Candidates Focus on Economy, Key States in Final Week of US Presidential Campaign
投票日迫近两大党候选人奋力冲刺

The U.S. presidential election campaign is moving into its final week, and both major candidates are making their closing arguments to voters before the November 4 election. Democratic Party nominee Barack Obama and Republican John McCain have campaigned Monday in Ohio and are each beginning their day Tuesday in Pennsylvania, before moving on to other important states where the race is close.

美国大选选战进入最后一个星期，两个主要政党候选人都在利用11月4号投票日之前的这几天向选民做最后陈辞。

Democrat Barack Obama continues to lead in the national polls and in most of the key states that will hold the balance in next week's election.

民主党总统候选人奥巴马继续在全国民调和大部分将左右下周选举结果的关键州的民调中领先。

But Obama cautioned a crowd in Ohio not to take the election for granted, and to get out and work hard in the closing days of the campaign.

但是奥巴马在俄亥俄州告诫支持者不要以为胜券在握了，要走出去，在竞选的最后几天继续努力。

"Do not believe for a second that this election is over," he said. "Do not think for a minute that power concedes. We have a lot of work to do. We have to work like our future depends on it in this last week, because it does depend on it this week!"

奥巴马说：“一时一刻都不要以为这场选举已经结束了。一时一刻都不要以为执政党认输了。我们还有许多工作要做。我们要象未来就取决于最后这个星期那样工作，因为，未来的确取决于这个星期。”

Obama is focused on a message of change and unity in the final days of the campaign. He says if elected he would unify the country, including Democrats and Republicans, to take on the economic challenges at home and the security challenges abroad.

在最后冲刺的日子里，奥巴马的重点是变革和团结。他表示，如果当选，他会把整个国家--包括民主党人和共和党人--团结起来，对内迎接经济挑战，对外迎接安全挑战。

But Obama is not backing away from his central contention that his Republican opponent, Senator John McCain, represents a continuation of what he calls the failed policies of President Bush.

不过奥巴马并没有放松对他的共和党对手麦凯恩参议员的重点攻击，称麦凯恩将传承的是布什总统失败的政策。

"John McCain might be worried about losing an election, but I am worried about Americans who are losing their homes and their jobs and their life savings," said Obama. "I can take one more week of John McCain's attacks, but this country cannot take four more years of the same failed politics and the same failed policies. It is time to try something new!"

奥巴马说：“麦凯恩可能担心输掉选举，而我担心的是正在失去住房、失去工作、失去毕生储蓄的美国人。我可以让麦凯恩再攻击我一个星期，但是这个国家不能让同样的失败政治和同样的失败政策再继续4年了。现在是推陈出新的时候了。”

Senator McCain also campaigned in Ohio, and he focused on the economy, which the polls show is the number-one issue in the election.

麦凯恩参议员也在俄亥俄州进行竞选活动。他把重点放在经济方面。民调显示，经济是本次大选的首要议题。

"With one week left in this campaign, the choice facing Americans is stark," McCain said. "My economic goals and policies are very clear."

麦凯恩说，“竞选只剩下一个星期了。美国人面临严峻的选择。我的经济目标和政策是非常明确的。”

McCain again distanced himself from the economic policies of President Bush, and noted that Americans want change.

麦凯恩再度与布什总统的经济政策保持距离，并且表示美国人希望改变。

McCain also continued his attacks on Obama's tax proposals, which some of his supporters compare to socialism.

麦凯恩还继续抨击奥巴马的税改建议。

"And that is the problem with Senator Obama's approach to our economy," said McCain. "He is more interested in controlling wealth than creating it, in redistributing money instead of spreading opportunity. I am going to create wealth for all Americans by creating opportunity for all Americans!"

麦凯恩说：“这就是奥巴马参议员的经济计划存在的问题。他更感兴趣的是控制财富，而不是创造财富；是重新分配钱，而不是扩大机会。我会通过给所有的美国人创造机会，为所有美国人创造财富。”

Many political experts believe McCain is running out of time to close the gap in the polls in the final days of the campaign.

"What is driving this election is dissatisfaction with the party now holding the White House," said Allan Lichtman, a presidential historian at American University in Washington. "Nearly 90 percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track. The economy is in meltdown. George Bush is the most unpopular president in the history of polling, which goes back to the 1930's."

The fact that both major presidential contenders were in Ohio on the same day this late in the campaign reflects the state's influential status in presidential elections. No Republican has ever won the White House without carrying Ohio. And John Kennedy in 1960 was the last Democratic candidate to win the presidency without carrying Ohio. Obama has a narrow lead over McCain in the latest polls in Ohio.

两位主要的总统候选人在竞选接近尾声时，选择同一天前往俄亥俄州，这正反映出该州在总统大选中所具的影响力。没有一个共和党人在未拿下俄亥俄的情况下入主白宫。上一个没有攻下俄亥俄州但却赢得总统大选的民主党候选人是1960年参选的约翰·肯尼迪。最近的民调显示，奥巴马在俄亥俄以微小的优势领先于麦凯恩。