A resurgent Republican Party is basking in the afterglow of its best midterm electoral showing in 16 years. Republicans scored a huge majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, pared the Democratic majority in the Senate, and captured a slew of governorships across the nation.
美国共和党16年来最好的一次中期选举结果让他们备受鼓舞。共和党在众议院以巨大优势赢得多数,削弱了民主党在参议院的多数派势力,并夺取了全国各地大量的州长职位。
Two years after American voters gave Democrats the White House and the party's biggest legislative majorities in a generation, they forcefully reversed course and handed a significant chunk of power back to Republicans. With the nation mired in economic doldrums, high unemployment, and soaring national debt, an angry and anxious electorate dealt Democrats a stern rebuke.
两年前,美国选民一手帮助民主党人入主白宫,并使他们获得20多年以来在立法机构中多数党优势最为显著的一次胜利。如今他们奋力扭转了这一格局,把相当大的一部分权力重新交回共和党人手中。随着全国经济陷入低迷、失业率居高不下以及国债不断飙升,愤怒和焦虑的选民们对民主党人给予严苛的责难。
House Republican Leader John Boehner is expected to become the chamber's next speaker -- and the man President Barack Obama will have to work with to get legislation passed beginning next year. Addressing jubilant supporters, Boehner took stock of America's new governing reality.
众议院共和党领袖博纳预期将成为众议院下一任议长,也是奥巴马总统自明年伊始推动立法通过时不得不与之合作的人物。博纳在对欢欣鼓舞的支持者们发表讲话时,审视了美国新的执政现实。
"While our new majority will serve as your voice in our people's house, we must remember, it's the president who sets the agenda for our government," Boehner said. "The American people have sent an unmistakable message to him tonight, and that message is, 'change course.'"
博纳说:“在属于全美国人民的众议院中,我们作为新的多数派将代表你们的声音。同时,我们也必须铭记,设定政府议程的人是总统。全美国人民今晚已经向他发出了明确无误的讯息。这个讯息就是:改变现有的政策方向。”
Republicans will have a commanding House majority of well over 40 seats.
共和党人将在众议院掌握远远超过40个席位的绝对优势。
Democrats keep Senate majority
Democrats fared better the Senate, where they will retain a slim majority. Among the Democratic survivors in Tuesday's balloting was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who made a plea for pragmatism over ideology in the new Congress.
民主党人在参议院竞选中的表现稍微好一些。他们保留了参议院微弱的多数党优势。在星期二的选举中侥幸保住参议院议席的民主党人包括参议院多数党领袖里德。他提出,在新的国会中,实用主义应该战胜意识形态上的差别。
"We have a different Senate than we had before," Reid noted. "But I think it is time we started working together. That is what progress is all about -- not from the far-left, not from the far-right. We have to work together to build a consensus and move this country along."
里德说:“我们现在所处的参议院同以前不一样了。但我认为,现在是我们携手合作的时候了。这就是进步的意义所在--不走极左路线,也不采取极右的政策。我们不得不共同努力达成共识,推动这个国家继续前进。”
Reid spoke on NBC's Today program.
里德在美国全国广播公司的“今日秀”节目上发表了这番言论。
GOP gains in Obama's home state
Republican pick-ups in the Senate include President Obama's former seat in Illinois.
共和党人从民主党人手中夺取的参议院议席中,包括奥巴马总统曾经任职的伊利诺伊州议员的席位。
Among Republican victors are several high-profile adherents of the so-called 'Tea Party' movement that sprung up after Mr. Obama entered office. As a group, Tea Partiers profess an almost single-minded determination to cut government spending and limit taxation. Many Tea Party candidates wrestled nominations away from well-known establishment Republicans, and have repeatedly pledged to place their ideals over party loyalty.
在所有共和党的胜利者中,有许多所谓“茶党运动”高调追随的候选人。“茶党运动”是在奥巴马总统入主白宫后逐渐崛起的。作为一个整体,“茶党运动”的成员宣称他们一心追求削减政府开支和限制税收的理念。许多“茶党运动”的候选人从有威望建树的共和党人手中力夺共和党提名,并反复承诺他们将个人理想置于对党派的忠诚之上。
Late Tuesday, President Obama telephoned Republican Leader Boehner to congratulate him on his win. He promised to work to find common ground with Republicans, who have pledged to halt, reverse, or block virtually all of the president's major initiatives.
星期二晚上,奥巴马总统致电共和党领袖博纳,对他的胜利表示祝贺。奥巴马承诺将致力于找到与共和党人合作的共同基础。共和党人一直以来誓言将从实质上停止、扭转或阻碍奥巴马的那些主要政策的措施。
Mr. Obama is to hold a news conference later in the day. |