VOA英语：前副总统拜登第三度冲击总统宝座
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Labor Day 2020 Is Unlike Any Other
前副总统拜登第三度冲击总统宝座
By George Grow
07 September 2020
Former Vice President Joe Biden is the Democratic Party's nominee for president of the United States. He has sought the presidency two times before, but this is his first time as a nominated candidate.
前副总统乔·拜登是民主党提名的美国总统候选人。他曾经两次谋求总统职位，但是这是他首次被提名为总统候选人。
The 77-year-old has been in national politics for many years --- first as a senator and two terms as vice president. If he wins the election November 3, and takes office in January, he will be the oldest person to serve as U.S. president.
这位77岁的老人已经纵横国家政坛多年，最初是担任参议员，然后两次担任副总统。如果他赢得11月3日的大选，并在1月上任，他将成为担任美国最年长的总统。
Biden has described his Republican Party opponent, President Donald Trump, as unfit to lead the country.
拜登曾称他的共和党对手唐纳德·川普不适合领导美国。
"It's time for respected leadership on the world stage — and dignified leadership at home," Biden said.
拜登表示：“现在是时候在世界舞台和国内重获尊重。”
The coronavirus crisis has led Biden to campaign mainly from his home in Delaware. He has made a few visits to Wilmington, the state's biggest city, and to nearby Pennsylvania, for speeches and policy discussions with small groups of people. But he has avoided large gatherings, following guidelines set by the country's top health experts.
新冠病毒危机导致拜登主要在特拉华州的家中开展竞选活动。他几次探访了美国最大的城市威尔明顿以及附近的宾夕法尼亚州与少数人进行演讲和政策讨论。但是他遵循了美国最高卫生专家制定的指导方针，避免了大型聚会。
Early successes and personal life
早期成功和个人生活
Biden graduated from the University of Delaware and the Syracuse University College of Law. In 1972, at age 29, he was elected to the U.S. Senate, representing Delaware. Just weeks later, Biden faced tragedy. His wife and one-year-old daughter were killed in a car accident.
拜登毕业于特拉华大学和雪城大学法学院。1972年，他以29岁的年龄当选特拉华州的美国参议员。几周之后，拜登面临了悲剧。他的妻子和一岁的女儿在一场车祸中丧生。
Biden was left a single father of two sons. He briefly considered leaving his Senate seat. But he decided to stay in office. Unlike most lawmakers, however, he did not move to Washington. He did not want to uproot his little boys. Instead, he traveled daily to and from Washington on the train, so he could be home with his sons every night. The senator continued this custom for 36 years, until he became vice president and moved to Washington.
拜登成为了有着两个儿子的单亲父亲。他短暂考虑过辞去参议员一职。但他最后决定留任。但是与大多数参议员不同，他没有搬到华盛顿。他不想让他的儿子们离开熟悉的家园。相反，他每天在火车上往返华盛顿，这样他每晚可以跟儿子一起回家。拜登这样做了36年，直到他成为副总统并搬到华盛顿。
Biden was a candidate for president in 1987 and 2007. After Barack Obama was nominated as the Democratic Party's 2008 presidential candidate, he asked Biden to join the campaign as his running mate. They won election and Biden began serving as Vice President. Voters reelected the men in 2012.
拜登曾在1987年和2007年担任过总统候选人。巴拉克·奥巴马被提名为2008年民主党总统候选人之后，他邀请拜登作为竞选伙伴参加竞选。他们成功当选，拜登开始担任副总统。选民们在2012年再次选择了这两人。
Foreign policy
对外政策
While in the Senate, Biden was a longtime member of the Foreign Relations Committee and served two times as its chairman. He opposed the Persian Gulf War in 1991 but supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003. He also supported U.S. and NATO intervention in Bosnia Herzegovina in 1994. While serving as vice president, Biden helped shape U.S. policy toward Iraq, including the withdrawal of troops in 2011. He also supported the NATO-led military intervention in Libya that same year.
在参议院任职期间，拜登是外交关系委员会的长期委员，并曾两次担任该委员会的主席。他反对1991年的波斯湾战争，但是于2003年支持入侵伊拉克。他还支持美国和北约对波斯尼亚和黑塞哥维那进行干预。拜登担任副总统期间，协助制定了美国对伊拉克的政策，包括2011年对伊拉克撤军。同年他还支持北约领导的盟军对利比亚进行军事干预。
As a senator, Biden helped to write anti-crime bills, including a federal ban on assault weapons. The ban lasted 10 years, until 2004, but was not extended. He also supported strong punishment for crime, although his position on that issue has changed. He now argues that the U.S. imprisons too many people, especially black and brown people.
