共和黨參選人超級星期二決戰

In U.S. presidential politics, the four remaining Republican contenders are headed for a major showdown Tuesday when 10 states hold primary or caucus votes on the same day, with as many as 437 delegates at stake to the Republican nominating convention in August. The so-called Super Tuesday slate of contests will be a crucial test for the top two Republican candidates, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

在美國的總統競選活動中，共和黨內剩下的4位總統參選人將於下週二展開決戰，10個州的共和黨人將在同一天的初選或黨團會議中進行投票。這次所謂的超級星期二競選對於共和黨內兩名領先的參選人來講是至關重要的，這兩位參選人分別是前麻薩諸塞州州長羅姆尼和來自賓夕法尼亞州的前聯邦參議員桑托勒姆。

Super Tuesday is the single biggest primary day of the year and the outcome will likely have a big impact on the Republican race.

超級星期二是今年規模最大的一個初選日。它的結果可能將對共和黨的競選產生重大影響。

Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney is hoping to build on the Momentum from his victories in Arizona and Michigan and solidify his status as the clear frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination.

前麻薩諸塞州州長羅姆尼希望憑藉他在亞利桑那州和密西根州的勝利勢頭，鞏固他爭取共和黨總統候選人提名的領先地位。

“And the reason I am running in this race is to restore America’s promise to make sure that every person in this room knows the future is bright, we will be prosperous; we will be free, and this will remain the greatest nation on earth," he said.

羅姆尼說：“我參加競選的原因是，要恢復美國的保證，確保所有美國人都知道前途是光明的，我們將要興旺發達，我們將是自由的，我們仍將是世界上最偉大的國家。”

Romney expects to do well in his home state of Massachusetts on Tuesday, plus Vermont and Virginia, where only he and Texas Congressman Ron Paul qualified for the ballot.

預料，羅姆尼星期二將在他自己的麻薩諸塞州取得佳績。另外，他在佛蒙特州和維吉尼亞州也將有良好的成績，在維吉尼亞，只有他和德克薩斯衆議員羅恩.保羅有資格參加競選。

Romney faces a challenge in several other states on Tuesday from former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.

星期二，羅姆尼在其他幾個州面臨前賓夕法尼亞州聯邦參議員桑托勒姆的挑戰。

Santorum will focus his efforts in Tennessee, Oklahoma and especially Ohio, where the latest polls give him a slight lead over Romney.

桑托勒姆將把精力集中在田納西州和俄克拉荷馬州，尤其是在俄亥俄州，因爲最新的民調顯示，他在俄亥俄州的支持率略微領先於羅姆尼。

Santorum continues to argue that he, and not Romney, is the true conservative in the Republican race.

桑托勒姆繼續爭辯說，他，而不是羅姆尼，纔是共和黨參選人中真正的保守派。

“What is a winning formula is having better ideas. Motivating the base of the Republican Party. Being authentic," he said. "Having the character to go out there and talk about core convictions in America.”

桑托勒姆說：“成功的模式就是要有更好的思想，要能激勵共和黨的基礎成員，要做一個真實的人，要有這樣的品質去和人們談論美國的核心信念。”Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich hopes for a rebound with a victory in his home state of Georgia, but for the moment Santorum has largely eclipsed him as the leading conservative alternative to Romney.

前美國衆議院議長金裏奇希望通過在他的家鄉佐治亞州取勝來得到反彈，可是目前，桑托勒姆作爲替代羅姆尼的一位主要的保守派人士基本上使金裏奇黯然失色。

Texas Congressman Ron Paul is hoping for a breakthrough in some of the smaller states voting on Tuesday like Idaho, Alaska and North Dakota.

德州衆議員羅恩.保羅希望在星期二投票的一些較小的州取得突破性進展，這些州包括愛達荷、阿拉斯加和北達科他。

Political strategist Matthew Dowd told ABC’s "Good Morning America" that Romney has an opportunity on Tuesday to solidify his status as the leading Republican contender.

政治戰略人士馬修.多德告訴美國廣播公司的早安美國節目，羅姆尼星期二有機會鞏固他在共和黨參選人當中的領先地位。

“First, he has got to win conservative votes. Second, he has got to put together a winning streak, and the third thing is he has got to be able to unite the party behind a positive message,” he said.

多德說：“他首先必須贏得保守派黨員的投票。其次，他必須創造出連勝的勢頭，第三就是，他必須通過正面的號召來統一全黨。”

Both Romney and Santorum are focused on economic issues, especially in the key primary showdown in Ohio.

羅姆尼和桑托勒姆都把焦點集中在經濟問題上，尤其要在初選的關鍵州俄亥俄展開決戰。

“Ohio voters are similar to Michigan voters in that they were hit very badly by the economy, and manufacturing jobs are key," said Jennifer Lawless, a political expert at American University in Washington. "If a candidate is not compelling on the economy, that candidate is not going to do well.”

Most analysts expect a split decision on Tuesday with Romney, Santorum and perhaps Gingrich emerging with some victories in the 10 states voting.

大多數分析人士預料，在星期二10個州的選舉中，羅姆尼和桑托勒姆可能會平分秋色。另外，金裏奇或許也能通過在一些州取勝而崛起。

Romney leads in the delegate count at the moment with more than 160 delegates supporting him, but it takes a total of 1,144 to secure the Republican nomination, meaning the Republican race is likely to go on well after Super Tuesday.

羅姆尼目前在贏得黨代會代表方面領先，已有160多名代表支持他。可是，他需要擁有1144名代表的支持纔能有把握獲得總統候選人提名。這就意味着，在超級星期二之後，共和黨內的競選活動還會繼續相當一段時間。