Democratic convention: Michelle Obama blasts Trump

18 Aug 2020

BBC NEWS

Michelle Obama has launched a stinging attack on US President Donald Trump as Democrats prepared to crown Joe Biden as their White House challenger.

Democratic convention：民主党大会

blast  /blɑːst/ n. 爆炸；冲击波；一阵；vi. 猛攻；vt. 爆炸；损害；使枯萎

sting /stɪŋ/ adj. 激烈的；刺人的；刺一样的

"Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country," said the former US first lady in an emotional recorded message to the Democratic convention.

Disaffected members of Mr Trump's Republican party also piled in on him at the Democratic party conference.

Pile in塞进；挤入  Pile：n. 堆；大量；建筑群；vt. 累积；打桩于；vi. 挤；堆积；积累

The election takes place on Tuesday 3 November.

Because of the coronavirus outbreak, Democrats scrapped plans for a crowded party extravaganza with balloon drops and all the other political razzmatazz in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Scrap n. 碎片；残余物；打架；少；vt. 废弃；使解体；拆毁；adj. 废弃的；零碎的；vi. 吵架

extravaganza /ɪkˌstrævəˈɡænzə/ n. 狂妄的言行；内容狂妄的作品；铺张华丽的表演

razzmatazz n.   /ˌræzməˈtæz/  令人眼花缭乱的活动

Milwaukee /mɪlˈwɔːki/ （美国）密尔沃基

But it is unclear whether the largely virtual schedule of pre-recorded speeches with no live audience can generate the same level of enthusiasm as pre-pandemic gatherings of the party faithful.

Republicans will face the same challenge as they make their case for four more years in the White House at a drastically scaled-down convention next week.

scale-down与scale-up是反义词，成比例缩小--成比例扩大

What did Michelle Obama say?

Mrs Obama, who recorded her keynote address before Mr Biden announced his running mate, senator Kamala Harris, six days ago, launched a blistering attack on Mr Trump.

blistering adj.   /ˈblɪstərɪŋ/  

1.(describing actions in sport) done very fast or with great energy （描述体育动作）迅速的，劲头十足的 •The runners set off at a blistering pace. 赛跑运动员如脱缰野马般起跑了。

2.extremely hot in a way that is uncomfortable 酷热的 •a blistering July day 七月的一个大热天

3.very critical 言辞激烈的；尖刻的 •a blistering attack 激烈的抨击

"You simply cannot fake your way through this job," she said in remarks that closed the first night of the convention on Monday.

The headline speaker added: "Our economy is in shambles because of a virus that this president downplayed for too long."

shamble v. /ˈʃæmbl/ vi. 蹒跚地走；摇晃不稳；摇摇晃晃地走；n. 蹒跚；摇晃的脚步

"Stating the simple fact that a black life matters is still met with derision from the nation's highest office," Mrs Obama continued.

derision n. /dɪˈrɪʒn/  a strong feeling that sb/sth is ridiculous and not worth considering seriously, shown by laughing in an unkind way or by making unkind remarks 嘲笑；取笑；奚落

"Because whenever we look to this White House for some leadership, or consolation or any semblance of steadiness, what we get instead is chaos, division and a total and utter lack of empathy."

consolation  n. /ˌkɒnsəˈleɪʃn/  使感到安慰的人（或事）；安慰；慰藉

semblance n.   /ˈsembləns/  ~ of sth ( formal ) a situation in which sth seems to exist although this may not, in fact, be the case 表象；假象；外观；外貌

utter /ˈʌtə(r)/ adj. 完全的；彻底的；无条件的 v. 说出；发出，表达；发射；使用伪钞

empathy n. /ˈempəθi/  ~ (with sb/sth)~ (for sb/sth)~ (between A and B) the ability to understand another person's feelings, experience, etc. 同感；共鸣；同情

She said the last four years had been difficult to explain to America's children.

"They see our leaders labelling fellow citizens enemies of the state, while emboldening torch-bearing white supremacists.

embolden  v. /ɪmˈbəʊldən/ [ usually passive ] ( formal ) to make sb feel braver or more confident 使增加勇气；使更有胆量；使更有信心

Supremacist  n. /suːˈpreməsɪst/  /sjuː‑/  a person who believes that their own race is better than others and should be in power 种族优越论者 • a white supremacist 白人至上主义者

"They watch in horror as children are torn from their families and thrown into cages and pepper spray and rubber bullets are used on peaceful protests for a photo op."

photo op媒体拍照机会（photo opportunity）

Mrs Obama continued: "Donald Trump is the wrong president for our country. He has had more than enough time to prove that he can do the job, but he is clearly in over his head.

"He simply cannot be who we need him to be for us. It is what it is."

