The grassroots cause known as the Tea Party movement has brought its demands for lower taxes and smaller government to Washington. The Tea Party rally in Washington was the final stop on a nearly three-week national tour.
After stops in 48 cities in 23 states, the Tea Party Express rolled to a stop just blocks from the White House.
“茶党快车”在全美二十三个州的四十八个城市作停留后，抵达离开白宫仅几个街区的终点站。
The Washington rally coincided with tax deadline day in the United States, the day Americans must file their income tax returns with the government.
在华盛顿举行集会的这一天正好是美国人报税的最后期限，在这一天之前，美国人务必向政府申报自己的所得税。
Tea Party Express organizer Amy Kremer addressed a crowd of several thousand people on Pennsylvania Avenue and predicted the movement would bring change to Washington in November's midterm congressional elections.
“茶党快车”的组织者克雷默在宾夕法尼亚大道上向几千民众发表讲话，她预计“茶党”运动将在十一月举行的国会中期选举中给华盛顿带来变化。
"We have a message for them," said Ms. Kremer. "They may not listen to us now, but I guarantee you they will listen to us in November when we vote the bums out!"
克雷默说：“ 我们有话要告诉他们。他们现在可能不会听，但是我向你保证他们十一月份的时候会听，那时候我们会把那些不中用的家伙赶出国会。”
Tea Party supporters want to cut taxes, government spending and the federal budget deficit. They also oppose President Obama and Democratic congressional leaders, and many want to repeal the recently-passed health care reform law.
“茶党”支持者们希望减税、减少政府开支和联邦赤字。他们也反对奥巴马总统和国会的民主党领袖们，他们中很多人希望废除最近通过的健保改革法。
Congressional Republicans who spoke at the rally eagerly welcomed Tea Party supporters.
在这次集会上发表讲话的国会共和党人热切地欢迎“茶党”支持者。
"Thanks for coming to the Devil's city to help us do the Lord's work!" said Senator Saxby Chambliss, a Republican from Georgia.
他说：“感谢你们来到这个‘魔鬼’之城，来帮助我们做上帝的工作。”
Chambliss and other Republicans hope to tap the energy of the Tea Party movement to sweep them to victory over Democrats in the congressional midterm elections.
说这番话的是来自乔治亚州的共和党参议员钱布利斯。钱布利斯和其他共和党人希望利用茶党运动来为他们在中期选举中战胜民主党人扫清道路。
"And that in November we turn out in record numbers to show this administration that we are serious about spending, that we are serious about tax reform and that we are serious about bringing common sense back to the United States of America," added Senator Chambliss.
他说：“11月，我们将以创纪录的选民人数告诉奥巴马政府，我们认真对待政府开支的问题，对待税制改革的问题，我们也认真地希望美国能恢复应有的常识。”
The Washington rally drew Tea Party supporters from across the country including Harlow Hansen from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
"I am here to protest what the government is doing to us, taking our freedoms away, spending way too much money, ramming these things down the throat of the people without their consent," said Hasen.
But not everyone on hand welcomed the Tea Party Express. A lawyer from nearby Maryland, who did not want to give his name, engaged in an impromptu debate with Tea Party supporters and later expressed concern about some of their rhetoric.
但并不是每一个人都欢迎茶党快车。马里兰州的一位不愿透露姓名的律师与茶党支持者进行了即兴的辩论。他后来对他们的一些言论表示担忧。
"I just do not get what makes the Tea Party tick," he said. "I do not understand it. They think they are Americans, they think they are upholding the Constitution, and they are literally suggesting that violent acts be undertaken against the government."
他说：“我真不知道‘茶党’的动机是什么。我不明白。他们觉得他们是美国人，他们觉得他们在维护宪法，可他们其实是在建议对政府采取暴力行为。”
A new New York Times-CBS News poll found that Tea Party followers tend to be white, male, older than 45, conservative in outlook and usually vote Republican. The Times poll found that 18 percent of Americans now identify themselves as Tea Party supporters. Among them, 90 percent disapprove of President Obama and roughly the same percentage believes that Mr. Obama is moving the country toward socialism.
In addition to Washington, numerous Tea Party anti-tax rallies were held around the country Thursday.
除了在华盛顿，星期四还在美国各地举行了茶党的反税收集会。
The Tea Party movement takes its name and inspiration from the Boston Tea Party of 1773 when American colonists dumped tea into Boston harbor to protest taxes imposed by ruling Britain.
茶党运动这个名字和创意来源于1773年的波士顿倾茶事件。当时美国人向波士顿港口倾倒茶叶，抗议英国殖民统治者附加的税收。 |