经济学人:脆弱民主制度下的选举:为什么监管更重要(2)

 The likes of Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe prefer monitors from the African Union, who in the past have endorsed¹ suspect results (they have recently become a bit more rigorous). 像津巴布韦总统Robert Mugabe这样的人，更喜欢赞成可疑票数的非洲联盟监管员（现在他们已经更谨慎了）。

More ambitious places, such as Kenya and Ghana, crave² the imprimatur of the European Union and respected American outfits³,  但是想更进一步发展的国家，例如肯尼亚和加纳，就更信任欧洲和美国的监管队伍，

notably⁴ the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute and the Carter Centre. 尤其是美国国家民主协会、国际共和研究所和卡特中心。

Nowadays foreign monitoring teams start to arrive a good month before the big day and stay for at least a month after it. 现在国际监管队伍会在选举之前一个月就到达当地，并且在选举结束之后的一个月再离开。

The outsiders help in several ways. 这些“外人”起到了不小的作用。

They provide expertise⁵ on technology, especially concerning the registration⁶ of voters and the method of vote-counting. 他们能够提供专门的，尤其是涉及票数登记和记录的技术。

Monitors also help co-ordinate “parallel vote tabulation”,  他们还能够帮助协调“并行投票列表”，

whereby samples of the results from randomly⁷ selected polling stations are collected and presented quickly to prevent fraud in the later counting process. 由此从投票站随机抽取的样本能够及时收取和陈列，也就能够减少计票环节的欺诈行为。

Crucially, foreign monitors support local watchdogs who do most of the work and face the greatest risks. 最重要的是，国际监管员能够给冒险监察选举的人提供庇护。

Foreigners alone cannot ensure fair elections. 但是仅仅靠国际监管员是远远不够的。

They rely on the co-operation of local governments, to gain access to the entire process, including the voters' register. 他们需要当地政府的支持来参与包括选举人的登记过程在内的投票全过程。

But they can raise the bar against rigging. 这样他们也能更好地减少滥用私权问题。

Beyond constraining⁸ the incumbents⁹' power, their scrutiny¹⁰ can build popular trust in the elections—and make it easier for losers to accept defeat. 除了限制当权者的权力之外，他们的审查还能在选举过程中营造相互信任的氛围，也让败选者们更能接受结果。

It is an expensive business, but worthwhile. 这是一笔昂贵的买卖，但值得。

Worryingly, the Trump¹¹ administration is trying to slash¹² the State Department's budget which helps support democracy, including election monitors. 令人担忧的是特朗普政府正试图削减中央政府的预算，这些预算主要用于支持民主，包括选举监督。

Congress is right to resist such cuts. 国会拒绝这样的要求是正确的。

Fair elections make Africa more stable. 公平的选举保证了非洲的平稳。

Giving up on them spreads anger and poison around the world. 放弃他们就等于在全世界散布愤怒和毒药。

 

1 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 crave   

vt.渴望得到，迫切需要，恳求，请求

参考例句：

• Many young children crave attention.许多小孩子渴望得到关心。
• You may be craving for some fresh air.你可能很想呼吸呼吸新鲜空气。

3 outfits   

n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 )；一套服装；集体；组织v.装备，配置设备，供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
• Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具，因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句

4 notably   

adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地

参考例句：

• Many students were absent,notably the monitor.许多学生缺席，特别是连班长也没来。
• A notably short,silver-haired man,he plays basketball with his staff several times a week.他个子明显较为矮小，一头银发，每周都会和他的员工一起打几次篮球。

5 expertise   

n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长

参考例句：

• We were amazed at his expertise on the ski slopes.他斜坡滑雪的技能使我们赞叹不已。
• You really have the technical expertise in a new breakthrough.让你真正在专业技术上有一个全新的突破。

6 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

7 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

8 constraining   

强迫( constrain的现在分词 )； 强使； 限制； 约束

参考例句：

• He was constraining his mind not to wander from the task. 他克制着不让思想在工作时开小差。
• The most constraining resource in all of these cases is venture capital. 在所有这些情况下最受限制的资源便是投入资本。

9 incumbents   

教区牧师( incumbent的名词复数 )； 教会中的任职者

参考例句：

• In general, incumbents have a 94 percent chance of being reelected. 通常现任官员有94%的几率会再次当选。
• This arangement yields a wonderful gain to incumbents. 这种安排为在职人员提供了意外的得益。

10 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。