VP Candidate Biden Takes Center Stage at Democratic Convention
民主党大会将转向外交拜登演讲

　 
Democratic vice presidential pick Joseph Biden will take center stage on the third day of the party's National Convention in the western U.S. city of Denver. The veteran senator from Delaware will be one of the headline speakers Wednesday night, along with former President Bill Clinton. Democrats will turn their attention to foreign policy and national security issues Wednesday.

民主党副总统候选人拜登将在美国西部城市丹佛举行的全国党代会的第三天成为会议的中心。除了前总统比尔·克林顿以外，这位代表德拉瓦州的资深参议员将是星期三晚上主要演讲者之一。民主党星期三晚上将把他们的注意力转向对外政策以及国家安全问题上。

Joseph Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama's choice for running mate, is highly regarded by many lawmakers from both parties for his first-hand foreign policy knowledge and experience.

拜登是即将被民主党提名为总统候选人的奥巴马挑选的竞选夥伴。拜登因其具有第一手的外交政策知识和经验而受到两党的高度尊重。

Ted Kaufman is a charter member of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees Voice of America and other U.S. international broadcasting agencies. He is a close friend of Joseph Biden, and was his chief of staff in the Senate for 19 years. Kaufman told VOA that Biden brings decades of foreign policy expertise to the table, but that is not all.

泰德·考夫曼是广播理事会的成员，广播理事会负责监管美国之音以及美国其他国际广播机构。考夫曼还是拜登的亲密朋友，并且在美国参议院任拜登办公室主任长达19年。考夫曼对美国之音说，拜登所能贡献的是其数十年的外交政策才干，不过，这并非拜登的全部才能。

"The biggest thing he brings to the ticket is he is qualified to be president of the United States," Kaufman noted. "Everybody when they talk about potential vice presidential candidates, they put them in different categories - here is one that can help the ticket by delivering a state, here is one that can help the ticket by delivering an interest group. But they always talk about Joe Biden. He is the one, who, if something happens to Barack Obama, he is qualified. And I think that what is says about Barack Obama, he is not in this thing to win this. He is in this to make America a better place, and a better place in the world."

“拜登为总统竞选带来的最重要的东西是，他本人成为美国总统也是合格的。在谈到可能谁将是副总统人选时，大家往往将这些人归入另一个类型，例如这个人能够给竞选带来一个州啊，这个人能够给竞选带来一个利益集团啊。不过人们总是谈到拜登，认为拜登在奥巴马出现不测情况时，他是合格的人选； 我认为，不管怎么说奥巴马，他不是为了赢得这种地位，他是为了使美国变得更美好，使美国成为世界上更好的地方。”

What tone will Biden speech adopt?

Some analysts say the vice presidential candidate needs to take on the role of "attack dog" - to relentlessly go after the opponent from the other party. Larry Sabato, a political analyst and Director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, says the tone of this convention so far has been too "warm and fuzzy", and that Democrats need to use their four days in the spotlight to attack the presumptive Republican nominee John McCain and to tie him to President Bush.

某些分析人士认为， 副总统候选人需要像“猎犬”一样，无情地追击另外一个政党的反对派。拉里·萨博托是政治分析人士，同时兼任维吉尼亚大学政治中心主任。他说，这次民主党代表大会的调子目前太过于“热烈和模糊”。民主党需要利用他们受人注意的四天时间，攻击有望成为共和党总统候选人的麦凯恩，并且将麦凯恩和布什总统挂起钩来。

"Biden should, and probably will go after John McCain and the Republicans hard. The convention delegates are expecting some red meat and they have gotten very little. So, he may in a sense help to rescue the convention, if he does a good job,' Sabato said. "If he does not, and it's a mild-mannered presentation, I think the delegates will leave very disappointed."

“拜登应该，而且可能会猛烈攻击麦凯恩和共和党。代表大会的代表们期待能够见到撕杀的局面，而目前却没有见到。因此，如果拜登表现出色，从某种意义上他能拯救这次会议；假如拜登的表现不好，在会上的演讲举止温和，那么我认为，代表们离开大会时会很失望。”

Bill Clinton also scheduled to speak, Wednesday

Also in the spotlight will be former President Bill Clinton, the husband of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton, who lost the nomination fight in a long, tough race to Obama. Sabato says Bill Clinton has made clear he has not liked the way he believes the Obama campaign has treated his wife.

"Everyone is going to be measuring every word that Clinton says because it is very well known that he has been unhappy with Obama, some have said that he has been pouting," Sabato said. "He and his people have certainly been leaking quite a number of crucial comments from Clinton about Obama. So, his words will be weighed carefully. And, he will come through. He knows he is under the microscope. He will be very enthusiastic - while the cameras are on."

Senator Hillary Clinton issued an emphatic call for unity in the Democratic Party Tuesday night, and gave her disappointed supporters their marching orders to get behind Barack Obama.

参议员希拉里·克林顿星期二晚上发出了强有力的号召，呼吁全党团结起来，并且向她的那些失望的支持者们下达了支持奥巴马的进军令。

"Whether you voted for me, or you voted for Barack, the time is now to unite as a single party with a single purpose. We are on the same team and none of us can afford to sit on the sidelines," said Clinton.

“无论你投我的票，还是投奥巴马的票， 现在是全党团结一致，目标一致的时候了。(鼓掌) 我们是一支队伍中的成员，谁也不能袖手旁观。”

The former first lady also hit John McCain, saying voters cannot let him take the White House, and "squander the promise of our country." Next week, it will be the Republicans turn to go after Democrats at their National Convention in Minnesota.

这位前第一夫人还攻击麦凯恩，她说，选民们不能让麦凯恩占据白宫的宝座，希拉里说，“不能荒废我们国家的前程”。下个星期该轮到共和党在明尼苏达举行全国代表大会上攻击民主党了。