经济学人239:美国中期选举 沉寂的中间地带

 　　America's mid-term elections

　　美国中期选举

　　The silent centre

　　沉寂的中间地带

　　If moderates don't vote next week, extremists will thrive

　　如果中立人士于下周不进行选举，极端主义者将会茁壮发展

　　ALL political campaigns involve a certain amount of looking voters straight in the eye and lying to them. But America's mid-term election campaign has involved more flim-flam than most. The Republicans, if you believe Democratic attack ads, oppose equal pay for women, want to ban contraception and just love it when big corporations ship American jobs overseas. The Democrats¹, according to Republicans, have stood idly by as Islamic State terrorists—possibly carrying Ebola—prepare to cross the southern border. And they, too, are delighted to see American jobs shipped overseas.

　　所有的政治活动都包含了一定数量的撒谎现象，但是美国中期的选举活动已经包含了比大多情况下更多的欺骗。如果你相信民主党发出的具有攻击性的广告所说的:共和党们反对妇女同工同酬，想要废止避孕法，并且大企业将美国的工作机会扩展到海外。据共和党反映，民主党派对可能对带有伊波拉病毒企图跨越美国南部边境的伊斯兰国家恐怖分子置之不理。同时，和共和党一样，他们也同样希望看到美国的工作机会流往海外。

　　美国中期选举.jpg

　　Only a blinkered partisan² would believe any of these charges. Alas³, partisans⁴ are far more likely than anyone else to vote, especially in elections like this one, where the presidency⁵ is not up for grabs.

　　只有狭隘的党派会相信任何这些控告。哎，这些党派相比其他人更愿意行使投票的权利，尤其是类似于总统选举这样的选举活动，其中总统的职位并不是待价而沽的。

　　A survey by the Pew Research Centre finds that 73% of “consistently conservative” Americans are likely to cast a ballot⁶ on November 4th, along with 58% of consistent liberals. Among those with “mixed” views, however, only 25% are likely to bother. That, in a nutshell, is why both parties are pandering⁷ to the extremes. Their strategy relies less on wooing swing voters than on firing up their own side to get out and vote. Often, this involves telling them scare stories about the other lot. The same Pew poll finds that dislike of the other party is one of the strongest incentives⁸ to vote. Republicans with a “very unfavourable” view of Democrats are far more likely to turn out, as are Democrats who loathe⁹ Republicans. With Barack Obama in the White House Republicans are angrier than Democrats, and that is one reason why they are expected to win. Most polls say they will capture the Senate and hold onto the House of Representatives.

　　一项由皮尤组织（一个美国无党派人士组建的组织。它提供一些客观的美国乃至世界范围内的公众信息。 民意调查，社会科学调查。 它会回馈一些相关新闻，并解读调查中包含的重要数据信息。但是它没有任何的政治地位，也就是说非官方的。）发起的调查报告发现“一贯保守”的美国人中有73%的民众更愿意在11月4日投上自己宝贵的一票，而一贯的自由者也愿意在这一天投上自己的选票。在这些民众中带有综合观点的民众，仅仅只有25%的民众愿意行使投票的权利。简而言之，这也就是两大政党迎合极端主义的缘由。相比拉拢摇摆不定的选民，政党们更愿意拉动倾向于自己的民众为本政党投票。往往，这就包括给这些民众们讲讲自己对立党派恐怖的故事。同样一个皮尤组织的民意测验记录表明，不喜欢另外一个党派可以成为民众投票的最强动机。共和党拥有民主党所述的很不利的一方面，到最后会使得讨厌共和党的人选择民主党。属于民主党的美国现总统奥巴马使得共和党比民主党更加愤懑，这也是为什么共和党更加期待于赢得总统的选举。大部分的民意测验表明共和党将努力获取参议院和众议院的支持。

　　America's cycle of polarisation and alienation¹⁰ is self-reinforcing. As the debate grows shriller, moderates tune¹¹ out. Politicians come to rely more and more on the votes of die-hard partisans, so they say and do more extreme things, alienating¹² yet more moderates. Most members of Congress are more frightened of being tossed out by their own party's primary voters—typically for the heresy¹³ of compromise—than they are of losing an election to the other party.

　　极端化和疏远的美国系统圈正呈增强趋势。正如辩论变得更为尖锐，温和派选择退出。政客们越来越倾向于游击队似的选票，所以他们说出和作出更为极端的事情，以至于疏远了更多的温和派。大部分议会的成员更加害怕被本党的基层选民抛掷出局—尤其出现妥协的异端—这比他们输给了另一党派的选票更令人恐惧。

　　America's electoral system needs reform. It is too late to change the rules before this election, however, so it is up to moderates to walk to a polling booth and be counted. To those who grumble¹⁴ that there is no point voting because they don't like any of the candidates, we offer two counter-arguments.

