奥巴马寻求连任胜负难卜
Four years ago, Barack Obama was elected 44th president of the United States.
The Democratic Party nominated him at a highly charged convention that focused on public disenchantment with the nation?s struggling economy.
Mr. Obama capitalized on the issue with his motto, “Change We Can Believe In.”
Mr. Obama has been in the White House now for nearly four years. The economy has improved, but not as much as many hoped.
Some political experts say Obama has learned the vast difference between campaigning and governing.
Jennifer Lawless directs the Women & Politics Institute at American University.
“A lot of the promises he made were contingent on the idea there would be some kind of bipartisan effort in Washington.
And right after John Boehner was elected speaker of the House of Representatives,it became clear that the Republicans' number one goal was to make sure that was not going to happen,” said Lawless.
One example is the so-called Dream Act. It would have granted citizenship to law-abiding immigrants who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children.
It was endorsed by the president, but never made it out of Congress.
In June, Obama announced that the U.S. will temporarily stop deporting the immigrants who qualified under the Dream Act.
Meanwhile, his administration has deported more illegal immigrants than any president in history. Obama kept his campaign promise to reform the nation?s health care system.
While the resulting law has been highly controversial, the Supreme Court upheld its major provisions.
He pushed for, and Congress approved, a $787-billion economic stimulus package and then implemented a bailout for American automakers General Motors and Chrysler.
On Obama?s watch, Osama bin Laden, blamed for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, was located in Pakistan and killed in a surprise military operation.
The president withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq, increased the number of troops in Afghanistan and signed a new arms control treaty with Russia.
Obama is the first African-American to be elected president. He also is the first sitting president to support legalizing same-sex marriage.
As Obama faced his challenger, Republican Mitt Romney, in their first debate, the president enjoyed a small but consistent lead in national public opinion polls.
But the president performed poorly in that debate and Romney gained ground.
Obama has been directing his campaign message mostly to younger voters, women, minorities and the middle class.
In recent weeks, the country's economy improved marginally.
In the final week of the campaign, Obama cancelled campaign appearances to direct the government?s response to Hurricane Sandy.
The Republican governor of New Jersey, who had been a harsh critic, praised Obama for his role in the disaster.
中国领导人面临新的经济挑战
China's modern cities are built on a massive scale, with architecture in places such as Beijing that ranges from avant-garde to out of this world.
But, just above Beijing's busy street corners are signs of the threats China's economy is facing. Beijing based-economist Patrick Chovanec says "I think that the empty buildings that you see cut to the core of how China has been driving growth over the past few years," says.
It's been an investment boom and so China has been driving growth by creating capacity, capacity in housing, in infrastructure, in production.
And, in order for that growth to be real, there has to be an end user and that's the challenge, where does the end user come from.
When the global financial crisis hit in 2008, China insulated itself from the slowdown by launching a nearly $590 billion stimulus.
But now, as the country's annual growth is expected to slow to below eight percent this year, economists caution that same strategy will not work.
"That investment boom is breaking down, it is buckling under its own weight," says Chovanec. "The bad debt and to some extent, the inflation that has been created by pumping the economy full of money has created an unsustainable situation.
Economists say about 80 percent of China's massive 2008 stimulus package went to state-owned enterprises, which still dominate the economy.
Weakening their influence is a key challenge for China's new leaders, says economics professor Hu Xingdou.
Hu says that state enterprises account for about a third of the Chinese economy. "But, even with that proportion, they lead the Chinese economy," said Hu.
"Even though they constitute only 30-40 percent of the Chinese economy, they control China's economy and all of those sectors where money is made.
Breaking the monopoly that state-run enterprises have over the economy will not be easy, especially because of the political power and influence they wield.
"Because there are two main problems with the Chinese economy," Hu added.
"One is that power interferes too much in economic issues, the second issue is monopolies, and the impact they have on the structure of the economy.
It remains unclear what plans China's new leaders have for the state-owned enterprises, but the stakes are high. Maintaining a stable economy is a key reason why Chinese remain willing to accept the party's continued monopoly on political power.
纽约罗马人丰富了城市文化
Romany style music and celebration are going full force at the Drom nightclub, the epicenter of a three-week New York Gypsy Festival.
