美国首都华盛顿希望成为美国第51个州

 Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has announced a plan to allow local residents to vote in November on whether the nation's capital should try to become the country's 51st state.

美国首都华盛顿哥伦比亚特区市长穆丽尔·鲍泽星期五宣布一项计划，允许当地居民今年11月就美国首都是否应当努力成为美国第51个州进行投票表决。

Speaking at a breakfast Friday to commemorate¹ the end of slavery in the District of Columbia in 1862, Bowser said the ballot² initiative would "send a bold message to the Congress and the rest of the country that we demand not only a vote in the House of Representatives. We demand two senators—the full rights of citizenship³ in this great nation."

鲍泽市长星期五在一次纪念华盛顿市结束奴隶制的早餐会上说，该选票倡议项目将“向国会以及全美各地传递出一个果敢的信息，那就是我们不仅要求在众议院有一票，而且我们要求拥有两名参议员，要求得到在这个伟大国家的完全公民权利。”

美国首都华盛顿希望成为美国第51个州.jpg

The district is now represented in Congress only by a single, nonvoting delegate in the House of Representatives; the current officeholder is Eleanor Holmes Norton. Territories like Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin⁴ Islands have similar representation in Congress, but their residents do not pay federal income taxes, as D.C. residents do.

目前，华盛顿哥伦比亚特区只有在众议院拥有一名无投票权的代表。这类似于来自波多黎各和美属维尔京群岛等美国领地的代表。虽然华盛顿哥伦比亚特区的国会众议院代表诺顿不能在众议院投票，但是和那些美属领地不同，首都华盛顿的居民却要缴付联邦收入所得税。

The situation has given rise to use of the "Taxation⁵ without representation" slogan that is embossed on city vehicle license⁶ plates—including the limousine⁷ of President Barack Obama.

这种境况导致出现了“纳税却无代表”这句口号的出现，这句口号被印制在首都华盛顿的汽车号牌上，奥巴马总统的豪华座驾的车牌上也不例外。

District residents would most likely approve the ballot initiative Bowser is seeking. A Washington Post poll from November showed that about 70 percent of district residents support statehood, and the idea has also has received some high-profile support from both sides of the political aisle⁸.

一旦鲍泽市长完成在选票上列入这个选项的工作，很可能首都华盛顿哥伦比亚特区的居民会投票支持使之成为华盛顿市的法律。华盛顿邮报去年11月的一项民意测验显示，首都华盛顿压倒性多数，也就是大约百分之70的居民支持华盛顿哥伦比亚特区成为美国一个州。首都华盛顿努力成为美国一个州也得到美国两党一些高层人士的支持。

Obama has publicly expressed support for statehood, and front-running Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump⁹ said in August that he favored "whatever's best" for D.C. residents, including statehood.

奥巴马总统公开表达支持华盛顿市成为美国一个州，共和党总统竞选领跑者川普去年8月表示，他支持任何对首都市民最有利的事情，其中包括首都华盛顿哥伦比亚特区成为美国一个州。

1 commemorate   

vt.纪念，庆祝

参考例句：

• This building was built to commemorate the Fire of London.这栋大楼是为纪念“伦敦大火”而兴建的。
• We commemorate the founding of our nation with a public holiday.我们放假一日以庆祝国庆。

2 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

3 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

4 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

5 taxation   

n.征税，税收，税金

参考例句：

• He made a number of simplifications in the taxation system.他在税制上作了一些简化。
• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。

6 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

7 limousine   

n.豪华轿车

参考例句：

• A chauffeur opened the door of the limousine for the grand lady.司机为这个高贵的女士打开了豪华轿车的车门。
• We arrived in fine style in a hired limousine.我们很气派地乘坐出租的豪华汽车到达那里。

8 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

9 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。