奥巴马首次竞选活动炮轰共和党
President Barack Obama has made his first campaign trip of 2012, taking his re-election campaign to Ohio, one of the states where the election is likely to be decided. The president defied Republican lawmakers by announcing a key appointment over their objections.
美国总统奥巴马开始了2012年的首次竞选之旅，他来到中北部俄亥俄州展开竞选连任活动，俄亥俄州是对选举有决定性影响的州之一。奥巴马不顾共和党的反对宣布了一项关键的人事任命，惹怒了共和党议员。
A day after the first battle in the presidential election, President Obama directly confronted the opposition Republicans Wednesday by appointing a director for the new U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
就在总统选举第一场仗的一天后，奥巴马总统星期三因为任命美国消费者金融保护局新负责人而与反对党共和党正面交锋。
The president had nominated former Ohio attorney general Richard Cordray to lead the financial watchdog agency last July. But Senate Republicans refused to confirm him, saying the agency would be too powerful and unaccountable.
奥巴马总统去年7月提名前俄亥俄州检察总长理查德.科德雷为金融监督机关负责人，但参议院共和党人拒绝批准，说这个机关会权力过大且无法负责任。
Mr. Obama told a crowd at a suburban high school the U.S. financial industry needs more regulation, not less.
奥巴马对郊区一所高中的群众说，美国金融业需要更多规范，不是更少规范。
“The only reason Republicans in the Senate have blocked Richard is because they do not agree with the law that set up a consumer watchdog in the first place," said President Obama. "They want to weaken the law. They want to water it down.”
奥巴马说：“参议院共和党人阻挡理查德的唯一原因是，他们一开始就不同意设立消费者监督机关的法律。他们想削弱法律，想减弱它的影响力。”
The president, frustrated by the blocked nomination, Wednesday sidestepped the Senate and appointed Cordray.
奥巴马总统因为提名遭阻挡而受挫，于是星期三绕过参议院的批准直接任命了科德雷。
“When Congress refuses to act and as a result hurts our economy and puts people at risk, then I have an obligation as president to do what I can without them," said Obama.
奥巴马说：“当国会拒绝行动，致使经济受损，使人民处于危险中，我身为总统有义务在他们缺席的情况下完成行动。”
Angry Republican lawmakers were quick to react, saying the president overstepped his authority in making the appointment.
愤怒的共和党议员迅速作出了回应，说总统的任命逾越了他的权力。
A so-called recess appointment can only be made when the Senate is out of session. Republicans say that since Senators have been meeting every three days, the Senate is in session. The White House disagrees.
所谓的休会任命只有在参议院休会期间才能进行。共和党人说，参议员每三天就开会，表示参议院现在是在会期中。白宫不同意这样的说法。
In a written statement, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell called Mr. Obama’s move an “unprecedented power grab” that “arrogantly circumvented the American people.”
参议院少数党领袖麦康奈尔发表了一份书面声明，称呼奥巴马此举是“前所未有的夺权之举”，“傲慢地绕过了美国人民”。
A statement from House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said he expects the courts to find the appointment to be illegitimate.
众议院议长贝纳的声明则说，他期待法院裁定任命案是不合法的。House Republicans have asked Cordray to testify before Congress later this month.
参议院共和党人已经要求科德雷在本月晚些时候到国会作证。
Mr. Obama spoke one day after Republican contenders Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum finished in a virtual first place tie in the Iowa caucuses, with Ron Paul coming in a close third.
奥巴马在共和党爱奥华州初选结束，罗穆尼和桑托罗姆实际上并列第一，罗恩·保罗名列第三之后，发表讲话。
Mr. Obama’s visit to Ohio enabled him to take his campaign to one of the states that could decide whether he is re-elected this November.
奥巴马总统在俄亥俄州的访问，意味着他开始在对他今年11月能否当选连任有决定性影响的几个州从事竞选活动。
Much of his speech focused on the president’s advocacy of the middle class, a theme he is likely to highlight throughout the campaign.
奥巴马演讲的大部分内容都是强调他是如何维护中产阶级权益的，这可能是他未来竞选活动中突出强调的一个主题。
“I promise to do everything I can, every day, every minute, every second, to make sure this is a country where hard work and responsibility mean something and everybody can get ahead," said President Obama.
奥巴马说：“我承诺要尽我所能，每时每刻都要努力确保这是一个任何人努力尽责都深具意义，都能出人头地的国家。”
With the Iowa caucuses over, the Republican candidates will battle next in New Hampshire, then South Carolina and Florida, which all have primary elections this month. The candidates have spent much of the campaign so far criticizing Mr. Obama and the Democrats because of the country's weak economy and high unemployment rate.
共和党爱奥华州初选已过，共和党参选人下一步又将在新罕布什尔州进行选战。然后还有南卡罗来纳州和佛罗里达州，这些州的初选都将于本月举行。到目前为止，候选人都卯尽全力，为美国的经济疲弱和失业率居高不下的问题，批评奥巴马总统和民主党。
The president is unopposed for the Democratic Party nomination.
而奥巴马总统却是民主党毫无异议的下届总统候选人。