She described Mr Biden as a "profoundly decent man", touting the Democratic White House candidate's experience as vice-president under her husband, President Barack Obama.

tout /taʊt/  

1.[ VN ] ~ sb/sth (as sth)标榜；吹捧；吹嘘 •She's being touted as the next leader of the party. 她被吹捧为该党的下一任领导人。

2.~ (for sth) 兜售；推销 •the problem of unlicensed taxi drivers touting for business at airports 没有执照的出租汽车司机在机场揽生意的问题

3.（尤指在剧院、体育场等外）倒卖高价票，卖黑市票

4. Tout=ticket tout :（音乐会、体育比赛等的）卖高价票的人，票贩子

"We have got to vote for Joe Biden like our lives depend on it," she said, wearing a necklace that said "Vote".

An emotional punch

Punch：n. 冲压机；打洞器；钻孔机；vt. 开洞；以拳重击；vi. 用拳猛击

1.ˌpunch ˈin/ˈout：用记时卡登录（上、下班）时间；刷记时卡

2.ˌpunch sth←→ˈinˌpunch sth ˈinto sth：将（信息）键入计算机 •He punched in the security code. 他把密码输入电脑。

3.ˌpunch sb ˈout 将某人击倒

4.ˌpunch sth←→ˈout

(1) to press a combination of buttons or keys on a computer, telephone, etc. 按键（输入号码等） •He picked up the telephone and punched out his friend's number. 他拿起电话，拨打朋友的电话号码。

(2) to make a hole in sth or knock sth out by hitting it very hard 在…上打孔；打掉

emotional punch：感情冲击，感情牌

A lot of politicians spoke at the camera during the "virtual" Democratic convention on Monday night. The only speaker who landed an emotional punch, however, was Michelle Obama.

The truth, she said, was that Donald Trump "simply cannot be who we need him to be for us".

"It is what it is," she said, employing the same words the president recently used about the coronavirus death toll - a jab that was as subtle as it was devastating.

Jab：/dʒæb/

动词：~ (sth) (in sb/sth)~ (at sth)~ sb/sth (with sth) to push a pointed object into sb/sth, or in the direction of sb/sth, with a sudden strong movement 戳；刺；捅；猛击  

名词：1.戳；刺；捅；用拳猛击•She gave him a jab in the stomach with her elbow. 她用胳膊肘猛顶他的肚子。•a boxer's left jab 拳击手的左刺拳 2.注射；接种；预防针 •a flu jab 流感预防针

subtle adj. /ˈsʌtl/  微妙的；精细的；敏感的；狡猾的；稀薄的

She wasn't trying to convince Republicans to switch sides. That was John Kasich's job.

She wasn't trying to get left-wing progressives to rally to Biden. Bernie Sanders handled that.

left-wing progressive：左翼进步人士，左翼激进派

rally /ˈræli/  

1.公众集会，群众大会（尤指支持某信念或政党的）•to attend/hold a rally 参加╱召集大会 •a peace/protest, etc. rally 和平集会、抗议集会等

2.（汽车、摩托车等的）拉力赛 •rally driving 公路赛车

3.( in tennis and similar sports 网球及类似项目 ) （争夺一分的）往返拍击；对打

4.( in sport or on the Stock Exchange 体育运动或证券交易 ) 止跌回升

5.~ (sb/sth) (around/behind/to sb/sth)召集；集合•The cabinet rallied behind the Prime Minister. 内阁团结一致支持首相。

6.复原；恢复健康；振作精神 •He never really rallied after the operation. 手术后，他根本没有真正康复。

7.( finance 财 ) ( especially of share prices or a country's money 尤指股票价格或货币 )价格回升；跌后回升•The pound rallied against the dollar. 英镑对美元的比值回升了。

8.rally ˈround/aˈroundˌrally ˈround/aˈround sb

( of a group of people 一群人 ) to work together in order to help sb who is in a difficult or unpleasant situation 团结在一起

Mrs Obama was speaking to loyal Democrats, some of whom may have stayed at home or voted for a third party in 2016, some of whom may be dispirited or scared this year.

dispirited adj. /dɪˈspɪrɪtɪd/  having no hope or enthusiasm 气馁的；垂头丧气的；心灰意懒的 • She looked tired and dispirited. 她显得疲倦而且神情沮丧。

Her goal was to drive home the gravity of the moment and to give them a call to action.

What else happened on Monday?

The opening night of the convention, a two-hour programme hosted by former Desperate Housewives actress Eva Longoria Baston, was titled by party organisers "We the People".

Desperate Housewives：绝望主妇（美剧）

John Kasich, a former Ohio governor who ran against Mr Trump in 2016, recorded a message calling on Americans to deny the president a second term in office.

Mr Kasich endorsed Mr Biden, saying: "We can all see what's going on in our country today and all the questions that are facing us, and no one person or party has all the answers.

"But what we do know is that we can do better than what we've been seeing today, for sure."

Bernie Sanders, the left-wing Vermont senator who was Mr Biden's fiercest competitor during the Democratic party's contest to pick a challenger to Mr Trump, also recorded a message.

Vermont senator：佛蒙特州参议员

He said: "My friends, I say to you, and to everyone who supported other candidates in this primary and to those who may have voted for Donald Trump in the last election: The future of our democracy is at stake. The future of our economy is at stake. The future of our planet is at stake."

