VOA慢速英语2019 美国选民：总统候选人的年龄问题（在线收听）

US Voters: Age Matters in Presidential Candidates

A recent public opinion survey found that Americans have concerns about the age of presidential candidates. The survey is connected to the Williams Institute at UCLA. It found that voters are more likely to reject a candidate over 70 years old than one who is homosexual.

近期一项民意调查发现，美国人对总统候选人的年龄感到担忧。这项调查与加州大学洛杉矶分校的威廉姆斯学院有关。调查发现，与同性恋（候选人）相比，选民更有可能排斥年逾古稀的候选人。

The information comes as Americans prepare for the 2020 presidential election. On Election Day next November, Senator Bernie Sanders would be 79; former Vice President Joe Biden 77; President Donald Trump 74; and Senator Elizabeth Warren 71.

这些信息公布之时，正值美国筹备2020年大选之际。待明年11月的选举日，参议员伯尼·桑德斯(Bernie Sanders)将年满79岁；前副总统乔·拜登（Joe Biden）77岁；特朗普总统74岁;而参议员伊丽莎白·沃伦71岁。

The two youngest candidates are Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Mayor Pete Buttigieg, who are both in their thirties. Buttigieg is also one of the first openly gay presidential candidates from a major party.

两位最年轻的候选人是国会女议员图西·加巴德(Tulsi Gabbard)和市长皮特·巴蒂吉格(Pete Buttigieg)，两人均为30多岁。而巴蒂吉格也是首批公开同性恋身份的主要政党总统候选人之一。

The survey was meant to find out Americans’ opinions about a homosexual presidential candidate. A public opinion survey in 2007 found that Americans were more likely to support a candidate in his or her seventies than one who was homosexual.

这项调查旨在了解美国人对同性恋总统候选人的看法。2007年的一项民意调查发现，美国人更可能支持70多岁的候选人，而不是同性恋者。

But this year, a number of national surveys showed the opposite. The recent UCLA survey found that nearly half of adults in the U.S. would be “much” or “somewhat” less likely to support a presidential candidate older than 70. In contrast, about one-third said they would be less likely to vote for someone who is gay.

而今年，一些全国性调查显示情况已经扭转。加州大学洛杉矶分校最近的一项调查发现，美国近一半的成年人“非常”或“多少”不太可能支持70岁以上的总统候选人。相反，约三分之一的人表示，他们不太可能投票给同性恋候选人。

The survey measured the public’s general acceptance of people from different groups. It did not ask about voters’ support for individual candidates.

这项调查衡量了民众对不同群体的普遍接受程度。但是并未询问选民对个别候选人的支持情况。

Kyle Kondik is a political observer at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics. Kondik noted that people’s answers in a survey can be different from what they decide on Election Day. People might say they want a younger candidate, Kondik observed. But age may not be the only issue that informs their vote.

凯尔·康狄克(Kyle Kondik)是弗吉尼亚大学政治中心的政治观察员。康狄克指出，人们在调查中的答案可能与他们在选举日的决定不同。人们可能会说他们想要一个更年轻的候选人。但年龄可能不是影响他们投票的唯一因素。

Words in This Story

survey – n. an activity in which many people are asked questions about an issue to understand better what the public thinks about it

contrast – n. something that is different from another thing