Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama forcefully rejected the idea of running as Hillary Clinton's vice presidential running mate Monday. Obama's comments came in the wake of suggestions from the Clinton campaign that the two candidates form a dream ticket, with Clinton in the top spot.

競爭美國民主黨總統(tǒng)候選人提名的奧巴馬參議員星期一斷然拒絕了有關(guān)作為希拉里.克林頓的副總統(tǒng)競選夥伴的建議。在此之前，從克林頓競選班子里傳出這兩位民主黨參選人結(jié)成以希拉里為主的夢幻組合的建議。

Campaigning in Mississippi in advance of Tuesday's primary, Obama left no doubt that he rejects the idea of joining a ticket in which he would agree to be the vice presidential running mate of Hillary Clinton.

奧巴馬在星期二密西西比州即將舉行初選之前舉行了競選活動。他斷然拒絕了有關(guān)讓他作為希拉里.克林頓的副總統(tǒng)競選搭檔結(jié)成一個組合的建議。

"With all due respect, I have won twice as many states as Senator Clinton," said Obama. "I have won more of the popular vote than Senator Clinton. I have more delegates than Senator Clinton. So, I do not know how somebody who is in second place is offering the vice presidency to the person who is in first place."

奧巴馬說：“在我對克林頓表示應(yīng)有尊重的同時，我想指出，我贏得的州是克林頓贏得的州的兩倍。我比克林頓參議員贏得了更多的黨內(nèi)代表的票數(shù)。所以，我不理解一個屈居第二的參選人居然提出讓一個名列前茅的人作她的副總統(tǒng)競選夥伴。”

Obama's comments came after remarks from Hillary Clinton last week suggesting the possibility of the two rivals running together on the same ticket, with Clinton in the top spot.

在奧巴馬發(fā)表這番講話之前，克林頓參議員上星期暗示，兩名競爭對手?jǐn)y手組成一個搭檔，以克林頓為首。

"I have had people say, I wish I could vote for both of you," she said. "Well, that might be possible someday."

克林頓說：“我曾聽人說，‘我希望我能夠投票給你們兩位’。好啊，希望將來有這種可能性。”

Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, also promoted the idea, noting that each contender would bring strengths to a combined ticket.

希拉里.克林頓的丈夫、前總統(tǒng)比爾.克林頓也贊賞這個主意。他指出，如果兩人聯(lián)合起來，兩位競爭者將帶來各自獨(dú)特的優(yōu)勢。

"He would win the urban areas and the upscale voters, and she wins the traditional rural areas that we lost when President Reagan was president," he said. "If you put those two things together, you have an almost unstoppable force."

前總統(tǒng)克林頓說：“奧巴馬會贏得都市區(qū)和高層次的選民的支持，希拉里則能夠得到傳統(tǒng)農(nóng)村地區(qū)選民的支持，這部分選民是我們在里根當(dāng)總統(tǒng)的時候失去的。如果我們能夠把兩股力量凝聚在一起，我們的力量幾乎是不可阻擋的。”

Clinton and Obama are engaged in a close battle for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination. Obama continues to lead the delegate count by about 100 following his victory Saturday in the Wyoming caucuses.

希拉里.克林頓和奧巴馬爭奪民主黨總統(tǒng)候選人提名的競爭難分勝負(fù)。奧巴馬星期六在懷俄明州黨內(nèi)預(yù)選中獲勝，黨代表票數(shù)繼續(xù)領(lǐng)先，他比克林頓多大約100票。

Obama is favored to do well in the Mississippi primary on Tuesday, while Clinton hopes to regain her momentum with a victory in the Pennsylvania primary on April 22. Opinion polls there give her the lead.

奧巴馬被看好星期二在密西西比州的初選中取勝，而克林頓希望在4月22號賓夕法尼亞州的初選中再次推動勝利的勢頭。

Clinton has questioned whether Obama is ready to serve as president and commander in chief, and that line of attack may have helped her win last week's primaries in Texas and Ohio.

克林頓質(zhì)疑奧巴馬是否勝任總統(tǒng)和三軍統(tǒng)帥，這些攻擊可能幫助了她上星期贏得德克薩斯和俄亥俄州的初選。

But Obama tried to turn that around Monday by asking why would Clinton want him as her vice presidential running mate if he is not fit to serve as commander in chief?

可是奧巴馬試圖在星期一扭轉(zhuǎn)局勢。他質(zhì)問克林頓，如果他不適合擔(dān)任三軍統(tǒng)帥的話，克林頓為什么要請他作競選夥伴當(dāng)副總統(tǒng)候選人。

"Getting all the [retired] generals to say, well, we are not sure he is ready," he said. "I am ready on day one. He may not be ready yet. But I do not understand. If I am not ready, how is it that you think I should be such a great vice president? Do you understand that?"

他說：“讓所有退休將軍說，我們不確定他是否勝任，而我從第一天起就準(zhǔn)備好了，他可能還沒有準(zhǔn)備好。可是我不明白，如果我不能勝任，那么，你為什么認(rèn)為我會成為一個很好的副總統(tǒng)呢？你們大家明白嗎？”

The Clinton camp had suggested that a combined ticket would be formidable against the presumed Republican nominee, Senator John McCain. But Obama told supporters Monday in Mississippi that Democrats must choose between the two of them for the party nomination.

克林頓陣營建議奧巴馬和克林頓聯(lián)合起來，這樣會有更大的力量來擊敗預(yù)測中的共和黨提名人約翰.麥凱恩參議員。可是，奧巴馬星期一在密西西比對支持者說，民主黨必須在他和克林頓兩個人當(dāng)中選擇總統(tǒng)候選人。

Political experts believe the idea of a joint ticket, in either combination, could remain viable if the Democratic race remains close right up until the national nominating convention in Denver in late August.

John Fortier is an expert on U.S. politics at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington and a recent guest on VOA's Encounter program.

"The bitterness also will be interesting to watch if we really do come to a very, very close resolution where the candidates feel that they have to come together as a ticket," said Fortier. "It is in some ways unbelievable that they would come together, and yet in other ways it seems almost the way to resolve those differences. And that will be a drama, if it plays out that way, that we will be watching in June or July."

Political rivals have joined forces in the past after bitter presidential campaigns with positive results. Republican candidate Ronald Reagan chose George H.W. Bush as his running mate in 1980, and Democrat John Kennedy did the same in 1960 when he picked Lyndon Johnson as his vice presidential candidate.

以往，政治對手曾經(jīng)在艱苦的總統(tǒng)選戰(zhàn)后聯(lián)合起來，獲得積極效果。1980年，共和黨總統(tǒng)候選人里根選擇老布什做為他的競選夥伴。1960年民主黨人肯尼迪也同樣選擇約翰遜當(dāng)他的副總統(tǒng)候選人。