In his father’s presidential race in 1988, Bush Jr. became his father’s aid.  1988年在他父亲竞选总统时，小布什成为父亲的助手。

　　This was the first time the two had worked together closely as adults, and Big George came to appreciate his son’s political instincts.  这是他们俩人第一次作为成年人在一起密切合作。于是老布什逐渐欣赏儿子的政治素质。

　　When George Bush won the election, his eldest son returned to Texas, a move that shocked Washington careerists.  当老布什在大选中获胜后，他的大儿子却返回德克萨斯，这一举动使华盛顿的野心家们感到很吃惊，

　　But Junior had something also in mind. 但小布什已另有打算了。

　　He was thinking hard about running for Governor of Texas.  这时他在认真考虑竞选德州州长。

　　Texas is a big media state.  德州是一个传媒大州，

　　Name identification is important.  知名度是很重要的，

　　And Bush had got it.  而小布什拥有这一点。

　　But he needed an accomplishment that belonged to his own.  不过他还需一份属于自己的成就，

　　He didn’t want anyone to say “he is riding on Daddy’s name.”  他不想别人说“他是靠爸爸的名气”。

　　So he bought a baseball team titled “Texas Rangers”.  于是他买下了名为“德克萨斯骑警队”的棒球队。

　　He gave speeches across Texas in support of the team.  他到德州各处发表演说为该球队寻求赞助。

　　His down-home style was always on display.  他不断表现出纯朴的风格。

　　He hated to ride in limo, even someone else's，and the Bushes lived in a modest brick house.  他讨厌坐豪华轿车，即便是别人的也不坐。布什一家住在一所朴素的砖房里。

　　Their only luxury was private school for their twin daughters, Barbara and Tenna.  他们惟一奢侈的就是让他们的双胞胎女儿芭芭拉和坦娜在一所私立学校就读。

　　He dressed as indifferent as ever, in cheap suits and boots emblazoned with the flag of Texas.  小布什的穿着还像以前一样很普通—— 廉价的西装和印有德州旗帜的靴子。

　　At the Rangers office, he insisted on wearing a pair of shoes with a large hole in them. 在“骑警队”的办公室里，他坚持穿着一双已有一个大洞的鞋子。

　　Someone said that Bush’s political base was built on twin platforms:  有人说，小布什的政治基础是建立在两个跳板上的：

　　his Rangers celebrity and the prodigious campaigning he had done for his father throughout Texas in 1980，1984, 1988 and 1992.  他的“骑警队”的名气和他于1980年、1984年、 1988年和1992年在德州为他父亲所做的大量竞选工作。

　　In 1992, after his father lost in his presidential re-election, Bush began to run for Governor of Texas.  1992年在他父亲第二次竞选总统失败后，小布什开始竞选德州州长。

　　He traveled across the state, applying the lessons he’d learned from his parents:  他踏遍德州，运用他从父母那里学到的 ：

　　trust your instincts, be down-home, enforce discipline and walked all the way into the state house.  相信你的素质、保持淳朴、加强纪律，结果走进了德州 的州政大厅。