VOA双语新闻 Bush, Kerry Debate Domestic Issues

President Bush and challenger John Kerry clashed over the economy, taxes and health care, Wednesday evening, in the final debate of the presidential campaign.

美国总统布什和他的挑战者克里参议员在星期三晚上进行第三场，也是最后一场辩论。双方在经济和社会问题上针锋相对、各抒已见。

From illegal immigration to the outsourcing of jobs, the candidates sparred on issue after issue. On taxes, President Bush characterized his opponent as a tax-hiking liberal. The president says his own tax plan has brought relief to middle-income families, and has helped to turn around a poor economy.

两位总统候选人在一个又一个问题上针锋相对、各抒已见，辩论的问题从非法移民到企业把生产合同外包到海外。在税收问题上，布什总统把他的辩论对手说成是提高税收的自由派。布什说，他的税收计划为中产阶级家庭带来了财政上的舒缓，大大扭转了不良的国家经济。

"People listening out there know the benefit of the tax cuts we passed," President Bush noted 1. "If you have a child, you got tax relief. If you're married, you got tax relief. If you pay any tax at all, you got tax relief - all of which was opposed by my opponent."

他说：“正在听我们辩论的人都知道我们的减税收计划带来的好处。如果你有孩子，你的税就减少了；如果你结了婚，你的税就减少了；如果你交了税，你的税就减少了。所有这一切都是我竞选对手反对的。”

President Bush says the United States has added nearly two million jobs in the past 13 months, but Senator Kerry blamed the president for massive job losses during his term in office."This is the first president in 72 years to preside over an economy in America that has lost jobs - 1.6 million jobs," said Senator Kerry. "Eleven other presidents - six Democrats 3 and five Republicans - had wars, had recessions, had great difficulties. None of them lost jobs the way this president has."

布什总统说，在过去的13个月里，美国增加了将近两百万个就业机会。但是克里参议员则指责布什总统在他的总统任期内丧失了大量的就业机会。克里参议员说：“这是72年来第一位在自己的任期内使美国经济减少了就业机会的总统，一百六十万个就业机会。其他11位总统，包括六位民主党人、五位共和党人在任内经历过战争、经历过经济萧条，以及其它巨大困难，但是没有一个人象现在的这位总统那样使美国的就业机会减少了。”

This debate focused on domestic issues, but touched on terrorism, homeland security, and American troop deployment 4. Mr. Kerry has proposed expanding the military by two active-duty divisions. Mr. Kerry accused the president of showing "bad judgment," and said American forces are "overextended." The Democrat 2 renewed his charge that the Bush Administration failed to build an international alliance. "The most important thing to relieve the pressure on all of our armed forces is frankly 5 to run a foreign policy that recognizes that America is strongest when we are working with real alliances," he said.

这场辩论主要集中在国内问题，但是也涉及到恐怖主义、国土安全、以及美国部队的部署等其它问题。克里参议员建议美国武装部队增加两个现役师。克里指责布什总统“判断不佳”，并且说，美国部队已经捉襟见肘。这位民主党总统候选人再次指责布什政府没有能够建立起一个国际联盟。他说：“解脱我们武装部队压力的最重要的一点是：坦白地说，就是我们执行的对外政策应该主张，只有在我们和真正的盟友协作的时候，美国才最强大。”

President Bush said freedom is on the march in Afghanistan and that the Iraqi regime of Saddam Hussein has been held to account. He noted that Afghanistan has just held a democratic election.

布什总统说，自由事业正在阿富汗向前推进，伊拉克的萨达姆政权受到惩罚。他指出，阿富汗刚刚举行了一次民主选举。

This debate was held in Arizona, where illegal immigration is an issue. Both candidates endorse 6 a temporary-worker program for foreign nationals. Mr. Kerry would also legalize the status of long-term residents who entered the United States illegally. Mr. Bush opposes that."I don't believe we ought to have amnesty. I don't think we ought to reward illegal behavior," stated President Bush. "There are plenty of people standing 7 in line to become a citizen, and we ought not to crowd these people ahead of them in line."

This debate was important for both candidates. They are virtually tied in the polls, with less than three weeks to go before the November 2 election. The focus for both in coming days will be the so-called swing states, such as Florida, Nevada, Oregon, and Wisconsin, where pollsters say either candidate could win.

这次辩论对两位候选人来说都非常重要。在距离11月2号大选还有不到三个星期的情况下，民意调查显示他们两人基本上是旗鼓相当。在选举日到来之前，他们将把主要精力集中在所谓的左右摇摆不定的州，例如佛罗里达州、内华达州、俄勒冈州和威斯康辛州。民意调查人员说，在这些州里，两位候选人中任何一人都可能获胜。