It highlights the musical cultures of a people who migrated north from India about one thousand years ago and settled mainly in southern and eastern Europe, the Balkans and present-day Russia. Producer Mehmet Dede said the festival is geared to those, like him, who are “Gypsy at heart.” “And I would like to think that in New York City we?re all a little bit of Gypsy,” said Dede.
Just as the Roma have been influenced by the lands where they have lived, New York has been shaped by the immigrant groups that settled here, including the Roma.
Ismail Lumanovsky leads The New York Gypsy All Stars. He sees himself as a cultural ambassador.
“By playing Romany music, I want to offer the New York audience a very free way of looking to music, of expressing their feelings in the moment," said Lumanovsky.
The Gypsy spirit seems to work for New York?s downtown music scene.
“I think they have something like an energy you don?t find in any other music. So that?s why I like it,” said one girl.“It?s kind of like the European blues,” said a man at the festival.“They can feel music. You feel that they love playing,”
Petra Gelbart conducts workshops where she introduces Romany language, dances and music to non-Roma, or “gadje.”
She also likes to correct what she calls misconceptions.
“We?re not nomadic for the most part. We?re people who have been settled for hundreds of years or are certainly trying to settle and get jobs…" said Gelbart.
Roma have considered themselves outsiders and they have often been persecuted. They are frequently stereotyped as unkempt and dishonest.
An estimated half-million Roma were murdered by the Nazis during World War II.
Today, anti-Roma violence is on the rise in western and southern Europe.
Even in the U.S., some immigrant Roma fear prejudice. Gelbart?s mother worked at a bank.
"And she just wasn?t going to tell people she was Gypsy because, as she put, it ?the minute something goes missing, who do you think they?re going to blame??" said Gelbart.
Still, many native New York Roma, like dancer Pirozhka Racz, are proud to maintain some traditions for which Roma are known, including fortune telling.
Racz said that in spite of globalization, there will always be Roma.
"Keeping the important things alive - generosity, sharing with family, music and the other arts that we do," said Racz.
And to judge by the increasing popularity of Gypsy-style music, dance, and even fashion, Roma will be part of the Big Apple?s flavor for years to come.
哥伦比亚唱片公司125年纪念
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
I'm June Simms.
On our show this week, we play some music from Columbia Records, which is celebrating its one-hundred twenty-fifth anniversary...
We also read some of your posts to our blog "Confessions of an English Learner."...
But first, we report on the world of high school debate...
Only a few days remain in the American election campaign.
The recent presidential and vice-presidential debates were of special interest to high school debate teams.
Many debate teams compete locally and nationally for awards. The experience helps team members strengthen their skills in argumentation.
It also makes them critics -- not only of the candidates, but of all the political talk they are hearing. Christopher Cruise has our story.
The high school debate team in the Texas community of Oakridge has won many awards. Recently, some of its members argued for an extension of the federal ban on assault weapons. At the same time, other team members prepared to call for cancellation of the ban.
"This is a long-term ban, if you see before the ban..."
"So long will this ban have to go on? How long will we have to restrict people's rights?"
Debaters make their presentation with evidence and reason, while questioning the arguments of their opponents.
"The biggest fallacy we can possibly talk about is the ?slippery slope' fallacy..."
Personal opinion has no place in debating. In competition, debaters must be able to argue either side of the question.
This helps them understand both sides of any issue.
"So you're saying that if we continue with what's going on now, it's going to cost more money?""Yes."
"That, that's good, but you have to give evidence."
Deanne Christensen is the Oakridge High School Debate coach. She is in her eleventh year of helping young people learn how to argue effectively.
"And it's great when they disagree with each other. It's awesome to see them trying to defend their position."
High school debaters can be very critical of candidate debates and political discussions among adults, in general.
Debater Jonathon McClanahan thinks political partisanship can weaken civility.
"I don't think we should have to hate the president to disagree with him – that's why I honestly believe that with partisanship we need to be more respectful to each other.
We need to have bi-partisan bills passed. We need to work together more."
And debater Bryce Brady thinks high school debaters have a higher level of civility than many politicians.
