From VOA Learning English, this is IN THE NEWS in Special English.
这里是美国之音慢速英语时事新闻报道。
This week, Americans chose Barack Obama for a second and final four-year term as president. President Obama captured more than three hundred electoral votes, defeating former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. To win the presidency, a candidate needs at least two hundred seventy electoral votes.
本周，美国人选定奥巴马连任，这也是他作为总统的最后四年任期。奥巴马总统获得了三百多张选举人票，击败了前马萨诸塞州州长米特·罗姆尼。候选人赢得总统选举至少需要获得270张选举人票。
Early Wednesday, Mr. Obama noted deep political differences in the country. But he said Americans share certain hopes and dreams. He said they rise or fall together as one nation and one people.
周三早些时候，奥巴马指出美国存在严重的政治分歧。但他表示，美国人拥有共同的希望和梦想，大家作为同一个国家和民族共同进退。
The president won re-election with the same coalition of voters he had in two thousand eight: women, ethnic minorities and young people. Historian Allan Lichtman says Mr. Obama profited from these groups this year.
奥巴马依靠和2008年同一群选民赢得连任，他们是妇女、少数族裔和年轻人。历史学家艾伦·里奇曼（Allan Lichtman）表示，奥巴马今年从这些群体中受益。
"Women and minorities put Barack Obama over the top, and there should be a big, huge red-letter warning sign for Republicans that they can't win just with their white Protestant base. We are increasingly becoming a non-white nation."
他说：“妇女和少数族裔把奥巴马推上了总统宝座。这对共和党人来说是一个严重警告，他们无法只依赖白人新教徒赢得选举，美国正日益成为一个非白人国家。”
Alan Lichtman and other observers understand the changes in America's growing population. When Ronald Reagan was elected president in nineteen eighty, whites made up eighty-five percent of the electorate.
里奇曼和其它观察家认识到美国不断增长的人口的变化。当1980年罗纳德·里根当选总统时，白人占到了选民的85%。
This year, polling information showed that seventy-two percent of all voters were white. Thirteen percent of those voting were African-American – the same percentage as four years ago. The Hispanic vote grew from nine percent in two thousand eight to ten percent this year.
今年，民意调查资料表明，72%的选民是白人。13%的选民是非裔美国人，和4年前相同。拉美裔选票从2008年的9%上升到今年的10%。
Asian-Americans are a fast growing population in the United States. Yet they made up just three percent of the electorate.
亚裔美国人是美国一个快速增长的群体。然而他们只占到选民的3%。
Of those asked, ninety-three percent of African Americans reported voting for President Obama. Seventy-one percent of Hispanics said they supported him. Studies also found that over seventy percent of Asian Americans voted for Mr. Obama.
在受访者中，93%的非裔美国人投票给奥巴马。71%的拉美裔美国人表示，他们支持奥巴马。调查还发现，超过70%的亚裔美国人投票给奥巴马。
In addition to minorities, both women and young people were more likely to support the president than Mister Romney. Researcher Scott Rasmussen says there is an age difference in American politics. He says people over the age of forty were more likely to support Mister Romney. And, people under forty were more likely to vote for Mister Obama.
除了少数族裔，妇女和年轻人也都更有可能支持奥巴马。研究员斯科特·拉斯穆森（Scott Rasmussen）表示，美国政治中存在年龄差异。他说，40岁以上的人更有可能支持罗姆尼，而40岁以下的人更有可能投票给奥巴马。
The president is facing a number of difficult issues as he prepares for his second term. They include the size of the federal budget deficit.
奥巴马准备就任第二任期的同时面临着许多棘手问题，其中包括联邦预算赤字规模。
Mr. Obama and Congress will have to bury political differences to solve what is being called "the fiscal cliff." In his first official speech since being re-elected, the president said he is calling on congressional leaders for talks at the White House next week. They will discuss how to avoid the required spending cuts and tax increases that would affect all American workers on January first.
奥巴马和国会必须消除政治分歧以解决所谓的“财政悬崖。”在当选连任后的第一次正式讲话中，奥巴马总统表示，他呼吁国会领导人下周到白宫会谈。他们将讨论如何避免1月1日既定的削减开支和增加税收措施，这将影响到所有美国雇员。
"What the American people are looking for is cooperation, their looking for consensus, they're looking for common sense. Most of all they want action. I intend to deliver for them in my second term. And I expect to find willing partners in both parties. So let's get to work."
“美国人民正在寻求合作，寻求共识。他们中的多数人希望有所行动。我打算在第二个任期内给他们带去行动。我期望在两党中都找到有意愿的合作伙伴。让我们着手进行吧。”
In the elections Tuesday, Republicans lost a few seats in the House of Representatives, but not enough to lose their majority. Mr. Obama's Democratic Party still controls the Senate.
在周二的选举中，共和党失去了众议院的几个席位，但尚未失去多数派地位。奥巴马所在的民主党仍控制参议院。
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