2020年经济学人 莱克星顿专栏--美国史上最混乱总统辩论落幕(2)

Combining democracy and mass culture, the format¹ is archetypally American, yet has proved to be highly exportable. Even more people likely watch their own pre-election debates abroad— including, with encouragement from America’s non-partisan Commission on Presidential Debates, in fledgling African and Eastern European democracies—than tune² in to America’s. These are not trivial accomplishments³. Setting aside many moments of dullness and inanity⁴, the four-yearly televised event is an enactment⁵ of American democracy and an advertisement for it of which Americans should be proud. But they can forget that for now.

总统电视辩论的形式结合了民主与大众文化，是典型的美国形式，然而事实证明，它具有很高的可输出性。甚至有更多的海外人口想观看自己国家的选前辩论。包括非洲和东欧民主国家也新采用了这一形式，尽管美国无党派总统辩论委员会鼓励海外人口观看美国辩论，但他们也还是想看自己国家的，不想看美国的。这些输出算得上是不平凡的成就了。抛开许多沉闷和无聊的时刻，这个四年一次的总统电视辩论活动是美国民主的一次宣示和广告，美国人应该引以为豪。但现在，他们可以忘记这一点了。

Debating Hillary Clinton in 2016, Mr Trump⁶ strained the rules to the limit; he interrupted and physically⁷ intimidated⁸ his opponent (and promised to jail her). In Cleveland he largely ignored them. He interrupted, contradicted and traduced⁹ Joe Biden, and sometimes also the moderator, Chris Wallace of Fox News. He cavilled¹⁰ and scowled¹¹; he huffed and he ranted¹². The ferocity of his claimed grievances¹³ was formidable. It was also ludicrous. It might once even have seemed comical, were he not America’s president.

在2016年与希拉里·克林顿的辩论中，特朗普就已经逼近了规则的底线。他打断希拉里讲话、进行人身威胁（并承诺要将她关进监狱）。而这次在克利夫兰，特朗普更是无视规则。他对乔·拜登进行打断、反驳和诋毁，甚至有时也会打断主持人。他事事挑剔、皱着眉头、怒不可遏、冷嘲热讽。他的满腹牢骚和凶狠至极让人害怕。也同样很可笑。如果他不是美国总统，这可能一度看起来很滑稽。

His criticisms of his Democratic rival were familiar, mostly or wholly inaccurate¹⁵, and often contradictory¹⁶. He accused Mr Biden of being so tough on crime that he had alienated¹⁷ African-Americans and so weak on it that he refused even to utter the phrase “law and order”. He accused him of being so enslaved to the left that he was pushing the left-wing policies, such as Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, that belonged to the Democratic rivals he trounced in his party’s primaries. When Mr Biden pushed back, Mr Trump crowed that he had “just lost the left”.

特朗普对民主党对手的批评都是耳熟能详的，大多或完全是不正确的，而且常常自相矛盾。在犯罪问题上，他一会批评拜登过于强硬，以至于疏远了非洲裔美国人；一会又说拜登过于软弱，以至拒绝说出“法律和秩序”这一短语。特朗普指责拜登对左翼卑躬屈膝，极力推行一系列左翼政策，比如全民医保政策和绿色新政，这些政策都是党内初选时拜登痛击的民主党对手所推行的。当拜登反击时，特朗普又得意地高呼“拜登失去了左翼的支持”。

But many of his attacks were more personal. He suggested Mr Biden was unintelligent and levelled unsubstantiated corruption¹⁸ allegations at his surviving son. At times Mr Biden responded in intemperate¹⁹ kind—he called the president a racist²⁰, a liar¹⁴, a clown and enjoined²¹ him: “Will you shut up, man?” But this was not a two-way fight. Mr Biden’s rehearsed chuckling²² forbearance was more striking in the moment than his insults. And Mr Wallace’s increasingly desperate remonstrations were almost exclusively aimed at the president.