"I definitely think politicians today could get a real lesson from a high school debate team."
Deanne Christensen believes some of these award-winning debaters will be the leaders of tomorrow.
"They're very smart and they want to see this country be successful because they are that future of our country."
We take a look now at some of the comments you shared with us on our blog, "Confessions of an English Learner."
Many of you provided advice about how you learned English. We welcome the helpful information.
Thanks to everyone who has joined the discussion on the blog.
One web visitor described his difficulty with two English language words that sound similar but are very different in meaning.
Moises wrote from his home in El Salvador. He described a mistake he made on his first visit to the United States.
At the time, Moises was working on a cruise ship. It was his second day.
He was organizing some of his belongings when a co-worker came into the room they were sharing.
The co-worker asked, "Hey, my friend, do you want soap?" Moises wrote that he was surprised by
the question and excited to use his English.
He answered, "No thanks. I am not hungry."
Well, everyone in the room started laughing and Moises did not understand the joke.
He said his new friends then explained that "soap" is something you use to wash yourself. "Soup" is what you eat.
Moises said this incident happened ten years ago. He added, "Do you imagine that I am an English teacher now?"
We also want to tell of a blog posting from Vietnam. Xuan Thanh wrote that she joined an English class two years ago to improve her skills in the language.
Her teacher asked each student to write about something sad they had experienced.
Xuan Thanh said that one of her classmates asked her how to write the name of a disease in English. She answered, "cancel."
Later Xuan Thanh looked the word up and realized she had made a mistake. "Cancel" means to end or to stop something that is planned.
The disease her classmate wanted to write about was "cancer."
Thank you all again for the interesting posts. Please continue to share your English Learning experiences on our "Confessions" blog.
Columbia Records is turning one hundred twenty-five years old. Columbia is the oldest record label in the world.
It became part of Sony Corporation in nineteen eighty-seven.
On Tuesday, Columbia Records released a book about its history. Faith Lapidus has more about it and plays some of the music Columbia made famous.
The book is called "360 Sound: The Columbia Records Story." It was written by historian Sean Wilentz.
Most of his books have been political histories. He also has written about music and culture in magazines and newspapers for many years.
Critics praised one of his books, "Bob Dylan in America," which was published in twenty ten. Bob Dylan is also a major part of the new book "360 Sound." He recorded his first album, "Bob Dylan," with Columbia in nineteen sixty-two.
His thirty-fifth album, "Tempest," was released in September of this year.
"Don't Think Twice, It's Alright" was a hit from his nineteen sixty-three record "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan."
In nineteen forty-nine, Columbia Records released one of the first albums based on a musical play. "South Pacific" was a big hit on New York's Broadway. Richard Rodgers wrote the music. Oscar Hammerstein wrote the words.
One of Columbia's earliest stars was Bessie Smith.
Billy Joel was a successful artist for Columbia later. In nineteen seventy-seven, the record label released one of his biggest albums, "The Stranger."
Four of the songs were hit singles, including this one "Only the Good Die Young."
Right now Adele is one of the major artists with Colombia Records. We leave you with her current hit, the theme from the new James Bond movie "Skyfall."
