Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Down to the wire: On the run-up to the U.S. presidential election

Down to the wire: On the run-up to the U.S. presidential election

The U.S. presidential race (दौड़) is poised (संतुलित रहना) on a knife’s edge

A second, apparent (स्पष्ट, प्रत्यक्ष) attempt on the life of former U.S. President and Republican ((in the US) a member or supporter of the Republican Party (also referred to as the GOP); conservative, right winger. Grand Old Party (GOP) refers to the Republican Party) candidate for the White House, Donald Trump, has again lent an air of (to provide or give a feeling/impression/mood/quality of something) drama to the unfolding (develop, evolve, take place, happen, occur, transpire, emerge) U.S. election campaign (चुनाव प्रचार, अभियान). Unlike the first such attempt, in Pennsylvania in mid-July, and in which a shooter’s bullet hit Mr. Trump’s ear, a man with a rifle at the golf club where Mr. Trump was located was confronted (सामना करना) by the Secret Service and taken into custody (हिरासत, कारावास). While the two attempts may win Mr. Trump some sympathy (सहानुभूति) votes on November 5, it remains to be seen whether these incidents impact the public psyche (soul, spirit, mind, essential nature, intellect, true being, personality, individuality) sufficiently to tip (tilt, lean, slant, incline) the race in his favour. As it stands (as it turns out), the race between Mr. Trump and his Democratic rival (प्रतिद्वंद्वी, विरोधी), Vice-President Kamala Harris, is poised on a knife’s edge, with the latest national average of polls putting Ms. Harris ahead by three percentage points (प्रतिशत बिंदु) — 49%. Yet, analysts argue that the difference is not beyond the margin of statistical error, which would make it unwise to assume (मान लेना) a winner based on the current trend.

Leaving aside unexpected or shock events that could dramatically (नाटकीय रूप से) shift (बदलाव करना, परिवर्तन करना) the terms (condition, situation) of the race between now and voting day, the old election adage (कहावत, सूक्ति) and past statistical observation (निरीक्षण, निष्कर्ष) that a greater turnout (मतदान) may benefit Democrats ((in the US) a member or supporter of the Democratic Party; liberal) will likely (probably, certainly, presumably, doubtlessly) hold true in 2024. Indeed (in fact, actually, for sure, definitely, without (a) doubt), in the 2022 mid-term elections, the performance of Republicans, who were on a strong wicket (in a strong situation) after incumbent (current, existing, present (holder, bearer or occupant of an office)) President Joe Biden’s approval rating (a measure of people’s approval of a political leader) had fallen (drop, plunge, plummet, go down) to relatively (comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, in a certain degree, more or less) low levels, was dented by Democratic ((in the US) relating to a member or supporter of the Democratic Party; liberal) Party supporters who turned out in greater numbers in the wake of the Supreme Court decision overturning (nullify, annul, cancel, quash, revoke, overrule) Roe vs Wade on the federal (relating to a system of government in which establishments such as states or provinces share power with a national government) right to abortion (medical termination of pregnancy). Similarly, Democrats may have felt encouraged after the first Trump-Harris presidential debate, wherein (in which) Mr. Trump made unfounded allegations (accusation, charge, indictment) about immigrants (emigrant, migrant, settler, foreigner) eating the pets of Americans. Immigration reform has always been a thorny (problematic, tricky, delicate, controversial) issue that has punctured (collapse, cut short, reverse, flatten, reduce) the campaign of many a previous presidential candidate or the policy plans (a set of ideas or a plan for action followed by a government (or) a political party) of elected representatives (a member of a legislature (parliament/legislative assembly) ; legislator, lawmaker). Mr. Trump already alienated (set apart, isolate, distance, detach, separate, disunite; estrange, make hostile/make unfriendly) many voters during his first term and campaign when he implemented his so-called (supposed, claimed, professed, reported, ostensible) “Muslim ban” — travel to the U.S. from certain Muslim-majority nations — and made derogatory (insulting, abusive, disparaging, belittling, disrespectful, offensive, insulative, defamatory, abusive, libellous, pejorative) remarks about immigrants from Mexico and parts of Latin America. While it is clear that he intends (plan, aim, want) to continue down this path of racist (prejudiced, discriminatory, intolerant) nativism, it remains to be seen whether Ms. Harris will be able to offer a rational (logical, well reasoned, sensible, coherent, wise) and humane (compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, kind-hearted) border and asylum (protection provided by a foreign country to somebody who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to fear of persecution (harm, harassment or oppression)) policy for undocumented (not having the proper legal document) workers, including a reasonable and just path to citizenship for those who are productive members of American society. There is a palpable (visible, noticeable, perceivable, tangible, observable, discernible, obvious, evident, apparent) need for bipartisan (involving cooperation between two (opposite & big) political parties) politics and policy at this juncture (point in time, time/moment, stage).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.race (noun)

Hindi Meaning - दौड़
English Meaning - contest, competition; election (in this context).