作为参议员，拜登帮助撰写了反犯罪法案，包括对攻击性武器的联邦禁令。该禁令持续10年一直到2004年，但是并没有延长有效期。尽管他在这个问题上的立场已经改变，但是他还是支持强力惩治犯罪。他现在辩称美国囚禁了太多人，尤其是黑人和棕色人种。
Biden has said that he considers the Violence Against Women Act "the single most important legislation" he helped guide through Congress as a senator. It was in effect from 1994 until 2018, when the law expired during an extended government closure.
拜登曾表示，他认为《防止对妇女施暴法》是他作为参议员帮助国会指导的“最重要的的单一立法”。它的有效期从1994年到2018年，当时这部法律因为政府长期关闭而失效。
Biden was closely involved with two historic Senate hearings on Supreme Court nominations. In the first, in 1987, Biden chaired the hearing of Judge Robert Bork, a conservative nominee for the high court. It lasted a record 12 days and led to a Senate rejection. Critics say the hearing marked the first modern political fight between Democrats and Republicans over Supreme Court nominees.
拜登密切参与了参议院关于最高法院提名的两次历史性听证会。第一次是在1987年，拜登主持了高等法院保守派提名人罗伯特·博克法官的听证会。它持续了创纪录的12天，并最终导致参议院否决了这项提名。批评人士表示，这次听证会标志着民主党人和共和党人之间就最高法院提名人进行的第一次现代政治斗争。
In 1991, Biden chaired the Supreme Court hearing of Clarence Thomas, another conservative. Anita Hill, a lawyer and co-worker of Thomas, accused the nominee of sexual harassment and appeared before the committee. Thomas denied the accusations. Biden as chair barred other witnesses from speaking in support of Hill. Women's groups and liberal legal activists sharply criticized Biden's actions. The Senate narrowly confirmed Thomas's nomination and he serves on the Supreme Court to this day.
1991年，拜登主持了对另一位保守派人士克拉伦斯·托马斯最高法院提名人的听证会。托马斯的律师兼同事安妮塔·希尔指控他性骚扰，并在委员会面前作证。托马斯否认这一指控。拜登作为主席禁止其他证人发言支持希尔。妇女团体和自由法律活动家严厉批评了拜登此举。参议院勉强确认了托马斯的提名，他至今仍在最高法院任职。
His policies
他的政策
Biden's campaign slogan is "Build Back Better." If he wins in November, many people expect Biden's policies as president to be similar to those of Obama's. He would support steps to strengthen the U.S. economy and deal with climate change. He would increase support for military alliances in Europe and Asia that President Trump has criticized. He would protect the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
拜登的竞选口号是“建构更好未来”。如果他在11月获胜，许多人都希望拜登担任总统的政策能跟奥巴马的政策相似。他将支持采取步骤强化美国经济并应对气候变化。他还将提升对川普批评的欧亚军事联盟的支持。他将保护《平价医疗法案》，它也被称之为《奥巴马医保法案》。
On other major issues, Biden's plans appear to still be taking shape.
在其它重大问题上，拜登的计划似乎仍待成形。
Over the years, Biden has worked with Republican lawmakers to reach compromise agreements. He is proposing new uses of the federal government's power to support U.S. manufacturing and technology companies.
多年来，拜登一直与共和党议员合作以达成妥协协议。他提议全新利用联邦政府权力支持美国制造业和科技公司。
He accuses of Trump surrendering in the fight against the coronavirus. Biden says if he is elected president he will, in his words, "stop the political theater and willful misinformation that has heightened confusion and discrimination."
他指责川普在与新冠病毒的斗争中投降。拜登表示，如果他当选总统，他将“制止加剧了混乱和歧视的政治表演和任意误导。”
I'm Caty Weaver.
我是凯蒂·韦弗。
Words in This Story
unfit – adj. not in good physical condition; not of the necessary condition or quality to meet a purpose
dignify – v. to make something seem worthy
graduate – v. to successfully complete a study program
running mate – n. a candidate for the lesser of two closely linked political office
assault – adj. involving or connected to a military attack or raid
harassment – n. aggressive pressure
confusion – n. lack of understanding; a breakdown of order
*内容来源51VOA.COM原创翻译，侵删~
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