羅姆尼、佩裏和巴克曼領先共和黨總統參選人

In U.S. politics, the crowded Republican presidential field is beginning to clarify, following a test vote in Iowa on Saturday and the addition of Texas Governor Rick Perry to the race.

在美國的政壇，隨着8月13日星期六愛奧華州的一次測試性投票以及德克薩斯州州長裏克·佩裏宣佈參選，衆多的共和黨總統競選人的競爭態勢開始明朗。

Political experts say the Republican race for the moment features three contenders who stand above the rest of the crowded field-former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Texas Governor Rick Perry and Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann.

政治專家表示，目前共和黨總統參選人的競爭態勢顯示出，三名競選人明顯領先於其他參選人，這三人分別是前麻薩諸塞州州長米特·羅姆尼、德克薩斯州州長裏克·佩裏以及來自明尼蘇達州的國會女衆議員米歇爾·巴克曼。

Bachmann got a boost with her victory in the Iowa Republican straw poll, a test vote for the contenders that could serve as a preview for Iowa’s important presidential caucus vote early next year.

巴克曼在愛奧華州舉行的意向性投票中贏得勝利，這大大提升了她的選情。那是一次測試性的投票，對於參選人來說，那次投票可以被視爲明年年初愛奧華州重要的總統候選人黨內初選的一次預演。

“Obama is my strategy. I intend to be the nominee of the Republican Party and to take him on and defeat him in 2012,” she said.

巴克曼說：“奧巴馬是我的戰略考量。我希望成爲共和黨的總統候選人，和奧巴馬決一雌雄，在2012年大選中擊敗他。”

But Bachmann’s victory was overshadowed somewhat by the entrance into the race of Texas Governor Rick Perry.

但是，巴克曼的勝利在某種程度上由於德克薩斯州州長佩裏的中途加入而有些失色。

“I believe in America. I believe in her purpose and in her promise,"Perry said. "I believe her best days have not yet been lived. And with your help and the grace of God, we will get America working again.”

佩裏說：“我信仰美國。我信仰她的目標和她的承諾。我相信她的黃金歲月仍然沒有結束。在你們的幫助下，憑藉着上帝的恩典，我們將再次讓美國崛起。”

Like Bachmann, Perry appeals to both social conservatives and Tea Party activists who want to reduce the size of the federal government.

對於社會保守派和希望縮減聯邦政府規模的茶黨活動人士來說佩裏和巴克曼很有吸引力。

Perry also hopes to win support from economic conservatives who have favored the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

佩裏還希望能夠贏得一直青睞共和黨競選陣營的領跑者、前麻薩諸塞州州長羅姆尼的經濟保守人士的支持。

Romney has been concentrating his fire on President Barack Obama.

羅姆尼一直集中他的火力抨擊奧巴馬總統。

“I saw this morning that his approval ratings are at an all-time low for him. That is not because he is not campaigning. It is because he is not leading," he said. "The American people need a president who will lead this economy back to vitality.”

他說：“我今天早晨看到，他的支持率處於歷來最低的水平。這不是因爲他沒有發起競選，而是因爲他沒有領導能力。美國人民需要一位能讓經濟重現生機的總統。”Experts say Perry’s decision to enter the race has shaken up the fight for the nomination. Matthew Dowd, an ABC News political analyst who worked for former-President George W. Bush, predicts Rick Perry will be a formidable candidate.

專家們表示，佩裏決定參選，已經使共和黨內提名選戰感到震動。馬修·道德是美國廣播公司的一位政治分析家，他曾經爲前總統小布什效力。他預測佩裏將成爲一位令人畏懼的參選人。

“This guy is an incredible campaigner and for me, having watched George Bush and having worked for George Bush and having known Rick Perry, he is actually a better campaigner at this point than George Bush was,” he said.

他說：“這個人是一位不可思議的競選家，對我來說，曾經目睹了喬治·布什的競選，曾經爲布什工作，也熟悉佩裏。他實際上是比喬治·布什更好的競選家。”

Romney has a narrow lead among the Republican contenders in public-opinion polls, but many conservatives are skeptical of his record as governor of Democratic-leaning Massachusetts and are looking for a more conservative alternative.

民調顯示，在共和黨的參選者當中，羅姆尼處於稍微領先的地位，但是很多保守派人士對他在傾向於民主黨的麻薩諸塞州擔任州長時的記錄感到懷疑，並且正尋找一位能夠替代羅姆尼的、更加保守的候選人。

“So they are looking for this other candidate, this other person to stand against Mitt Romney," said Reid Wilson, editor of the Hotline political newsletter. "Rick Perry represents that perfect opportunity. He has got a good relationship with the evangelical base and he is the only Republican who has won a statewide primary really running on the sort of Tea Party mold.”

裏德·威爾遜是熱線政治通訊的編輯，他在CSPAN美國公共事務電視網的節目中說：“所以他們正在尋找另外這名候選人，尋找另外這名能夠對抗羅姆尼的候選人。佩裏的出現代表了這個絕佳的機會。他和福音派選民基本盤有着良好的關係，他是唯一在全州範圍內按照茶黨模式舉行的初選中獲勝的共和黨人。”

Perry is popular with conservatives, but some Republicans wonder if he can appeal to the type of moderate voters so often needed to win presidential elections. Perry will be tested in the weeks ahead, since three Republican presidential debates are scheduled in September alone.

佩裏在保守派當中很受歡迎，但是一些共和黨人懷疑他，是否能夠獲得通常對贏得總統選舉很重要的溫和選民的青睞。僅僅在9月，共和黨預定就將舉辦三場總統競選辯論，因此，佩裏在接下來的幾周內將受到考驗。