PBS高端访谈:为什么今年很多美国人放弃投票

JUDY WOODRUFF: Both presidential candidates agree this is the most important election in modern history. But in most recent elections, about four in 10 eligible¹ voters stayed home. We talked to a few of the people who are not voting this time around.

朱迪·伍德乐夫：两位总统候选人都认为这是现代史上最重要的一次选举，但在最近的选举中，有大约40%的合格选民都选择待在家里。我们和一些在这次选举中放弃投票的人进行了谈话。

CLIFFORD GENECE, Not Voting in 2020: My name is Clifford Genece. I'm from Brooklyn, New York, currently residing in Denver, Colorado.

克利福德·吉尼斯，2020年不投票：我叫克利福德·吉尼斯。我来自纽约的布鲁克林，目前住在科罗拉多州的丹佛市。

ELLIE PANA, Not Voting in 2020: Hi. I'm Ellie Pana. I am a Greek American dual² citizen born and raised in America, but living in Greece now.

艾莉·帕娜，2020年不投票：你好，我叫艾莉·帕娜，我是希腊裔美国人，在美国出生长大，现在住在希腊。

RODGER WEIR³, Not Voting in 2020: My name is Rodger Weir.

罗杰·威尔，2020年不投票：我叫罗杰·威尔。

MARYAM ALANIZ, Not Voting in 2020: My name is Maryam Alaniz. I'm not voting in this election.

玛丽安·阿兰尼斯，2020年不投票：我叫玛丽安·阿兰尼斯。这次选举我不会投票。

ELLIE PANA: I would have never thought that I would not be voting or would even consider not voting. I never -- like, I have always -- like, it's my civic⁴ duty or it's my patriotic⁵ duty or even my desire. Like, I want to do it.

艾莉·帕娜：我从没想过我会不去投票，甚至不会考虑不去投票。从来没有，我一直觉得这是我作为公民的义务，我的爱国义务，甚至可以说是我的愿望。就像，我想要去做。

CLIFFORD GENECE: This year is the first year where I just don't feel like -- I don't feel represented or heard.

克利福德·詹丝：今年是我第一次觉得自己没有被代表，没有被倾听。

RODGER WEIR: I'm not voting because no one has earned it. No one has earned my vote. If I can't have a candidate that I feel is going to actually represent me, then why should I vote?

罗杰·韦尔：我不投票，因为今年他们都不值得我投票，他们都无法赢得我的选票。如果没有一个我觉得能真正代表我的候选人，那我为什么还要投票呢？

CLIFFORD GENECE: I don't feel like anyone is doing anything that's really going to create change and kind of bring us back to a place where we're not having these continual tensions and issues that we have been having for centuries.

克利福德·金里斯：我觉得他们都没有做出行动来真正去改变，把我们带回到一个没有持续紧张和问题的地方，几个世纪以来我们一直生活在紧张和问题当中。

MARYAM ALANIZ: If there was a candidate that spoke⁶ to my concerns, spoke to my interests, shared my politics, Then maybe I would consider voting.

玛丽安·阿兰尼斯：如果哪位候选人能够说出我的担忧，说出我的兴趣，说出我的政治观点，那么我可能会考虑投票。

ELLIE PANA: Because I am overseas and I waited too late in the game for an absentee ballot⁷, then it's like, OK, should I get on a plane, fly to New York for a couple days, cast my ballot, and then come back? And because neither candidate inspires me that much, I'm like, I will just sit this one out.

艾莉·帕娜：因为我在海外，我在缺席投票中等得太晚了，然后就好像，好吧，所以我应该坐飞机去纽约呆几天然后等投完票再回来吗？但是两位候选人都没有让我有那么大的动力，所以我想这次我就不参加了。

RODGER WEIR: If we live in the land of the free, the home of the brave, and we have freedom to choose, then give me that freedom, give me the choice, instead of just giving me these two steaming piles of waste on which to decide from.

罗杰·韦尔：如果我们生活在自由的国度，勇敢的家园，我们有选择的自由，那么请给我这种自由，给我选择的机会，而不是仅仅给我这两堆冒着热气的废物让我做决定。

MARYAM ALANIZ: This past year, there -- it's been a really, really volatile⁸ year. A lot of countries are facing political crises. And, really, it's a lot of young people like myself who are really, really dissatisfied and are realizing that, like, voting is not the only way to make our voices heard. If we want to actually organize ourselves, like, we shouldn't cede⁹ electoralism as our only option. We should be empowered to go to the streets.

玛丽安·阿兰尼斯：过去的一年，是非常非常不稳定的一年，许多国家正面临政治危机。真的，有很多像我一样真的、真的不满意的年轻人，他们意识到，投票不是让我们的声音被听到的唯一方式。如果我们真的想组织起来，我们不应该放弃选举主义作为我们唯一的选择，我们应该被赋予走上街头的权利。

CLIFFORD GENECE: I understand that there is power and there is a necessity in voting. But if I know that voting has no impact on what I want for change, then it isn't an altruistic¹⁰ act. It's just -- it's just doing it, again, just to do it. I think not voting and not participating sends more of a message to leaders that we're not happy. We're not happy with what's going on.

克利福德·金里斯：我明白投票涉及权力，也是很有必要的，但是如果我知道投票无法改变我所想要改变的，那么这就不是利他行为，只是说去投了，再投了一次。我认为不投票和不参与向领导人传递了一个信息，那就是我们不高兴，我们对发生的事情不满意。

1 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

2 dual   

adj.双的；二重的，二元的

参考例句：

• The people's Republic of China does not recognize dual nationality for any Chinese national.中华人民共和国不承认中国公民具有双重国籍。
• He has dual role as composer and conductor.他兼作曲家及指挥的双重身分。

3 weir   

n.堰堤，拦河坝

参考例句：

• The discharge from the weir opening should be free.从堰开口处的泻水应畅通。
• Big Weir River,restraining tears,has departed!大堰河，含泪地去了！

4 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

5 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

6 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

7 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。

8 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

9 cede   

v.割让，放弃

参考例句：

• The debater refused to cede the point to her opponent.辩论者拒绝向她的对手放弃其主张。
• Not because I'm proud.In fact,in front of you I cede all my pride.这不是因为骄傲，事实上我在你面前毫无骄傲可言。

10 altruistic   

adj.无私的，为他人着想的

参考例句：

• It is superficial to be altruistic without feeling compassion.无慈悲之心却说利他，是为表面。
• Altruistic spirit should be cultivated by us vigorously.利他的精神是我们应该努力培养的。