neighborhoods where as many as four in 10 breadwinners [chief household wage earners] are union members. Clinton supporters say union households will be a deciding factor Tuesday.

"They're tied together, jobs and health care. People are seeing their jobs go to other countries and their profitable companies that are leaving because they don't have to pay taxes when they do. And people are angry about that," Lally said.

About 60 kilometers [40 miles] to the east, members of the Service Employees International Union suit up for another candidate.

 

They head out into a Midwestern snowstorm to a lower middle class area on the east side of Cleveland.

The union has pledged to knock on one million doors in this part of Ohio for Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic Party frontrunner.

Ohio's largest city also suffers from job losses. Amid the shuttered factories, the government counts the loss of 243,000 manufacturing jobs in the state this decade.

Obama campaigns among workers in factories. He visits with a group facing the loss of their pensions and speaks of what government can to. He says, "If a layoff5 happens, there should be something there to help folks out a little bit."

Union leader Anton Famby, says the service employees recently endorsed Obama. 

"The people like you and I, that just go to work everyday and have the average, everyday problems that families deal with - those people are going to make the difference in this election," Famby said.

Most nights, the Cuyhoga Valley Career Center hums with activity.

Matt Gannon machines a part -- improving his industrial skills.

Two men in mid-career learn to do by computer what they once did by hand.

And among those studying to become licensed6 practical nurses is Ernie Geyer, a moldmaker who has faced repeated layoffs7. "And I think we've heard it in past elections that Ohio is vital to manufacturing. But it hasn't improved," Geyer said.

Matt Gannon adds, "There's nothing they can say or do to me, that's going to motivate me - you know what I mean - I believe in motivating yourself."

In the neighborhoods, voters are taking sides.

Obama supporter, Shirley Bailey says, "I'm thinking he's the kind of person who hasn't forgotten where he came from."

Clinton supporter, Doreen Bjuman says, "She's more believable to me, that she's working for the people."

Ohio votes Tuesday [March 4th], and Clinton's own advisors8 say she needs to win this big state to keep her campaign alive. If Obama adds to his month-long series of primary victories, Democrats9 say the Illinois Senator is likely to be the one on who will carry the hopes of Ohio workers to the general election in November.


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1 endorsed a604e73131bb1a34283a5ebcd349def4     
vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 );在(尤指支票的)背面签字;在(文件的)背面写评论;在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品
参考例句:
  • The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案,开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》
2 premise JtYyy     
n.前提;v.提论,预述
参考例句:
  • Let me premise my argument with a bit of history.让我引述一些史实作为我立论的前提。
  • We can deduce a conclusion from the premise.我们可以从这个前提推出结论。
3 labor P9Tzs     
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦
参考例句:
  • We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
  • He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后,他已经疲惫不堪了。
4 touts e7b84e5a035797f4e743a3bcd192b380     
n.招徕( tout的名词复数 );(音乐会、体育比赛等的)卖高价票的人;侦查者;探听赛马的情报v.兜售( tout的第三人称单数 );招揽;侦查;探听赛马情报
参考例句:
  • Many vouchers are returned for cash, allowing touts and middle men to make a healthy margin. 许多月饼券都被兑换成现金,这让券贩子和中间商赚取了不蜚的利润。 来自互联网
  • Spotting prey, the customary crowd of hustlers and touts swarmed around, jostling for my business. 照例有大群的拉客黄牛在寻觅猎物,他们争相过来抢我的生意。 来自互联网
5 layoff QpZzCx     
n.临时解雇,操作停止,活动停止期间,失业期
参考例句:
  • Finally, prepare an explanation about what led to your layoff.最后,要准备好一套说辞来解释你被解雇的原因。
  • Workers were re-employed after the layoff.在暂时解雇不久后工人们又被再度雇用了。
6 licensed ipMzNI     
adj.得到许可的v.许可,颁发执照(license的过去式和过去分词)
参考例句:
  • The new drug has not yet been licensed in the US. 这种新药尚未在美国获得许可。
  • Is that gun licensed? 那支枪有持枪执照吗?
7 layoffs ce61a640e39c61e757a47e52d4154974     
临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 ); 停工,停止活动
参考例句:
  • Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
  • Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时,股票价格便大跌
8 advisors 9c02a9c1778f1533c47ade215559070d     
n.顾问,劝告者( advisor的名词复数 );(指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授
参考例句:
  • The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网
9 democrats 655beefefdcaf76097d489a3ff245f76     
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》

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