越来越多老外开始学汉语
From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report in Special English. 美国之音慢速英语经济报道。
English is the international language of business. 英语是国际商界语言，
But an increasing number of American companies that do business in China or with Chinese companies are having their workers learn Mandarin. 但越来越多在中国做生意或与中国人做生意的美国公司开始让员工学汉语。
Michael Cheng is a Taiwanese-American Internet entrepreneur and property developer. He is also in the business of teaching Chinese. 迈克尔·程是一家台湾美国网络公司企业家兼地产开发商，他也从事教汉语的行业。
Mr. Cheng is president and founder of the Mando Mandarin Online School. The school is based in New York and uses teachers in China to teach over webcams. 他是Mando普通话网校的总裁兼创始人，网校总部在纽约，由中国教师通过网络摄像头教学。
"China over the past few years very quickly has already become the world's second-largest economy. 过去几年间，中国迅速成为世界第二大经济体。
And, you know, it's just common business savvy. 要知道，这是很普通的商业知识。
If China's got over three trillion dollars in reserves now, so if you want to do business or connect with the fastest-growing country in the world, 中国目前有三万亿美元美元储备，如果想与这个全世界发展最快的国家做生意或打交道，
it might make sense to make an effort to engage the people in their own language, 努力学点汉语是明智的，
as understanding of their language and culture goes a long way in building strong relationships -- especially with the Chinese." 了解其语言和文化能建立长久的关系纽带，尤其是与中国人。 By some predictions, China could pass the United States and become the world's largest economy by twenty twenty-five. 有人预测，中国将在20xx年超过美国成为世界最大经济体。
Michael Cheng says that as China's economic power has increased, so has its cultural power. 迈克尔·程说随着中国经济实力的提升，其文化实力也在增强。
"Starting back in two thousand four, the Chinese Ministry of Education, along with what was called their Chinese Language Council, began to set up, around the world, Confucius Institutes, 20xx年，中国教育部及中国国家汉办开始在世界各地建立孔子学院，
and with the purpose of promoting and developing Chinese language and culture teaching resources around the world." 目的是推广和发展汉语及文化教学资源。
Now, he says, there are more than three hundred Confucius Institutes in almost one hundred countries. 他说，目前在100多个国家有300多所孔子学院，
These institutes work to promote Chinese language at the university level. 这些学院努力在高校推广汉语。
The Chinese government has partnered with colleges and the Asia Society to set up programs across the United States. 中国政府与高校及亚洲协会合作，在美国各地成立项目。
High schools have also received money to start Chinese language training programs. 高校还受到资金来开设韩语培训项目。
Mr. Cheng says that, just as many English speakers want to learn Mandarin, many people in China want to learn English. 迈克尔·程说，正如许多说英语的人想学汉语，很多中国人也想学英语。 "In fact, if you want to talk numbers, there's, based on sheer population, there are actually more people learning, well, who speak English in China than there are undefined
I think right now there's about four hundred million people who are either learning or currently speak English." 我认为目前有4亿人在学英语或讲英语。
He says taking the time to learn someone else's language is a great sign of respect and a way to build business relationships. 他说花时间学别的语言是表示尊重的重要表现，也是建立业务关系的一个途径。
"Speaking of relationships, here's a quick business -- Chinese business lesson for some listeners. It's one word, it's two syllables and the word is guanxi. 说到关系，我们要为部分听众提供一个中国商业经验，一个词，就是?关系?。
To get things done quickly and effectively, it's important to have what's called guanxi. 要快速有效地办好事情，关系很重要。
In Mandarin it means personal relationships or networks of influence, and it's very essential to doing business or making connections in China." 在汉语中，它的意思是个人关系或影响力网络，在中国做生意或打交道关系非常重要。
And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report. I'm Mario Ritter.
中国作家莫言获得20xx年诺贝尔文学奖
Welcome to AMERICAN MOSAIC in VOA Special English.
I'm June Simms.
On our show this week, we play some music nominated for American Music Awards. We also take a look at Roma culture in New York City.
But first, we talk about the winner of a major writing prize.
The Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday named Mo Yan winner of the Twenty-Twelve Nobel Prize in Literature.
The academy praised the Chinese writer for what it called his "hallucinatory realism." It noted his ability to combine folk stories, history and modern events in his works.
An academy official said Mister Mo said he was "overjoyed and scared" when he learned he had won the award.
He will receive his Nobel diploma, a medal and more than one million dollars at a ceremony in Stockholm in December.
Mo Yan is a leading author of modern Chinese novels. He often writes from memories of his youth.
He also sets many of his stories in the area where he was born – Shandong Province in northeastern China.
Mister Mo's nineteen eighty-seven book "Red Sorghum," is an example.
It is about the extreme violence in rural eastern China during the Communist Revolution in the nineteen twenties and nineteen thirties.
The story describes the criminal culture of the time, Japan's occupation and the terrible conditions faced by farm workers. "Red Sorghum" was later made into a movie.
Mo Yan's other major works include, "Big Breasts and Wide Hips," "Republic of Wine" and "Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out."
The Royal Swedish Academy compared him to two twentieth century writers: American William Faulkner and Colombia's Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Mo Yan is fifty-seven. His real name is Guan Moye. Mo Yan means "Don't Speak."
