不一般的少年 不一般的市长

Katie Couric:...want you to meet someone a lot closer to home, Michael Sessions. He is a high school senior, but his biggest headache isn't the prom or even math class, although recently for him , life has been a number's game. On Tuesday at the tender age 18 he was elected mayor of Hillsdale, Michigan, winning by only two, that's right, count on two votes.

Katie Couric: Mayor-elect Sessions, good morning, congratulations!

Michael Sessions: Thank you.

Katie Couric: Very nice to meet you.

Michael Sessions: Nice to meet you too.

Katie Couric: Well good, listen. So this has been crazy for you, right? (Oh, it's..)You were on Nightwing a couple of nights ago. (Yes) You were on David Letterman last night. (Last night, yep) and the. . . you know, (It's 8 am and I am on the Today show) this little, this little Today show thing. And what is it if they like for you? Has it been just insanity¹? Fun?

Michael Sessions: It's, It's been overwhelming but it's been fun at the same time, I mean. . for the past 72 hours it's been nonstop.

Katie Couric: How did this whole thing get started, by the way?

Michael Sessions: Well, I really, I thought you know, I can bring some energy to the city so I thought I wanna, I wanna run for mayor in the city of Hillsdale, so back in, back in May I decided², well, when my cousin and I called the City Clerk's Office and see "Well, can I run?, can I fill a petition and run? " Well, the city clerk said: " No, you can't do it, you are 17, and you are not a registered voter yet. So it comes around my birthday, first thing I go to do, register to vote.

Katie Couric: Good for you and then(Ne(xt), then...) they said ok, you can run?

Michael Sessions: Well next week, they sent me my voter registration³ card and then I was in there filling up my declaration to be a write-in candidate.

Katie Couric: And then you used , what, $700 you'd earned from summer jobs?

Michael Sessions: Yes, from my summer jobs.

Katie Couric:For your campaign?

Michael Sessions: Yep, yep

Katie Couric: Ok, now, I am just curious, did you have any competition?

Michael Sessions: Yes I did. There was a guy in the ballot⁴.

Katie Couric: Yeah, and why do you think that the voters of Hillsdale ultimately cast their ballots⁵ for you and what was your platform?

Michael Sessions: I, you know I wanted to bring enthusiasm to the city, and one of the biggest things was we gotta do, we gotta revitalize our economy. We're a small city but we've got plenty of aluminum⁶ industrial part to grow. That's one of the main reasons you know I want to try to help the city compete for the jobs to bring them to our city and also. . .

Katie Couric: Yeah, how do you propose to do that?

Michael Sessions: Well, there is a number of ways, you know first of all I...

Katie Couric: You feel like to meet the press?

Michael Sessions: Yeah, I meet the press right now. But You know in the coming weeks we are gonna develop plans with the city Council as such, I am only one vote on the city Council, essen(tially), essentially⁷, but we will have to see .

Katie Couric:Well, it's really a very very exciting you are doing this. But What about going to college,(Well..) I mean, obviously you are a smart , involved young man(Right. Right.) , You don't want to go on to college? Or you are to defer⁸ (well, I do) college and you're gonna go while you are a mayor?

Michael Sessions: Yes, I planned to go, next fall, I don't know where yet , but I'd like to go to those college, but I haven't applied⁹ anywhere yet. (Right).

Katie Couric:Since you've been busy?

Michael Sessions: I've been so busy, yes.

Katie Couric: Running your campaign, is it true that you ran for office in high school and you didn't win?

Michael Sessions: Yeah, I was defeated, for a Student Council Office.

Katie Couric: Really? So I guess all your friends are pretty impressed with this?

Michael Sessions: Yeah!

Katie Couric: Yeah, do you think it is gonna help you get a date for the prom?

Michael Sessions: I don't know about that.

Katie Couric: Yeah,well good luck to you!

Michael Sessions: Well I think it is very impressive that you are embarked¹⁰ on this campaign and(Thank you.) let us know how it's going.(Thank you.)

Katie Couric: Mayor Sessions, very nice to meet you!

Michael Sessions: Very nice to meet you too.

Katie Couric: OK.

1 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

4 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。

5 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 aluminum   

n.(aluminium)铝

参考例句：

• The aluminum sheets cannot be too much thicker than 0.04 inches.铝板厚度不能超过0.04英寸。
• During the launch phase,it would ride in a protective aluminum shell.在发射阶段，它盛在一只保护的铝壳里。

7 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

8 defer   

vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从

参考例句：

• We wish to defer our decision until next week.我们希望推迟到下星期再作出决定。
• We will defer to whatever the committee decides.我们遵从委员会作出的任何决定。

9 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

10 embarked   

乘船( embark的过去式和过去分词 )； 装载； 从事

参考例句：

• We stood on the pier and watched as they embarked. 我们站在突码头上目送他们登船。
• She embarked on a discourse about the town's origins. 她开始讲本市的起源。