2.poise (verb)

Hindi Meaning - संतुलित रहना
English Meaning - balance, hang, hang suspended, hang in mid-air.

3.apparent (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - स्पष्ट, प्रत्यक्ष
English Meaning - obvious, evident, noticeable, palpable, striking, glaring.

4.campaign (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चुनाव प्रचार, अभियान
English Meaning - canvassing, electioneering, an act of soliciting (asking for/requesting) votes; an organized effort that seeks to influence the decision-making progress within a specific group.

5.confront (verb)

Hindi Meaning - सामना करना
English Meaning - tackle, deal with, address, handle, take care of, manage.

6.custody (noun)

Hindi Meaning - हिरासत, कारावास
English Meaning - imprisonment, incarceration, arrest, remand, restraint, confinement.

7.sympathy (noun)

Hindi Meaning - सहानुभूति
English Meaning - support, favour, empathy, compassion, harmony, approval.

8.rival (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिद्वंद्वी, विरोधी
English Meaning - opponent, opposition, fellow contestant, nemesis, adversary.

9.percentage point (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिशत बिंदु
English Meaning - the difference between two percentages is termed as percentage point. (for example: “Interest Rates Jump From 10% to 12%”. In this case, the interest rate increased by “2 percentage points” or you can say that the interest rate is increased by 20%).

10.assume (verb)

Hindi Meaning - मान लेना
English Meaning - presume, suppose, guess, imagine, deduce, surmise.

11.dramatically (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - नाटकीय रूप से
English Meaning - rapidly, aggressively, abruptly.

12.shift (verb)

Hindi Meaning - बदलाव करना, परिवर्तन करना
English Meaning - change, alter, modify.

13.adage (noun)

Hindi Meaning - कहावत, सूक्ति
English Meaning - saying, proverb, maxim/aphorism.

14.observation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निरीक्षण, निष्कर्ष
English Meaning - impression, finding, statement, result.

15.turnout (noun)

Hindi Meaning - मतदान
English Meaning - participation, attendance. (Voter turnout refers to the number or percentage of eligible voters who cast their ballots).

16.down to the wire (phrase)

English Meaning - relating to a situation whose result is unpredictable till the very last moment.

17.run-up to (noun)

English Meaning - a period of time just before an important event.

18.knife-edge (noun)

English Meaning - tense, charged, overwrought/dangerous situation.

19.Republican (noun)

English Meaning - (in the US) a member or supporter of the Republican Party (also referred to as the GOP); conservative, right winger. Grand Old Party (GOP) refers to the Republican Party.

20.lent an air of (phrase)

English Meaning - to provide or give a feeling/impression/mood/quality of something.

21.unfold (verb)

English Meaning - develop, evolve, take place, happen, occur, transpire, emerge.

22.The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) (noun)

English Meaning - The United States Secret Service is a federal law enforcement agency with headquarters in Washington, D.C., and more than 150 offices throughout the United States and abroad. The Secret Service was established in 1865, solely to suppress the counterfeiting of U.S. currency. Today, the agency is mandated by Congress to carry out dual missions: protection of national and visiting foreign leaders, and criminal investigations.

23.psyche (noun)

English Meaning - soul, spirit, mind, essential nature, intellect, true being, personality, individuality.

24.tip (verb)

English Meaning - tilt, lean, slant, incline.

25.tip the balance (phrase)

English Meaning - be the decisive/deciding/determining factor; make the difference in such a way that something is likely to become successful; to change a situation in order to succeed in something doubtlessly.

26.tilt the scales/balance (phrase)

English Meaning - to change the balance of a situation, so that one side is gaining advantage.

27.as it stands (phrase)

English Meaning - as it turns out.

28.Democratic (adjective)

English Meaning - (in the US) relating to a member or supporter of the Democratic Party; liberal.

29.margin of error (phrase)

English Meaning - (in statistics) it is the degree of error in results received from random sampling surveys.

30.unwise (adjective)

English Meaning - ill-advised, ill-considered, short-sighted, thoughtless.

