Thousands of so-called Tea Party activists rallied in the hometown of Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada Saturday. The Tea Party rally launched a nationwide bus tour for the grassroots conservative group that plans to arrive in Washington on tax day, April 15.
数以千计被称为茶党的活动人士星期六在美国国会参议院民主党领袖雷德的家乡内华达州集会。这次茶党集会为这个草根性的保守团体发动了一项遍及全国的乘巴士旅行活动，计划在4月15号报税日到达华盛顿。
They came by the thousands, from across state lines and across the country, in campers, recreational vehicles and by motorcycle.
他们来自全国各州，乘坐露营车、休闲车和摩托车，一来就是数以千计。
With flags that read "Don't Tread On Me", Tea Party supporters gathered in a windswept dusty lot in the desert in Searchlight, Nevada, the hometown of Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid.
茶党支持者们携带写着“不要践踏我”的旗帜，聚集在参议院民主党领袖雷德的家乡内华达州瑟奇莱特的沙漠上一片风尘滚滚的空地里。
The featured speaker was former Alaska governor and Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who urged the crowd to hold President Obama and the Democrats accountable for the health care plan recently approved by Congress despite unanimous Republican opposition.
主要发言者是前阿拉斯加州长、共和党副总统候选人佩林，她敦促集会群众为最近由国会在共和党一致反对下通过的健保计划向奥巴马总统和民主党人问责。
"What we are doing, folks, we are rolling up our sleeves and we are getting down to business and getting back to the common sense conservative principles that made this country the greatest country on earth, and we are not going to sit down and shut up," said Palin. "Thank you for standing up!"
“同胞们，我们所做的是卷起袖子，严正以对，回到基本常识的保守原则上去，这些原则使得这个国家成为地球上最伟大的国家。我们不会坐视不管保持沉默。谢谢你们挺了起来。”
Palin is a favorite of the Tea Party movement, and many carried homemade signs urging her to run for president in 2012.
佩林是茶党运动的一个宠儿，许多人携带着自制的标语敦促她在2012年竞选总统。
The rally launching the bus tour drew activists from several neighboring states including California, Arizona, and from as far away as Washington State, including retiree Joe Coleman.
这次发动巴士旅行的集会吸引了来自周边的加州、亚利桑那等好几个州的活动人士，还有人来自较远的华盛顿州，其中包括退休的科尔曼。
"I support the Tea Party and the program they have, and what they are trying to pass on to the people," he said. "And I think it is good because a lot of things in the White House and Congress that have taken place right now need to be checked and put under some kind of control."
科尔曼说：“我支持茶党和他们的计划，还有他们正在努力向人民传达的东西。我认为，这是好的，因为在白宫和国会目前已经发生的许多事情需要审查，并加以某种管制。”
June Borders made the hour-long drive down from Las Vegas to lend her support.
朱恩.博德斯从拉斯维加斯开了一小时车来表达她的支持。
"I especially like it because it involves the silent majority that haven't been involved [in politics] in a long time," she said.
她说：“我特别喜欢它，因为它让很久没有参与政治的沉默的多数人参与进来。”
Some of the local residents in Searchlight did not like the fact that outsiders had come in to target Senator Reid, who faces a difficult re-election bid this year, in part, because of his work in guiding the divisive health care reform bill through Congress.
一些在瑟奇莱特的当地居民对于外来者前来把雷德参议员作为问罪对象而感到不快。雷德今年的竞选连任面临一场苦战，部分原因是他在引导国会通过这项意见分歧的医疗改革法案方面所做的工作。
Verlie Doing has known Harry Reid for decades and has run the Searchlight Nugget Casino and Restaurant for more than 30 years.
弗利.杜印认识雷德已经几十年了。他经营瑟奇莱特纳格特赌场超过30年。
"But I totally resent the fact that they have come to Senator Reid's hometown and targeted him," she said. "I just don't think that is the American way. I don't think so. They are strangers. They don't know him at all."
他说：“我完全不赞同他们到雷德参议员的家乡来质问他。我就是不认为那是美国方式。我不这样认为。他们是陌生人。他们根本不了解他。”
The Tea Party movement is not a political party, but a loose grouping of conservative grass roots activists who oppose the health care bill and taxes and who want to reduce the power of the federal government. The name was inspired by the Boston Tea Party tax protest against the British in 1773.
茶党不是一个政党，而是一个反对医改法案和征税的立场保守的草根阶层活动人士的松散组织。他们要求减少联邦政府的权力。茶党所取得这个名称是受了1773年抗议英国征税的波士顿茶会的启发。
The Tea Party activists are generally targeting Democrats and supporters of President Obama in their rallies, though some critics find their rhetoric harsh and, in some cases, threatening.
茶党活动人士在集会上一般都把民主党人和奥巴马总统的支持者作为批评对象，不过一些批评者认为他们的言辞激烈，并且有时候他们的语言具有威胁性。
The Tea Party express bus tour will make its way to Washington over the next several weeks and plans to arrive in the nation's capital for a rally on April 15, the national deadline day for citizens to file their annual income tax returns.
茶党的巴士快车旅行将在未来几个星期到达华盛顿，并计划在4月15号在美国首都举行集会。当天是美国公民每年报税的最后期限。 |