The writer said he chose the name to remember to stop his tongue from getting him in trouble.
Only one other Chinese-language writer has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Gao Zingjian was honored in two thousand.
However, he had been living in France for some time. And, China banned his books because they were critical of the Chinese government.
But, China is celebrating the victory of this native son.
Minutes after the award was announced, millions of Chinese expressed pleasure and pride for Mo Yan on social media websites.
They are known by many names -- including "Gypsies" and "Travelers." But they favor the name Roma.
They are among the most widely-spread and least-understood ethnic groups on earth.
Faith Lapidus looks at Romany culture and its influences in New York City. Thousands of the world's estimated twelve million Roma live in that city.
Romany music and celebration were heard and seen at the Drom nightclub recently. The club was the center of the three-week-long New York Gypsy Festival.
The festival presents the musical cultures of a people who moved north from India about a thousand years ago.
They settled mainly in southern and eastern Europe, the Balkans and present-day Russia.
Producer Mehmet Dede says the festival is aimed at those who, like him, are "Gypsy at heart." "I would like to think that in New York City we are all a little bit of Gypsy."
The Roma have been influenced by the lands in which they have lived.
Similarly, New York City has been influenced by the immigrant groups that moved there, including the Roma.
Ismail Lumanovsky leads The New York Gypsy All Stars musical group. He sees himself as a cultural ambassador.
"By playing Romany music, I wanna offer the New York audience a very free way of looking at music...of expressing the feelings in the moment."
The Gypsy spirit seems to work for New York's downtown music scene.
"It's kinda' like a European blues."
"They can feel music. And they...you feel that they love playing."
Petra Gelbart teaches non-Roma the Romany language, dances and music. And she corrects misinformation.
"We're not nomadic for the most part. We are people who have been settled for hundreds of years or have certainly been trying to settle and get jobs."
Roma have long considered themselves outsiders. They have been treated as a dirty, dishonest people in many countries.
Throughout history, Roma have experienced extreme discrimination.
Nazi forces murdered an estimated half-million Roma during World War Two.Today, anti-Roma violence is increasing in western and southern Europe.
Even in the United States, some Roma fear prejudice. Petra Gelbart's mother worked at a bank. "She just wasn't gonna tell people that she's a Gypsy, because -- as she put it -- ?the minute something goes missing, who do you think they're gonna blame?'
Still, many New York Roma are proud to continue traditions Roma are known for, like fortune telling.
Roma dancer Pirozhka Racz says despite globalization, there will always be Roma.
"Keeping the important things alive --- love and generosity, sharing with family, music and the other arts.
On Tuesday, singer Christina Aguilera announced nominations for the American Music Awards. Laurel Bowman has music from some of the nominated performers.
Was anyone surprised to hear the name Justin Bieber during the nominations for favorite male pop/rock artist? Probably not.
The eighteen year old singer has only made three albums. But, all have gone platinum --- meaning sales of more than one million copies.
In fact, his first album went double platinum.
Justin Bieber's latest release is "Believe." It came out in June. The single "Boyfriend" entered Billboard Magazine's Hot One Hundred chart at number two.
Justin Bieber's "Believe" was nominated for an American Music Award as favorite pop/rock album.
Another nominee is Nicki Minaj's album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded."
Nicki Minaj is known for her wild clothing, colorful hairstyles and exciting performances. The first single and video from "Roman Reloaded" is no exception.
A green haired Minaj dances on a beach and in the ocean wearing only a small, bright pink bikini. Several musicians were honored with nominations for favorite artist in the alternative rock group. Gotye was certainly expected.
The Australian's hit song "Somebody That I Used to Know" went to number one on the Hot One Hundred chart.
It also won several awards and was covered on the American television series "Glee."
The groups Black Keys and Linkin Park were also nominated as favorite alternative rock artist. "El Camino," Black Keys' most recent record came out in two thousand eleven.
Linkin Park has already won more than forty music awards in the group's sixteen year career. Its latest album, "Living Things," came out in June and is already rated gold. We leave you now with Linkin Park performing "Castle of Glass," from the album, "Living Things."