He added: "Nero fiddled while Rome burned - Trump golfs."

at stake：危如累卵；处于危险中；在紧要关头

fiddle  /ˈfɪdl/  

1.[ V ] ~ (with sth) （尤指厌烦或紧张地）不断摸弄，不停摆弄 •He was fiddling with his keys while he talked to me. 和我谈话时他不停地摆弄钥匙。

2. ( informal ) 篡改；伪造；对…做手脚 •to fiddle the accounts 篡改账目

3.( informal ) to play music on the violin 拉小提琴

Nero fiddled while Rome burned ：Nero尼禄（古罗马暴君）这句话直译是尼禄拉琴时罗马正在燃烧。这是一个典故，据传尼禄荒淫无道，性喜奢华，残暴嗜血，被称作“嗜血的尼禄”，但酷爱艺术，本人就是一个诗人、剧作者、演唱者与竖琴演奏者。在他在位期间，罗马发生大火，全城波及，死伤无数，最大嫌疑人被认为是尼禄自己。大家认为他想要扩建宫殿，但周围都是平民住宅区。为达成目的，派人夜间纵火烧毁房屋。事后污蔑基督徒，大肆捕杀基督徒。

 "Nero fiddled while Rome burned - Trump golfs."这句话将川普比成尼禄暴君，高尔夫类比竖琴，美国类比罗马。暗示川普暴虐无道，美国要被川普给作没了。

Along with Mr Kasich, three other high-profile Republicans recorded messages for the convention's opening night: California businesswoman Meg Whitman, former New Jersey Governor Christine Whitman and former New York congresswoman Susan Molinari.

While their inclusion left the Biden team claiming a broad coalition, some Democrats grumbled that the Republicans used up precious time that could have benefited progressive speakers or lesser-known rising stars.

coalition  n. /ˌkəʊəˈlɪʃn/ 联合；结合，合并

grumble    /ˈɡrʌmbl/  

1.~ (at/to sb) (about/at sb/sth) 咕哝；嘟囔；发牢骚

•She's always grumbling to me about how badly she's treated at work. 她总是向我抱怨她在工作中如何受亏待。 •They kept grumbling that they were cold. 他们不停地嘟囔着说冷。

2. to make a deep continuous sound 咕隆；发轰隆声

lesser-known：较罕为人知的

But Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana congressman and Biden campaign co-chairman, rejected that idea, saying, "remember tonight's theme is 'We the People,' not 'We the Democrats'".

The opening night also featured pre-recorded messages from everyday Americans, including repentant Trump voters and a woman who blamed her father's death from Covid-19 on the president.

repentant  adj. /rɪˈpentənt/ ：feeling or showing that you are sorry for sth wrong that you have done 后悔的；悔过的；表示悔改的

How did President Trump hit back?

Speaking to the BBC on Air Force One as he flew back from a trip to the presidential swing-voting states of Minnesota and Wisconsin, Mr Trump lashed out at Mr Kasich.

lash out ：1. 猛击• Riot police fired in the air and lashed out with clubs to disperse hundreds of demonstrators. 防暴警察向空中开了枪，并猛击警棍来驱散数百名示威者。2.If you lash out at someone or something, you speak to them or about them very angrily or critically. 痛斥

"He was a loser as a Republican, and he'll be a loser as a Democrat," the president said on Monday. "The guy was a major loser as a Republican."

During a campaign speech earlier in the day in Mankato, Minnesota, Mr Trump warned that if Mr Biden won in November, news outlets would lose their audiences.

Mankato /mæ'keitəu/ n. 曼卡多（美国明尼苏达城市名）

"Nobody's going to want to cover sleepy Joe," Mr Trump said. "We will end up with one very boring socialist country that will go to hell."

Mr Trump on Monday also confirmed he would accept the Republican nomination for a second term during a live speech at the White House next week.

His plans have been criticised by Democrats and even some fellow Republicans.

How will the rest of the Democratic convention play out?

The four-night jamboree will culminate in Mr Biden's speech on Thursday in a mostly empty ballroom in his home state of Delaware.

jamboree n. /ˌdʒæmbəˈriː/  

1.a large party or celebration 大型聚会；庆祝会 •the movie industry's annual jamboree at Cannes 在戛纳举行的一年一度的影展

2.a large meeting of Scouts or Guides 童子军大会；女童子军大会

culminate v. /ˈkʌlmɪneɪt/  ~ (in/with sth) ( formal ) to end with a particular result, or at a particular point （以某种结果）告终；（在某一点）结束

On Wednesday, his vice-presidential pick, Ms Harris, the daughter of immigrant parents from India and Jamaica, will accept her nomination as the first woman of colour to be a running mate on a major party presidential ticket.

Also speaking on Wednesday are former President Obama, Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic nominee, and one of Mr Biden's former rivals, senator Elizabeth Warren.

nominee n.  /ˌnɒmɪˈniː/  a person who has been formally suggested for a job, a prize, etc. 被提名人；被任命者

Tuesday will hear speeches from former President Bill Clinton and congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.