　　美国的竞选系统需要进行改革。现在更改竞选规则已经为时过晚，然而，这就更加地依赖于温和派前往投票点进行投票并参与票数的记录。对于因为不喜欢任何一位候选人而怪罪于没有投票点可以投票的人们，我们提供两个反驳的观点。

　　Speak now, or be ignored

　　为自己发声，或是选择被忽视

　　First, these elections matter. Control of the United States Congress—the body that writes the laws and holds the purse strings¹⁵ of the most important nation on Earth—is at stake. (So are 36 out of 50 state governorships and thousands of local offices—see article.) Individually, it may be rational not to vote: one ballot is unlikely to affect the outcome. But when whole groups stay at home—centrists, young people and non-whites spring to mind—their interests will be ignored.

　　首先，这些选举意义重大。掌握了美国国会—这一制定法律并且掌管地球上最为重要的国家财政大权的国会—是十分关键的。（50个州长以及千万个当地办事处所选出的36个议员同样也十分关键—见文章。）单独来看，这可能是不够理性的投票：一张选票并不会影响选举的结果。但当中间派、年轻人以及非白人种族都选择放弃选举，那么他们的利益将会被忽略。

　　Explore our map and guide to the 2014 mid-term senate races

　　查询我们的地图，并且参看2014中期参议院选举

　　Second, politicians are more sophisticated than they appear on the stump¹⁶. Many are secretly embarrassed by the flame-grilled drivel they have to serve up to partisan audiences. Plenty hanker for the days when divided government meant that the centrists in both parties hammered out reforms together and ignored the frothing fringes. But all of them can count votes—very accurately¹⁷, these days. And all tend to reward their supporters: to “dance with the ones that brung them”, as the saying goes. So if moderate Americans want to influence how their government taxes, spends, regulates and wages war, they should tick a box next week.

　　第二点是，政客们比他们从事政治演说更为老练。很多政客私下为自己那些准备兜售给强硬支持的观众们天花乱坠的言论感到尴尬。大家对于当年分裂的政府准备将党派中的中间分子集合起来共同商定改革事宜而忽略其存在的空隙和差距的日子充满了渴望。但是所有的人都可以计入到投票数里—很精确的是这些天的投票都会计入到投票数中。所有的政客倾向于报答自己的支持者：正如俗话说的“和带你来的人一起共舞”。所以如果中间派的美国人想要对自己国家的税收、花费存在影响，规范美国对外战争，那他们就得下个星期去投票了。

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

3 alas   

int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等)

参考例句：

• Alas!The window is broken!哎呀！窗子破了！
• Alas,the truth is less romantic.然而，真理很少带有浪漫色彩。

4 partisans   

游击队员( partisan的名词复数 )； 党人； 党羽； 帮伙

参考例句：

• Every movement has its partisans. 每一运动都有热情的支持者。
• He was rescued by some Italian partisans. 他被几名意大利游击队员所救。

5 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

6 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。

7 pandering   

v.迎合（他人的低级趣味或淫欲）( pander的现在分词 )；纵容某人；迁就某事物

参考例句：

• This magazine is criticized for pandering to the vulgar taste of some readers. 这家杂志因迎合某些读者的低级趣味而遭到批评。 来自辞典例句
• We're four points up there; we don't need to get hit for pandering. 我们在那儿领先四个百分点；我们不必为了迎合一些选民而遭受批评。 来自电影对白

8 incentives   

激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机

参考例句：

• tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
• Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

9 loathe   

v.厌恶，嫌恶

参考例句：

• I loathe the smell of burning rubber.我厌恶燃着的橡胶散发的气味。
• You loathe the smell of greasy food when you are seasick.当你晕船时，你会厌恶油腻的气味。

10 alienation   

n.疏远；离间；异化

参考例句：

• The new policy resulted in the alienation of many voters.新政策导致许多选民疏远了。
• As almost every conceivable contact between human beings gets automated,the alienation index goes up.随着人与人之间几乎一切能想到的接触方式的自动化，感情疏远指数在不断上升。

11 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。

12 alienating   

v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 )；使不友好；转让；让渡（财产等）

参考例句：

• The phenomena of alienation are widespread. Sports are also alienating. 异化现象普遍存在，体育运动也不例外。 来自互联网
• How can you appeal to them without alienating the mainstream crowd? 你是怎么在不疏忽主流玩家的情况下吸引住他们呢？ 来自互联网

13 heresy   

n.异端邪说；异教

参考例句：

• We should denounce a heresy.我们应该公开指责异端邪说。
• It might be considered heresy to suggest such a notion.提出这样一个观点可能会被视为异端邪说。

14 grumble   

vi.抱怨；咕哝；n.抱怨，牢骚；咕哝，隆隆声

参考例句：

• I don't want to hear another grumble from you.我不愿再听到你的抱怨。
• He could do nothing but grumble over the situation.他除了埋怨局势之外别无他法。

15 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

16 stump   

n.残株，烟蒂，讲演台；v.砍断，蹒跚而走

参考例句：

• He went on the stump in his home state.他到故乡所在的州去发表演说。
• He used the stump as a table.他把树桩用作桌子。

17 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。