McCain Works to Close Gap in US Presidential Race
麦凯恩争取在总统角逐中后来居上

　
With four days left in the U.S. presidential campaign, Republican John McCain is mounting a furious last minute bid to overtake Democrat Barack Obama in the polls. The final days of the 2008 race for president.

美国总统竞选还有四天时间，共和党参议员麦凯恩正在全力以赴，争取在最后一分钟能够在民调中后来居上超越民主党候选人奥巴马。下面介绍美国2008年总统大选最后几天的选情。

Senator McCain focused on Ohio Friday. No Republican has ever won the presidency without winning Ohio, and the state has voted with the winning presidential candidate in the last 11 presidential elections.

麦凯恩周五把重点放在美国的俄亥俄州。有史以来没有任何一位共和党候选人能够在没有赢得俄亥俄州的情况下当选总统。在过去十一次总统大选中，在俄亥俄州胜出的候选人都成功地入主白宫。

"There's just four days left," he said. "The pundits have written us off, just like they have done before. But we are closing, my friends, and we are going to win in Ohio!"

麦凯恩说：“仅有4天的时间了。那些所谓的专家们像以前那样，已经认为我们输定了。但是，我们的落后差距越来越小。朋友们，我们将会在俄亥俄州获胜！”

McCain continues to pound Democrat Barack Obama on the issue of taxes and continues to question Obama's readiness to be commander in chief.

麦凯恩继续在税收问题上抨击民主党候选人奥巴马，并继续质疑奥巴马是否有资格担任美国军队的统帅。

McCain's vice presidential running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, defended the Republican attacks on Obama at a rally in Pennsylvania.

麦凯恩的副总统竞选夥伴、阿拉斯加州州长萨拉.佩林在宾夕法尼亚州的一个竞选集会上为共和党对奥巴马的攻击进行了辩护。

"There is nothing mean-spirited or negative at all about calling someone out on their record, their plans and their associations," she said.

佩林说：“要求某人公布自己过去的记录，自己的计划，以及曾经相关的组织和个人，这并不是什么卑鄙阴险的作为！ ”

For his part, Senator Obama urged his supporters not to let up in the final days of the campaign, even though Obama leads McCain by an average of six points in national public opinion polls.

在奥巴马方面， 参议员奥巴马敦促他的支持者，即使奥巴马在全国民调中平均领先麦凯恩6个百分点，也不要在最后几天松懈竞选活动。

Obama campaigned Friday in the Midwest state of Iowa. Obama's victory in the Iowa party caucuses in January set him on a course to win the Democratic Party's presidential nomination.

奥巴马周五在中西部的爱奥华州竞选。奥巴马今年1月在爱奥华州民主党基层党团会议上的胜利，让他踏上赢得民主党总统候选人提名的征途。

"And what you started here in Iowa has swept the nation! We are seeing the same turnout, we are seeing the same people going and getting in line, volunteers and people participating," he said. "A whole new way of doing democracy started right here in Iowa, and it's all across the country now!"

奥巴马说：“你们在爱奥华州所展开的趋势已经席卷全国！我们看到同样的参选率，我们看到人们一样出来加入投票队伍，同样多的志愿者和民众参与选举。行使民主的一种全新方式始于爱奥华州，现在已经在全国形成燎原之势了！”

In the final days of the campaign, high profile politicians from both parties are out trying to help the two candidates.

在最后几天的竞选活动中，两党的一些著名的政治家都出来分别帮助两位候选人拉票。

McCain is getting help from California Governor Arnold Scharzenegger and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani.

麦凯恩正得到加州州长施瓦茨辛格和前纽约市市长朱利安尼的帮助。

Obama has enlisted former President Bill Clinton and former vice president Al Gore.

奥巴马的阵容有美国前总统比尔.克林顿和前副总统戈尔助阵。

Gore told a Florida rally Friday that an Obama victory would improve the U.S. image around the world.

戈尔星期五在佛罗里达州的大会上说，奥巴马获胜将改善美国在世界各地的形像。

"This is our chance, all of us, to say don't ever count America out," he said. "The United States of America is the miracle of world history. We are coming back! We are coming back!"

戈尔说：“这是我们的机会，我们大家可以这样说，别把美国排除在外。美利坚合众国是世界历史的奇迹。我们正在重返世界历史舞台！我们正在重返！”

Gore urged Florida Democrats to vote early in advance of Tuesday's election. Gore's narrow loss in Florida eight years go to then Texas Governor George Bush cost him the presidential election.

戈尔呼吁佛罗里达州民主党人在星期二正式举行选举前及早投票。戈尔8年前在佛罗里达州以微弱的差距输给得克萨斯州州长乔治W布什，从而使得他问鼎白宫的努力功亏一篑。

McCain supporters are taking some last-minute encouragement from recent polls that suggest the race is tightening in key states like Indiana, Missouri, North Carolina and Pennsylvania.

But the Obama campaign is broadening its television advertising campaign in the final days to include the states of North Dakota and Georgia, states that have reliably supported Republican presidential candidates in recent years.

The Obama campaign will also begin airing ads in McCain's home state of Arizona in the wake of recent polls that show an unexpectedly close race there.

Both candidates will maintain an exhausting travel schedule through Monday as they look to lock up votes in the state-by-state electoral tally that determines who wins the presidency. The winning candidate must secure a minimum of 270 electoral votes out of a total of 538.