但特朗普的许多攻击是针对个人的。他暗示拜登智商低，并对拜登健在的儿子进行未经证实的腐败指控。有时，拜登也会反映过激，他称特朗普总统是种族主义者、骗子、小丑，并责令：“你能闭嘴吗，老兄？”但总统辩论并不是一场对骂的斗争。此时此刻，拜登表现出的轻笑隐忍远比辱骂回应更令人印象深刻。而主持人华莱士也愈加忍无可忍，他提出的批评几乎是完全针对特朗普总统的。

1 format   

n.设计，版式；[计算机]格式，DOS命令:格式化(磁盘)，用于空盘或使用过的磁盘建立新空盘来存储数据；v.使格式化，设计，安排

参考例句：

• Please format this floppy disc.请将这张软盘格式化。
• The format of the figure is very tasteful.该图表的格式很雅致。

2 tune   

n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整

参考例句：

• He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
• The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。

3 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

4 inanity   

n.无意义，无聊

参考例句：

• Their statement was a downright inanity.他们的声明是彻头彻尾的废话。
• I laugh all alone at my complete inanity.十分无聊时，我就独自大笑。

5 enactment   

n.演出，担任…角色；制订，通过

参考例句：

• Enactment refers to action.演出指行为的表演。
• We support the call for the enactment of a Bill of Rights.我们支持要求通过《权利法案》的呼声。

6 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。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。

8 intimidated   

v.恐吓；威胁adj.害怕的；受到威胁的

参考例句：

• We try to make sure children don't feel intimidated on their first day at school. 我们努力确保孩子们在上学的第一天不胆怯。
• The thief intimidated the boy into not telling the police. 这个贼恫吓那男孩使他不敢向警察报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 traduced   

v.诋毁( traduce的过去式和过去分词 )；诽谤；违反；背叛

参考例句：

• We have been traduced in the press as xenophobic bigots. 我们被新闻界诋毁为仇外的偏狭之徒。 来自辞典例句

10 cavilled   

v.挑剔，吹毛求疵( cavil的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He cavilled at being asked to cook his own breakfast. 他嗔怪让他自己做早饭。 来自互联网

11 scowled   

怒视，生气地皱眉( scowl的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He scowled his displeasure. 他满脸嗔色。
• The teacher scowled at his noisy class. 老师对他那喧闹的课堂板着脸。

12 ranted   

v.夸夸其谈( rant的过去式和过去分词 )；大叫大嚷地以…说教；气愤地)大叫大嚷；不停地大声抱怨

参考例句：

• Drink in hand,he ranted about his adventures in Africa. 他端着酒杯，激动地叙述他在非洲的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Lu Xun ranted and raved against the enemy, but he felt warmth towards the people. 鲁迅对敌人冷嘲热讽，而对人民却是满腔热忱。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

13 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 liar   

n.说谎的人

参考例句：

• I know you for a thief and a liar!我算认识你了，一个又偷又骗的家伙！
• She was wrongly labelled a liar.她被错误地扣上说谎者的帽子。

15 inaccurate   

adj.错误的，不正确的，不准确的

参考例句：

• The book is both inaccurate and exaggerated.这本书不但不准确，而且夸大其词。
• She never knows the right time because her watch is inaccurate.她从来不知道准确的时间因为她的表不准。

16 contradictory   

adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立

参考例句：

• The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。
• What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

17 alienated   

adj.感到孤独的，不合群的v.使疏远( alienate的过去式和过去分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• His comments have alienated a lot of young voters. 他的言论使许多年轻选民离他而去。
• The Prime Minister's policy alienated many of her followers. 首相的政策使很多拥护她的人疏远了她。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

19 intemperate   

adj.无节制的，放纵的

参考例句：

• Many people felt threatened by Arther's forceful,sometimes intemperate style.很多人都觉得阿瑟的强硬的、有时过激的作风咄咄逼人。
• The style was hurried,the tone intemperate.匆促的笔调，放纵的语气。

20 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

21 enjoined   

v.命令( enjoin的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The embezzler was severely punished and enjoined to kick back a portion of the stolen money each month. 贪污犯受到了严厉惩罚，并被责令每月退还部分赃款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• She enjoined me strictly not to tell anyone else. 她严令我不准告诉其他任何人。 来自辞典例句

22 chuckling   

轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• I could hear him chuckling to himself as he read his book. 他看书时，我能听见他的轻声发笑。
• He couldn't help chuckling aloud. 他忍不住的笑了出来。 来自汉英文学 - 骆驼祥子