中国向乌克兰寻找粮食来源
This is the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. 这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。 America is the world's largest food exporter. But the worst drought in half a century is hitting corn and wheat harvests. 美国是全世界最大的粮食出口国，但半世纪以来最严重的旱灾正在摧残玉米和小麦产量。
The drought across the central United States adds to concerns about world food supplies and prices in the coming years. 整个美国中部的干旱让人们越发担忧未来几年的全球粮食供应和粮价。
Experts say by twenty-fifty, the world will have to produce at least sixty percent more food to feed a population growing bigger and richer. 专家称，到20xx年，全世界必须产出至少60%的额外粮食来养活持续增长和富有的人群。
China, a major food importer, is looking to producers around the world to guarantee future food supplies. 主要的粮食进口国中国正在全世界寻找产粮国来确保未来的粮食供应。
China has invested in food production in Australia and New Zealand. A new source of supply is Ukraine. 中国在澳大利亚和新西兰都进行了粮食生产投资，新的供应来源就是乌克兰。 Ukraine was known as the breadbasket of Europe because of rich corn and wheat harvests a
century ago. 由于一个世纪前的玉米和小麦大丰收，乌克兰被称为欧洲的粮仓。
Galyna Kovtok is chief executive of Ukraine's largest agricultural business, ULF. Galyna Kovtok是乌克兰最大的农业公司ULF的首席执行官。
She predicts that within a few months her company will be approved to export corn to China. That will make Ukraine the first country outside the Americas to do so. 她预测几个月内，她的公司将被批准向中国出口玉米，这样乌克兰就是美洲之外第一个向中国出口粮食的国家。
ULF will soon have almost two million tons of elevator storage capacity as it prepares for the Chinese market. 由于向中国市场准备粮食，ULF将很快拥有近200万吨的谷仓储量，
Chinese money is financing the building of six grain elevators. 中国的资金为6个谷仓的建设进行融资。
But the company's equipment is largely American, including half-million-dollar John Deere combines to harvest wheat. 但该公司的设备主要是美国的，包括价值50万美元的约翰迪尔小麦联合收割机。
ULF's grain production per hectare is now halfway between Ukrainian averages and the high yields of the American Midwest.But farming depends on the weather. ULF公司每公顷的粮食产量介于乌克兰的平均量和美国中西部最高产量之间，但农业依赖于天气。
Across the Black Sea region -- in Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan -- drought this year is pushing harvests down by fifteen to twenty percent. 在整个黑海地区的乌克兰、俄罗斯和哈萨克斯坦，今年的旱灾使得产量降低了15%到20%。
Traditionally, the Black Sea region is the main source of wheat for North Africa and the Middle East. 黑海地区传统上是北美和中东的主要小麦来源，
But this year, on the supply side, Russia may have to suspend exports. And, on the demand side, Africa and the Middle East are now competing with China. 但是今年的供应方俄罗斯可能必须停止出口，需求方的非洲和中东正在与中国竞争。
At the same time, a new report says large parts of Asia may face long periods of severe drought within ten years. 同时，新报告称未来十年内亚洲大部分地区要面临长期的严重旱灾，
The report is from the British-based Center for Low Carbon Futures, a network of universities. 报告来自总部在英国的大学网络--低碳远景中心，
It says northern China, India, Afghanistan, Mongolia and Pakistan will be especially hard hit. 报告称中国北部、印度、阿富汗、蒙古和巴基斯坦将受的影响最大。
It says other parts of Asia are likely to face longer and wetter monsoon seasons because of climate change. 报告称由于气候变化，亚洲其他地区可能要面临更长期更多雨的季风季节。
Andrew McConville works for the agricultural technology company Syngenta. 安德鲁·麦康威尔就职于农业科技公司先正达，
He says a lack of new investment in technology to help farmers improve productivity has had an effect. 他说，帮助农民提高产量的科技缺乏新投资会已产生影响。
You really start to see, if you like, all of those things come together, laid over the top of very high prices as well, so you almost had a perfect storm of factors coming together. 你可以看到，所有这些因素加起来，造成价格非常高，各种因素促成的暴风雨已经来临！
And that's the VOA Special English Agriculture Report. I'm Karen Leggett.