31.leave aside (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - to not consider something; ignore, dismiss.

32.term (noun)

English Meaning - condition, situation.

33.Democrat (noun)

English Meaning - (in the US) a member or supporter of the Democratic Party; liberal.

34.likely (adverb)

English Meaning - probably, certainly, presumably, doubtlessly.

35.hold true (phrase)

English Meaning - remain true, remain valid, to be applicable, to be valid.

36.indeed (adverb)

English Meaning - in fact, actually, for sure, definitely, without (a) doubt.

37.midterm election (noun)

English Meaning - it is an election to elect members of Congress (which is made up of two parts - the House of Representatives and the Senate) in years the president is not also elected. The elections are held every two years and when they fall in the middle of the president’s four-year term of office, they are called the midterms.

38.on a strong wicket (phrase)

English Meaning - in a strong situation.

39.incumbent (adjective)

English Meaning - current, existing, present (holder, bearer or occupant of an office).

40.approval rating (noun)

English Meaning - a measure of people’s approval of a political leader.

41.fall (verb)

English Meaning - drop, plunge, plummet, go down.

42.relatively (adverb)

English Meaning - comparatively, somewhat, reasonably, in a certain degree, more or less.

43.dent (verb)

English Meaning - diminish, reduce, lessen, shrink, weaken, erode, undermine, damage, impair.

44.turn out (phrasal verb)

English Meaning - come, arrive, appear, gather, assemble, turn up.

45.in the wake of (phrase)

English Meaning - as a result of some event, especially an unpleasant one; in the aftermath of, as a consequence of, on account of, because of, owing to

46.overturn (verb)

English Meaning - nullify, annul, cancel, quash, revoke, overrule.

47.Roe vs Wade (noun)

English Meaning - In this landmark 1973 case, the Supreme Court of the United States established that a woman’s right to an abortion was protected by the right to privacy implicit in the Fourteenth Amendment. But in 2022, the Court reversed the decision, taking back a constitutional protection that stood for decades.

48.federal (adjective)

English Meaning - relating to a system of government in which establishments such as states or provinces share power with a national government.

49.abortion (noun)

English Meaning - medical termination of pregnancy.

50.wherein (adverb)

English Meaning - in which.

51.unfounded (adjective)

English Meaning - groundless, baseless, unjustified.

52.allegation (noun)

English Meaning - accusation, charge, indictment.

53.immigrant (noun)

English Meaning - emigrant, migrant, settler, foreigner.

54.immigration (noun)

English Meaning - the act of leaving one’s countries and moving to another country of which they are not natives, nor citizens, to settle or reside there, especially as permanent residents or naturalized citizens.

55.thorny (adjective)

English Meaning - problematic, tricky, delicate, controversial.

56.puncture (verb)

English Meaning - collapse, cut short, reverse, flatten, reduce.

57.policy plan (noun)

English Meaning - a set of ideas or a plan for action followed by a government (or) a political party.

58.(elected) representative (noun)

English Meaning - a member of a legislature (parliament/legislative assembly) ; legislator, lawmaker.

59.alienate (verb)

English Meaning - set apart, isolate, distance, detach, separate, disunite; estrange, make hostile/make unfriendly.

60.term (noun)

English Meaning - tenure, period of/in office; period, time, stint, spell.

61.so-called (adjective)

English Meaning - supposed, claimed, professed, reported, ostensible.

62.derogatory (adjective)

English Meaning - insulting, abusive, disparaging, belittling, disrespectful, offensive, insulative, defamatory, abusive, libellous, pejorative.

63.intend (verb)

English Meaning - plan, aim, want.

64.racist (adjective)

English Meaning - prejudiced, discriminatory, intolerant.

65.nativism (noun)

English Meaning - the political policy of supporting the interests of native inhabitants against those of immigrants.

66.rational (adjective)

English Meaning - logical, well reasoned, sensible, coherent, wise.

67.humane (adjective)

English Meaning - compassionate, considerate, sympathetic, kind-hearted.

68.asylum (noun)

English Meaning - protection provided by a foreign country to somebody who is unable or unwilling to return to their home country due to fear of persecution (harm, harassment or oppression).

69.undocumented (adjective)

English Meaning - not having the proper legal document.

70.palpable (adjective)

English Meaning - visible, noticeable, perceivable, tangible, observable, discernible, obvious, evident, apparent.

71.bipartisan (adjective)

English Meaning - involving cooperation between two (opposite & big) political parties.

72.juncture (noun)

English Meaning - point in time, time/moment, stage.